Hygiene in massage should be every therapist’s concern.
Every aspect of a beauty and body treatment should be approached with diligence and attention to detail. Particularly when it comes to hygiene!
Our mantra here at Barneys is to make salon life easier. And it’s not just about providing quality products at low prices. It starts at providing hygienic solutions to ensure your salon life remains profitable and in high regard.
Believe it or not, salon hygiene is too often treated as second to the many aspects of running a salon, managing clients and staff and ordering, not to mention the rest! However, we all must remember to put the safety of our clients first and equally our staff.
Our bodies are renowned for omitting nasties, leaving microorganisms behind and more – yuck indeed. Just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there! So, sterilise yes, disinfect indeed, yet make sure your tools and consumables are equally at the forefront of your service.
Here are a few simple ways to ensure a clean treatment room and a satisfied client without the health risk:
Basic room management:
From top to bottom, chair to bed. Ensure a disinfectant wipe down of all tools and equipment after each treatment. Use disposable gloves to ensure transfer of germs is minimized, especially to yourself as the therapist.
Always dress the bed in new disposables such as disposable sheets and face covers. Of course, you would still layer with soft and comfortable toweling, yet a great tip is to protect your bed with easy throw away options that save time and less application of harmful disinfectants.
Where you can, use disposable consumables. Not only are they convenient, yet they save time and money. Not to mention they offer added hygiene and protection of your equipment, furniture and tools.
Pre client tips:
When it comes to a hygienic massage, the responsibility is not only on the salon and therapists. Don’t be afraid to ask your client to follow a few basic preparation tips to ensure a comfortable massage and extra relaxation time.
A great way to encourage this is to send a client preparation checklist with your booking confirmation email and reminder emails. If you like traditional mail or prefer to provide your client at the counter with treatment information, then add to the design of your massage booking card, just as you would when asking your clients to prep for a wax treatment. Don’t forget here we are talking about treatment rooms that don’t traditionally offer shower services.
There are also many cases of walk-in clients, and majority of the time, these clients have been running around. Therefore, you must ensure even more so that they are prepared for the treatment. Remember, you as the therapist, must also ensure your workplace and client are equally as prepared. You may need to add extra cost or preparation add-on options to your menu to be clear to all clients, that all treatments are to be performed on cleansed skin.
Remember, your client will appreciate your hygienic practices whether they voice this or not. Word travels fast, and often when someone talks beauty salons with their friends, you’d be surprised how often the topic of ‘cleanliness’ comes up.
Self-preparation and personal hygiene:
It is all well and good if your salon is prepared and your client is prepared, yet what about you? After-all, you are performing the service and going from client to client. So, keep tidy, skin cleansed, and it may be a good idea to change up the apron in-between clients.
To sum it up:
- Avoid cross-contamination
- Keep your salon floor clean
- Sterilise and protect salon furniture
- Ensure your clients are prepared accordingly
- Ensure you are clean and ready to engage in a new treatment
It may cost you a small amount to maintain a hygienic salon but think of the cost to your business if you don’t.