[Question #1840] Manicure And hepatitis risk

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90 months ago
Hi I recently received a Manicure at a nail salon where the Technician nicked me with cuticle nippers and I'm not sure it they were sterilized ,  i have not notice any blood in the tools , one day after the manicure i ve noticed small wounds around my fingers   , if the tools used are not sterilized could i caught hepatitis B or C? 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
90 months ago

Welcome to our Forum.  I'll try to help.  We regularly receive questions about the risk of acquiring HIV from barber shops or in the course of manicures. Such events are sometimes listed as theoretical risks for HIV yet HIV is hard to transit and there are no cases of HIV that I am aware of in which HIV has been acquired from either barber's activities or manicures.   Manicurists are typically trained to clean their instruments between clients to prevent skin and soft tissue infections.  Such cleansing would also prevent HIV and hepatitis transmission in the unlikely circumstance that the person having a manicure immediately before you were HIV infected and the tools were contaminated with blood.  I see no medical reason for concern about or for testing for HIV or hepatitis B or C related to being nicked in the course of a manicure. 

I hope this information is helpful to you.  EWH 

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