[Question #7505] Waxing salon
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55 months ago
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Hello, I recently had a situation where I went to a waxing salon and the lady changed the trash and tried to continue my wax without changing gloves. I stopped her and had her change them, but my question is, if you get a wax, what are the odds you can contact an STI such as herpes if they 1) double dip. Is that a myth? 2) touch surfaces with the gloves they use on you and come back to finish the wax? I often see they moving things around and coming back to the customer, but I never feared it until I witnessed her change the trash and not change gloves, so now I'm worried about my risk level. Thank you.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
55 months ago
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While there is certainly a YUCK factor here, I'm not at all clear that an STI would be transmitted in this way. Also, let's think it through. With most waxing that I've seen done (admittedly only my eyebrows), the glove never touches the person. The glove touches the stick that picks up the very hot was that then gets applied to the body. No virus could live in the very hot wax so that's not a risk. Let's take the very worst-case scenario and say they touched something with herpes virus on it. First of all, the virus would not live long off of the human body, and when the virus is touched on a surface, much of the virus is lost on the transition between objects/surfaces, and then, she is only touching the end of the stick to pick up the was, and that end of the stick never comes near you. All in all, I don't see a risk here.
Terri
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55 months ago
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Thank you for your reply. I will add that the gloves do come in contact with your skin sometimes throughout the procedure.
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
55 months ago
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While that is possible, yes, it's uncommon. I think if you have any concerns at all, you should request a glove change. I've had patients do it and I'm not at all offended!
Terri
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