Wearing Exam Gloves During Treatment: A Must

From the Desk of Pamela Hill:

 
Over the last 10 years aestheticians and their treatments have become more sophisticated. As such the question of wearing gloves has sparked debated. Just as the dental hygienist now wears gloves, a mask and goggles so should aesthetician consider their treatments in a more clinical sense.

So, gloves or no gloves this is the question.

Many aestheticians think that it is ok to wear gloves only during extractions. Nothing could be further from the truth. When anyone has direct physical contact with another person during a clinical treatment gloves should be used. Some aestheticians have justified the absence of gloves since massage therapists, hair dressers, and nail techs don’t wear gloves.

Justifying that opinion based on what others don't do is untenable.

Hepatitis B, C and HIV may require intimate contact with bodily fluids but we should not only be focused on these diseases. Some individuals carry bad bacteria on the surface of their skin. Examples of these are MRSA, Salmonella or E. Coli. We normally wash our hands before treating a client. But if you treat a client without gloves consider this. Some individuals are more fastidious than others. What about the person who doesn’t wash their hands after using the toilet and then touches their face or nose? Is their face contaminated with Salmonella or E.Coli? Probably. After treating this client do you wash your hands before touching your face? Do you ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly, cleaning under the fingernails and cuticles with a brush or pick using a medical antibacterial soap?

Given just this one example, how could wearing exam gloves be in question? In my opinion the use of gloves is clear, an aesthetician should never treat a client without them.