An aesthetic service is a service that is intended to alter appearance. This may include waxing, facials, and laser hair removal.
Provide Safe Waxing Services
- Use a single-use disposable applicator or stick to dispense the wax. After the applicator touches the client it must be thrown in the garbage. Do not use the applicator again to get more wax, even for the same client.
- Do not “double dip”. Put a small amount of wax into a small container. Use all the wax for one client and throw away the left over wax with the container.
Using a Wax Roller
- Wax rollers that are applied directly on the skin can only be used on one client. Throw away any leftover wax with the cartridge and roller.
- Wax rollers applied onto a strip of material can be reused for more than one client.
Exposing and Removing Ingrown Hairs
- Use a single-use, pre-packaged, sterile needle to expose ingrown hairs. Discard needles into an approved sharps container immediately after use. Sharps containers cannot be discarded into regular garbage.
- If a tweezer is used to expose ingrown hairs and is in contact with non-intact skin, the tweezers must be cleaned and disinfected with a high-level disinfectant between clients.
- High level disinfectants (excluding chlorine bleach) must be approved by Health Canada on the Medical Devices Active License Listing (MDALL).
- Keep records for high level disinfectant use for at least three years with a minimum of one year (365 days) on site. Sample Disinfectant records are available.
Providing Safe Invasive Facials
- During an invasive facial an operator goes below the skin with an instrument. For example, the operator may use a needle or lancet.
- Always clean your hands before and after using gloves. New disposable gloves must be worn for each client.
- Use only pre-packaged, sterile and single-use needles.
- Needles should be removed from their packaging in view of the client and discarded immediately into an approved sharps container. The sharps container cannot be discarded into regular garbage.
- Never recap needles as this places you at risk for a needle stick injury.
- Any other instrument that contacts non-intact skin such as a loop extractor must be cleaned and disinfected with an high level disinfectant between clients.
- Comedone extractors with sharp ends are not allowed to be used.
- If a tweezer is used to expose ingrown hairs and is in contact with non-intact skin, it must be cleaned and disinfected using a high-level disinfectant between clients.
Providing Laser Hair Removal
- Any part of the instrument that comes into contact with the client’s skin must be single-use OR must be cleaned and then disinfected between clients. Follow manufacturer’s instructions.
- Reusable goggles must be cleaned and disinfected as per manufacturer’s instructions after each use.
- Razors used for shaving must be pre-packaged, sterile and thrown away immediately after each client. Requirement for sterile removed.
- Razors must be thrown out into an approved sharps container. Sharp containers cannot be discarded with regular garbage.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Tanning Beds
- Tanning beds need to be cleaned and disinfected with a low level disinfectant between clients.
- Reusable goggles need to be cleaned and disinfected as per manufacturer’s instructions after each use between clients.
- Avoid “double dipping” in lotions. Lotions must be dispensed in a way that prevents contaminating the rest of the lotion (e.g. use a pump or single-use wooden stick).
Record Keeping
- Record the client’s name, address, telephone number, date and type of procedure, and the name of the person giving the service.
- Keep records of all sterile pre-packaged items purchased, client records, and accidental exposure records for three years with a minimum of one year (365 days) on site.
Needle Cartridges
Needle cartridges are used by many artists and aestheticians. There are two types of needle cartridges, cartridges with a protective membrane (also known as a safety membrane or backflow preventer), and cartridges without a protective membrane.
Needle cartridges with a protective membrane reduce the risk of blood and body fluids contaminating equipment and transmitting bloodborne pathogens such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV
All needle cartridges that connect onto a device must have a protective membrane. Proof that the cartridge has a protective membrane is required on-site at the personal service setting.
Acceptable proof that a cartridge has a protective membrane:
- It is written on the box the cartridge comes in.
- It is written on the individual needle cartridge sterile container/package.
- It is written on the manufacturer’s website for that specific cartridge.
- Written communication from the manufacturer such as an email.
Information provided by suppliers or retailers is not accepted as proof.
Remember:
- Always use individually pre-packaged and sterile needle cartridges.
- Double-check that the packaging has not been compromised.
- Open packages in front of your client.
- When any commercially purchased sterile items arrive onsite, record the details on the ‘Commercially Purchased Prepackaged and Sterile Items Records”. A sample record is available.
- Open packages in front of your client.
- Record each needle cartridge lot number on the client record. A sample invasive client record is available . Keep the records for three years with a minimum of one year (365 days) on-site.
- Immediately discard the used cartridge into an approved sharps container. Do not reuse.
- The machine, grip tube/sleeve, clip cord, pigment bottles and squirt bottles used during the service must be covered with a single-use, disposable protective cover. Once the cover is discarded the item is to be cleaned and disinfected with an intermediate level disinfectant.
