Salons and Spas

When to refuse service

Do not get a service if the service provider:

• Cannot answer your questions.
• Does not use new, pre-packaged, sterile, disposable needles, blades or lancets for services that break the skin.
• Does not properly clean, disinfect, and/or sterilize their tools.
• Cannot show you the latest inspection report or does not have their disclosure sign posted. Contact the Durham Health Connection Line to report this.

What are blood and body fluid exposures?

A blood or body fluid exposure is when:

• A needle or sharp tool contaminated with someone else's blood or body fluid breaks your skin.
• Your broken skin is exposed to someone else's blood or body fluid.
• Someone else's blood or body fluid gets in your eyes, nose or mouth.

Steps to take if a blood or body fluid exposure happens:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Wear new gloves before touching the area.
3. Wash the cut with soap and water. Allow the cut to bleed freely.
4. Apply an skin antiseptic and bandage the area.
5. If there has been a splash into your eyes, nose or mouth, flush the area with water.
6. Contact a doctor.
7. Tell your artist so they can document the details of this exposure. It is a requirement.

Hairdressing and barbering services

Your hairdresser or barber must:

• Clean their hands before starting.
• Clean and organize their work area.
• Check your hair and scalp for open sores and lice. They should not continue the service if they find either.
• Clean and disinfect combs, brushes, clips, curlers and other tools after each use.
• Clean and disinfect the reusable hooks for cap highlights after each use.
• Clean and disinfect clippers, trimmers and edgers after each use.
• Use protective guards on hair feathering and texturizing blades.
• Throw out blades they used to shave skin in a sharps container after each use.
• Clean and disinfect reusable shaving instruments after each use.
• Not use straight razors with permanent blades.
• Only use hair-weaving needles once. After each use, they need to throw it out in a sharps container.
• Throw out disposable highlighting caps, foil, and paper after each use.
• Use a clean towel or paper strip if they are reusing a cape to stop it from touching your skin.

See disposable versus reusable items.

Manicure and pedicure services

Your manicure and pedicure worker must:

• Clean their hands before starting.
• Clean and organize their work area.
• Discard disposable items such as files, buffers, cuticle pushers, sandbands, toe-separators, and slippers (must be new) after each use.
• Clean and disinfect nail clippers, foot paddles, pedicure blade holders and other presumable items after each use.
• Clean and disinfect footbaths after each use.
• Discard used pedicure blades in sharps containers.

See disposable versus reusable items.

Aesthetic services

Your aesthetician must:

• Clean their hands before starting.
• Clean and organize their work area.
• Dispense products in a way that does not contaminate the rest of the product.
• Only use items such as cotton balls, swabs, sponges, and wooden applicators once.

See disposable versus reusable items.

Services that break the skin

If you are getting microblading, microneedling, dermaplaning, electrolysis, or other facials that use sharp items, make sure your service provider is following these guidelines.

Your aesthetician must:

• Clean your skin with a skin antiseptic.
• Not numb or freeze your skin with injectable anesthetics unless they are a regulated health professional. They can use freezing or numbing cream instead.
• Use new, pre-packaged, sterile, needles, lancets and blades.
• Keep sterile items in their sterile package until use.
• Discard needles, lancets, blades, and other sharp items in sharps containers after use.
• Not save needles and other sharp items for future use - even if they are using it on the same person.
• Keep records that include the date of the service, your full name, address, and phone number, as well as the details of your service and your service provider's name.

Waxing services

Your aesthetician must:

• Clean their hands before starting.
• Clean and organize their work area.
• Use new, disposable applicators to dispense wax or sugar.
• Not reuse or recycle wax or sugar.
• Store items like wax strips, applicators, and tweezers in clean, covered containers.
• Throw out wax roller cartridges after use. They cannot save them for future use - even if they are using it on the same person. They should be using new, full cartridges and clean rollers.
• Clean and disinfect tweezers used for hair removal after use.

See disposable versus reusable items.

Learn about skin cancer prevention in tanning services.

Resources for salon and spa workers

• Hairdressing and barbering
• Hairdressing and barbering (disposable versus reusable items)
• Manicures and pedicures English | Vietnamese
• Manicures and pedicures (disposable versus reusable items)
  
• Hair removal English | Vietnamese
• Aesthetic services
• Aesthetics (disposable versus reusable items)
  
• Cosmetic sampling guidelines
• Electrolysis
• Floatation tank recommendations
• Massage and tanning
• Routine practices English | Vietnamese
• General and operational requirements English | Vietnamese
• Blood-borne diseases
• Accidental exposure response and recording form
• Skin cancer prevention in tanning salons

You must fill out an application form if you plan to offer salon or spa services at community events in Durham Region such as a fair or a trade show.

• Coordinator and organizer's application form
• Vendor's application form
• Guidelines for special events

Tattoos, piercing and permanent makeup

Visit our Tattoos and Piercings page to learn about ear-piercing and permanent makeup services (micropigmentation, microblading, etc.).