Public Health Requirements for Personal Service Settings

Infection Control

Requirements for infection control for body art or tattoo services:

• Use pre-packaged single-use, sterile needles and put in a sharps container immediately after use. 
• If using reusable equipment, sterilize equipment in an approved autoclave or dry heat sterilizer.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for the autoclave and ultrasonic cleaner.
• Perform spore tests on the autoclave or dry heat sterilizer biweekly. Report failed spore tests to Public Health immediately at 905-546-2063.
• Open pre-packaged, sterile equipment only when you are ready to begin the service. Get supplies and set up the work area immediately before starting the service.
• Use disposable razors for shaving the area and discard immediately after use into a sharps container.
• Cleanse client’s skin with a skin antiseptic such as iodine, isopropyl alcohol or chlorhexidine gluconate.
• Apply creams, lotions and ointments with single-use applicators. Discard the applicator after use.
• Take apart any reusable equipment and manually clean or use an ultrasonic device, then disinfect or sterilize as required.
• Use barrier films and single-use covers for items that will be touched or come into contact with the client during the service.
• Clean and disinfect clip cords, hand pieces and the work area after each client or when they are visibly dirty.
• Use disposable cups for rinse water and discard after use.
• Discard leftover items such as ink, petroleum jelly, tissue and bandages after the service. Do not put the item back into the original container.
• Soak new disposable ink caps in 70% isopropyl alcohol for 10 minutes and allow to air dry before using. Store in a clean container with a lid.
• If you use a micropigmentation pen or instrument, follow manufacturer’s instructions for use.

Client Safety

Requirements for client safety for body art and tattoo services:

• Provide clients with verbal and written aftercare instructions such as:
  • Clean hands immediately before touching tattooed area.
  • Expected healing time of the site.
  • Possible complications and their signs and symptoms.
  • Advice on how to deal with slight redness, pain or swelling.
  • Recommend seeking medical attention if the problem does not improve within 24 hours. 
• Do not tattoo within six inches of inflamed or infected skin.
• Cover the tattooed area with a clean, non-stick dressing.

Cleaning and Disinfection of Tools & Instruments

Requirements for cleaning and disinfecting tools and instruments used for body piercing services:

• Use single-use, disposable, sterile needles and discard in an approved sharps container immediately after use.
• Disinfect or sterilize all reusable equipment. Clean reusable equipment manually or in an ultrasonic cleaner after each use, then disinfect or sterilize as required.
• Open sterile, packaged equipment in front of the client prior to piercing.
• Use only sterile jewellery for piercing.
• If using closed-ended receiving tubes, they must be sterile, single-use and disposable.
• If using open-ended receiving tubes, clean with a wire brush and sterilize between uses. 
• Use only sterile, pre-packaged, disposable dermal punches. Discard in an approved sharps container immediately after use.
• If using corks, discard immediately after use into the sharps container with the needle attached.

Piercing Procedure

Follow this procedure for piercing:

• Cleanse the site to be pierced with an approved skin antiseptic. 
• Mark the skin before piercing. Allow ink to dry.
• Cleanse the site again with the approved skin antiseptic just before piercing.
• Pierce the site.

Client Safety

Requirements for client safety for body piercing services:

• Check client’s skin before piercing. Do not pierce inflamed or infected skin or skin with a rash.
• Provide clients with verbal and written aftercare instructions such as: 
  • Keep the pierced area dry; normal bathing and showering are permitted
  • Clean hands immediately before touching jewellery
  • Expected healing time
  • Possible complications, and their signs and symptoms
  • How to deal with slight redness, pain or swelling
  • Recommend seeking medical attention if the problem does not improve within 24 hours.

Hand Washing & Gloves

Requirements for hand washing and glove use for ear lobe piercing services:

• Wear single-use disposable gloves on both hands during the piercing.
• Wash hands before and immediately after the piercing.

Cleaning and Disinfection of Tools & Instruments

Requirements for cleaning and disinfecting tools and instruments used for ear piercing services include:

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for use for ear piercing equipment. Cartridges and adapters are to be disposable and discarded immediately after use. Clean and disinfect the ear-piercing instrument after use.
• Supply pre-packaged and sterile jewellery.
• Do not spray sterile earrings with disinfectant before piercing.
• Opened packages of jewellery are no longer sterile and cannot be used to pierce the skin.
• Store the piercing instrument in a sanitary manner to prevent contamination.

Ear Preparation Procedure

Follow this procedure for preparing ears for piercing:

• Cleanse the ear lobes with an approved skin antiseptic.
• Mark the skin before piercing. Allow ink to dry.
• Cleanse the ear lobes again with the approved skin antiseptic just before piercing.
• Pierce ear lobes.

Client Safety

Requirements for client safety for ear piercing services:

• Give clients verbal and written after care instructions such as:
  • Keep the pierced area dry; normal bathing and showering are permitted
  • Clean hands immediately before touching or turning jewellery
  • Expected healing time
  • Possible complications and their signs and symptoms
  • How to deal with slight redness, pain or swelling
  • Recommend seeking medical attention if the problem does not improve within 24 hours

Hand Washing & Gloves

Requirements for hand washing and glove use for electrolysis services:

• Wash hands before putting on and after taking off gloves. 
• Wear disposable gloves for each client.  Put on new gloves after any breaks in service.

Cleaning and Disinfection of Tools & Equipment

Requirements for cleaning and disinfecting of tools and equipment used for electrolysis services:

• Needles must be sterile, pre-packaged and single-use.
• Heat produced by the current passing through an electrolysis needle is not sufficient to sterilize it.
• Clean and disinfect all reusable equipment used during an electrolysis procedure after each client.
• Sterile single-use needles or lancets can be used to expose ingrown hair.
• Tools such as tweezers used to pull out ingrown hairs must be clean and disinfected after each client. 
• Clean and disinfect equipment (tweezers and epilator tips) that holds sterile items between clients.
• Discard single-use items after each client.
• Use barrier films and single-use covers for items that will be touched or come into contact with client during the service.
• Clean and disinfect the work area after each service.
• Discard used needles, sharps and razors into an approved sharps container immediately after use.

Client Safety

Requirements for client safety for electrolysis:

• Provide clients with verbal and written after-care instructions.
• Do not treat infected or inflamed skin. 

Cleaning and Disinfection of Tools & Instruments

While the infection risk from barbering and hairstyling is low, the use of a razor carries the risk of cutting the client.

Infection Control

Requirements for infection control for barber shops and hair salons include:

• All reusable instruments which contact the client’s skin (e.g. brushes, clippers, razor cradles) must be cleaned and disinfected between clients.
• Single-use, disposable blades used for shaving must be discarded in a sharps container immediately after use.
• The reusable cradle which holds the blade for shaving must be cleaned and disinfected with an intermediate or high-level disinfectant after each use.
• Crochet hooks used for cap highlights must be cleaned and disinfected after each use.
• Styptic product is to be applied in powder or liquid form using a disposable applicator. Styptic pencils are not to be used.
• All disinfectant solutions must be made according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• All reusable items must be cleaned and rinsed before they are placed in a disinfectant solution, otherwise the solution will become contaminated. Items must be fully immersed in the solution for the appropriate contact time.

Client Safety

Requirement for client safety for hair salons and barbershops:

• Do not provide service to a client with head lice or signs of fungal infection of the scalp or neck. Advise the client to see a health care provider for assessment.

Cleaning and Disinfection of Tools & Instruments

Requirements for cleaning and disinfecting instruments and tools used for nail services and waxing:

• Clean instruments such as clippers, nippers and foot paddles with soap and water, rinse and dry.
• Then disinfect the instruments using a product that is approved for use (70% alcohol, 1:50 bleach and water, accelerated hydrogen peroxide etc.).
• Discard single-use equipment that cannot be cleaned and disinfected immediately after use. This includes items such as files, hindo stones, pumice stones and buffers.
• Dispose of pedicure (credo) blades in an approved sharps container immediately after use.
• Apply styptic products in powder or liquid form with a disposable applicator.
• Clean footbaths with detergent and water after each use and then disinfect.
• Use single-use applicators to dispense products onto a client’s skin. Do not ‘double dip’.
• Roll-on wax cartridges are to be used on only one client and discarded after each use.

Public Health Requirements for Manicures, Pedicures and Nail Treatments in Vietnamese(PDF, 127.24 KB)

Client Safety

Requirement for client safety in nail salons and waxing rooms

• Check client’s skin and nails for signs of infection such as fungus or mould before services are provided. Do not provide service if a client has signs or symptoms of infection and advise them to seek medical advice.