Three BIG red flags that your nail salon is not hygienic

             

You're visiting your local nail salon to have yourself looking the business for going out later that night. The two nail salons that you usually got to are fully booked up. Whilst cursing yourself for not booking in advance, you're also getting stressed; you're pressed for time because you only have a few hours before meeting your friends. What do you do? Well when all else fails, Google! (or so you think) A nail salon comes up on your search. You haven't seen it before but it's apparently a 5 minute walk from your house. LIFESAVER! You rush to this newly discovered salon, not knowing that you're about to get a lot more than you bargained for........

Let's fast forward........ The night was a success, you drank probably a bit too much, but other than the tender hangover you nursed over the weekend, the night was one of flowing drinks, drunken embraces and an infinite amount of selfies. However, on Monday morning getting ready for work, you notice that your thumb and index finger are quite sore. You think nothing of it. You get to the office, and amidst all the busyness you forget about the soreness in your fingers. But then YIKESSSSS! Around 3pm you've noticed that your thumb and index finger have swollen up like oddly shaped mini balloons. By the time you've gotten to A&E there is puss oozing around the nails of your affected finger and thumb. DISASTER.

And a disaster that could have been easily avoided. Fungal infections like the one above can be easily spread in nail salons and can be hard to get rid of. Many of us have been in situations where we have booked nail treatments in a hurry. In those hurried moments, we often don't pay enough attention to the salon environment around us. Keeping your eye out for the red flags below could save you from nasty infections!

1) The salon looks like a war zone

First impressions sure do matter and if you've walked into a salon that looks dirty at first glance, that should be your cue to leave. Grime on the floors or walls, funny smells, nail clippings, streaky mirrors, overflowing bins. Salons are perfect breeding ground for bacteria if they are not kept clean. Chances are if the environment isn't sanitary, then neither is the equipment that is going to be used for your treatment!

2) Your nail technician's hygiene sucks

Your technician is literally going to be handling your nails; if thy haven't kept on top of their personal hygiene, then this increases the risk of you coming into contact with harmful bacteria. Things to look out for are badly stained uniform or clothing. Is your nail technician cleansing his or her hands after treating every customer? Is your technician wearing gloves? If they are wearing gloves, are they putting on a new pair after each customer? Are they properly paying attention to the customer they're servicing? A lack on points like these can aid the spread of harmful bacteria when getting nail treatments. If they're getting carried away with conversation or any other distractions, this increases the chances of making a number of errors such as failing to adequately sterilise equipment or discard disposable tools.

3.) Equipment is not cleaned and replaced properly

Adequately cleaning and/or replacing equipment goes a long way in helping to stop the spread of harmful bacteria. Products such as Glass Bead Sterilisers and UV Cabinets can be used to disinfect  nail salon equipment. Here at Genus, we recommend the use of Autoclaves as they go beyond disinfecting equipment. Autoclaves fully sterilise and kill bacteria making them more effective than disinfection products such as Glass Bead Sterilisers and UV Cabinets, which may not kill all bacterial spores on tools. Again, it is HUGELY important to observe whether the nail technician in question is disinfecting equipment after EVERY customer.  Equipment in salons can become unsterile very quickly and if left unattended can increase the risk of cross-contamination and the spreading of harmful bacteria and infections. You also want to avoid a nail salon that does not use disposable tools where necessary. For example, some salons reuse things like metal files. BIG NO- NO. It is imperative that single use buffers and files are used for every customer. Best practice is for all disposal tools to be safely discarded immediately after use.

These are just a few issues that we have identified, but bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive! Remain vigilant when getting your nails done, especially when visiting a new salon. If you feel uneasy or concerned about something, then ask! You're a paying customer and deserve to be treated safely and with respect.

Did someone say Balayage?

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Sharp, sleek, sexy. Balayage is the newest hair trend making waves, but what exactly is it? And how do you go about attaining this season's hottest look?

Balayage is a hair colouring technique originating from France in the 1970s. Unlike other techniques, Balayage involves manually applying colour to hair by hand. Balayage can be applied on any length of hair, but the full beauty of the technique becomes really visible on hair below the shoulders.

Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

 

Image credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images       

                                                                            

Why all the fuss? 
Essentially, Balayage is very VERY versatile. You can go for subtle natural highlights to very full on, in your face edgy effects. To make things even better, Baylage is relatively cheap to maintain as it doesn't require regular touch-ups. This is because unlike other methods of dyeing hair, Balayage does not give a set separation line or regrowth. This is great as not all of us can afford to be visiting the salon every 2-3 weeks!

Image credit: Instagram.com/ale.chaconm

Image credit: Instagram.com/kelsforbeauty

 The process...
 Balayage is applied on the surface of a hair strand against a board, allowing for saturation of the tips   of the hair strand. This is what gives the lush blended stroke of colour Balayage is famous for. Balayage can take anything from 20 minutes to a few hours to apply depending on what you're going for. For example, a multi-tonal triple process look can take typically take anywhere between 3-4 hours whereas a few highlights will probably only take 20-30 minutes.


Will Balayage look good on me? 
The simple answer to this is yes. Remember what we were saying earlier on in this post about Balayage's versatility? Well this versatility means that there are a plethora of looks achievable with Balayage. Short hair, long hair, curly hair, straight hair, Balayage will work for you. Likewise, it doesn't matter whether you have dark or light hair, Balayage will still work for you beautifully. One thing to note however if you have Afro or tightly curled hair is to notify your hairdresser if you have had a lot of processes beforehand such as relaxing. This is important as processes such as relaxing can affect the outcome of your Balayage.

                                                                             

Balayage is an amazing way to introduce some colour to your hair. Speak to your hairdresser and give yourself the makeover you deserve this summer!

Growing a beard proving to be a lonnnnnnnnnnng road?

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You’re currently trying to grow some sort of facial hair, but struggling to stimulate the ad-hoc stubble scattered unevenly across your face? Well look no further, Genus is on hand to speed up your follicle growing journey!

First things first...

What’s your diet saying?

🍇🍅🍈🍉🍊🍋🍖🍗🍞🍠🍣

Healthy eating habits although often neglected, are important when it comes to beard growth. A well balanced diet will help create an environment where your future beard can thrive. For instance, testosterone levels are important when it comes to beard growth. Adequate levels of zinc, vitamin D and magnesium play an important role in facial hair growth. Also protein from sources such as chicken and eggs can be beneficial to beard growth.

You can get zinc from red meats, broccoli and spinach. Vitamin D can be found in eggs, salmon and cod. Magnesium can be found in almonds, cashews and mackerel. Vitamin E is another key vitamin that could super charge your beard growth! Vitamin E increases blood flow and promotes healthy hair and skin. You'll find vitamin E in leafy green vegetables (yes that's right, eat your greens lads) and soy beans.

Do you even lift bro? 

As with most things, exercise is crucial in having us looking and feeling our best. Regular exercise will have your testosterone levels flying high, creating the ideal environment for your beard to prosper! Cardio such as running, swimming or HIIT combined with weights (with a strong emphasis on compound movements such as bench-press, dead-lifts and squats) will help send your testosterone soaring.

Exfoliate! Exfoliate! Exfoliate!

Clean skin is the FOUNDATION to any kind of beard growth! Exfoliating your skin removes dead skin cells, which hamper beard growth. You can exfoliate your skin in a number of ways. If using a non-chemical or (physical) face scrub, we suggest using a face scrub that contains natural exfoliating substances such as sugar and salt.

If using a chemical scrub, use one that contains ingredients such as glycolic acid, AHAs, and BHA. If you have sensitive acne-prone skin, you may find it more beneficial to use a chemical scrub as they can be less abrasive on the skin. If unsure, see your dermatologist or GP to see which options are best for you.

Whatever form of exfoliation you use, Always bear in mind that your skin around your face is sensitive, you’re cleansing your skin, not going for a PB on the bench press, so be gentle! Your face shouldn’t feel sore or look raw red after exfoliating!

Now you MUST moisturise…

Bearded or not, regularly moisturising your skin is generally good for keeping your skin looking healthy. When it comes to growing a beard, moisturising can help Prevent overly itchy skin when your hair growth starts to come through. Dry and broken skin can lead to beard itch and moisturising will help to nip that in the bud!

Time to grow!

Hopefully incorporating a few or all of the tips listed here will aid you on your mission to join the gang. Be patient, be consistent and hopefully we’ll see you and your newly acquired mane on the other side!