December 1 has been celebrated as World AIDS Day, annually since 1988. The day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS the spread of HIV infection. While it is widely known that HIV is spread via bodily fluid exchange from an HIV infected person. The fluids can range from blood, semen, pre-seminal fluids, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, to even breast milk. However, can you contract the HIV virus from a salon? Although it highly unlikely but there has been a case that said that a woman could have contracted HIV because of sharing a beauty salon tool. World AIDS Day 2019 Date and Theme: Significance And History Related to the Day That Creates Awareness About HIV Infection.

Ways You Can Contract HIV From a Salon

The idea behind contracting HIV from a salon can be if the tools are not clean and have somehow come in contact with the blood of the HIV-infected person and then a healthy person. For example, if a cuticle cutter used on a person having HIV somehow gets laced with the infected blood, and then the same equipment is used on somebody else's body with a cut or a lesion on the skin there are very thin chances of HIV virus transmission. Experts have warned against the potential dangers from beauty salon tools that are shared. Something like cuticle cutters may cause minor cuts, as this can lead to the transmission of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and even HIV.

Studies have said that HIV virus can survive in dried blood for up to 7 days, which means that if the beauty tools are not sterilised well, there are chances that you can catch an infection. A case last year highlighted how a mani-pedi kit shared by a woman with her cousin might have shown an advanced case of HIV diagnosed ten years later.

How To Avoid Catching An Infection From a Salon

  • You must find out if the salon professionals are licensed or not.

  • Use of gloves by the therapist.

  • Proper hygiene standards followed by the salon.

  • Use of disposable towels

  • Reusable instruments must be cleaned and disinfected regularly after every use.

You must check if your beauty salons sterilise their instruments after each use or not. If required, ask them to do it in front of you to be safe. No matter how fine the chances may be, it is always better to be safe than sorry!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 01, 2019 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).