Thread: Performing shaves with or without gloves?

Hello I am new here but have been reading around for a bit to learn from everyone. I am a cosmetologist in WA state that is opening up my "shave room" soon and am conflicted over the use of gloves for the service. gloves seem like they will take away from every aspect of the service, from massages to feeling the grain and skin, grip, ambiance.... I just cannot find any sources that list actual infection risks from performing ungloved assuming neither I or the client has visible wounds. If anyone can help me out I would be very appreciative. I will be calling the board on Monday to see if it is s legal requirement which will solve this quickly.

Thanks for reading.

I have had many barber shop shaves and have never once had it performed with gloves on. I think that is going too far.

I've never heard of anyone anyplace anytime using gloves for a shave unless you are dealing in a hospital type situation. Straights are illegal in most places anyway so you would be using a disposable or DE type razor.

I think it is personal preference. Gloves are recommended in any blood borne pathogen control procedure. Personally I would wear gloves and want my barber to use them also. A shave last 12 hours. MRSA, Hep B, HepC, HIV last a lot longer.

I have had shaves form great barbers that wear gloves and had no issues. Never liked a facial massage after any way. Feels gimmicky and does noting for me. Rather have a nice cold scented towel after myself.

With the exception of using chemicals, this is the only mention of using gloves I could find.

Washington State Dept. of Licensing
The Law Relating to Cosmetologists,
Barbers, Manicurists, Estheticians, and
Master Estheticians
18.16 RCW
308-20 WAC
18.235 RCW
February 2016
[Ch. 308-20 WAC p. 10]
(17) Blood spills. If there is a blood spill or exposure to
other body fluids during a service, licensees and students
must stop and proceed in the following order:
(a) Stop service;
(b) Put on gloves;
(c) Clean the wound with an antiseptic solution;
(d) Cover the wound with a sterile bandage;
(e) If the wound is on a licensee hand in an area that can
be covered by a glove or finger cover, the licensee must wear
a clean, fluid proof protective glove or finger cover. If the
wound is on the client, the licensee providing service to the
client must wear gloves on both hands;
(f) Discard all contaminated objects. Contaminated
objects shall be placed in a sealed plastic bag and that bag
must be placed inside another plastic bag and discarded;
(g) All equipment, tools and instruments that have come
into contact with blood or other body fluids must be cleaned
and disinfected or discarded;
(h) Remove gloves; and
(i) Wash hands with soap and water before returning to
the service.

The source quoted can be found here.
http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosme...y-law-book.pdf

Tattooers didn't begin to use gloves until the 1980s. AFAIK, Washington DC tattooer Carol Nightingale, a Canadian, was the first pro known to use gloves. Before the advent of gloves there was no such thing as single use needles, disposable ink caps. Guys used the same needle in their lining and color machines until the tips wore to the point that they would cut, or if they became hooked. They worked out of cold cream jars and would add Listerine if the ink/pigment began to dry out.

They also used a sea sponge and a bucket with a dab of lysol in the water to wash the tattoo area. Before paper towels they would use rags to wipe the area during the tattoo and wash and reuse them.I know this because I was a pro tattooer for 25 years. Here is a setup of a Virginia tattooer who worked from the 1930s through the '80s, when these photos of his station were taken ;



Never saw a barber use gloves for a shave, but it is a different world today. I would have some Nitrile gloves handy, some people are allergic to latex, and I would either offer the choice to the customer, or just keep them in case of a nick that caused bleeding. Brings to mind when I was working in a shop with a young fellow who was extremely germaphobic. I walked into the shop one day to begin my shift, and he was tattooing a customer while wearing a surgical mask. Total idiot.