Answers · 21
Nail salon hygiene checklist: 5 checks before you sit down
Nail salon hygiene checklist for Chennai: 5 things to check before you sit down, from sealed tool pouches to single-use files and cuticle care.
Before you sit down at any nail salon, check five things: metal tools sealed in a pouch, an indicator strip on that pouch, the pouch opened in front of you, new files and buffers, and cuticles pushed back rather than cut. You can check all five before the service starts, and asking about any of them is fair.
Here is what each one looks like, and how we handle it at Based Aesthetics in Kilpauk. The same list works at any salon in Chennai.
1. Metal tools arrive in a sealed pouch
Watch how the metal tools reach your seat. They should come sealed in a pouch, not loose on a tray or out of a drawer.
In our studio, every reusable metal tool is sterilised in a Class-B autoclave at 134°C and sealed in a pouch. For what that process means, read what autoclave sterilised means at a nail salon.
2. Each pouch has an indicator strip
A sealed pouch should carry an indicator strip. Ask the person doing your nails what the strip should show. They should be able to tell you straight away.
Every pouch in our studio has one.
3. The pouch is opened in front of you
A sealed pouch helps only if you see it sealed. It should be opened at your seat, where you can watch. If the tools are already out when you sit down, ask how they were cleaned.
In our studio, the pouch is opened in front of you.
4. Files and buffers are new, and yours
Files and buffers should be new for you. If a file looks worn before it touches your nails, ask for a new one.
Ours are single-use and go home with you after your appointment, so they never touch another client.
5. Cuticles are pushed back, not cut
Ask how cuticles are handled before the service starts, not halfway through. In our studio, cuticles are pushed, never cut, for manicures and pedicures alike.
For what to do instead of cutting them at home, see should you cut your cuticles.
What the checklist does not cover
These five checks show how a salon handles its tools. A clean salon is not a check-up.
If a nail or the skin around it hurts, is swollen or looks infected, see a doctor before you book any nail service. Our line holds here too: a doctor comes first, a salon second.
Check us the same way
Use this list on us too. You can ask us about all five on WhatsApp at +91 98848 96963 before you book. Or book the free 30–40 minute nail assessment and see the studio for yourself.
If you are not sure what your nails need yet, start with the free nail scan online.
Visiting the studio
We are at 11/5 Sundar Lal Nahata Avenue, Kilpauk, open daily from 11 to 8, with parking on site. Women and men are welcome. Every service and its time is on the full price list.
PriceManicures from ₹1,000 · Pedicures from ₹1,200 · Free 30–40 min nail assessment in studio
Questions people also ask
Is it rude to ask a salon how it cleans its tools?
No, it is a fair question at any salon in Chennai, and a clear answer is part of what you pay for. At our studio every reusable metal tool is sterilised in a Class-B autoclave at 134°C and sealed in a pouch.
Can I take my nail file home?
Yes, at our studio files and buffers are single-use and go home with you. At other salons, if a file looks worn before it touches your nails, it is fair to ask for a new one.
Does a clean salon mean my nails are healthy?
No, hygiene tells you how the salon handles its tools, not how healthy your nails are. If a nail or the skin around it is sore or looks infected, see a doctor first, because a doctor comes first and a salon second.
Written by Based Aesthetics, Kilpauk. If something on your nails worries you, a doctor comes first, a salon second.