anyone know?

April 23, 2001

Hello:

I'm getting prepared to go on the transplant waiting list through my HMO

(Kaiser) and I need to know the following:

I am a retired manicurist who does sculptured acrylic nails, if I were to do

them for my sister in a well ventilated spot and if I wear a mask, would this

be toxic to my liver?

Also if I have them done on me professionally with the same conditions would

this be harmful?

I'm going to Birmingham Alabama to be interviewed by the transplant team and

I'd like to look good including my nails.

Thanks,

M. E. L.

April 24, 2001

From what I understand, only bleach will kill the HCV virus, and autoclave.

If you were to get your nails done, find a place who uses bleach and not the

commerical " germicide " . I'm still looking for one lol. I love getting my

nails done but now that I'm not working I can't afford it. I'm hoping when

my energy returns and I return to work, I can return to having my nails

done. Hep C has ruined the ones I have over the years.

As for doing your sister, I see no problem there. Of course good ventilation

for anyone and probably more so for you. Also, use a bleach solution, I've

read 20% bleach to water, for sterilization. Doctors on this list may have

better info than I. I think this would be a wonderful thing to do for your

sister

And I find getting my own nails done a wonderfully luxurious thing to do for

myself Maybe you could find a place that even fi they don't use bleach,

would let you bring your own

I dread even having my hair done at a public place anymore. People also get

sores in their head and don't think a thing of it, and again, salons use

germicide, which is rather ineffective against HCV. I have been either

trimming my hair myself or asking my daughter in law to, using my own tools.

Good luck and let me know what you decide

andomedagurl@...

http://www.livejournal.com

Grand Prairie, Tx, USA, Earth

HBV + HCV +

Have you been tested?

April 24, 2001

>>From: Alley/Pat

From what I understand, only bleach will kill the HCV virus, and autoclave.

If you were to get your nails done, find a place who uses bleach >>

>>I dread even having my hair done at a public place anymore>>

This is an important issue in the spread of HCV.

How to protect against transmission via ---manicure,pedicure, shaving and

haircuts.?

The cutting items must be carefully cleaned by one of the following methods if

they are shared with

other users. Standard 2 minute bleaching and barber ‘cleaning solutions” are not

effective

USING DISPOSABLE RAZORS AND NOT SHARING OTHER IMPLEMENTS IS BEST!!!!

If not possible then:

1. Autoclave

2. Boiling for 20 full minutes between uses

3. Soaking for 10 full minutes in a 1:10 dilution (but no less than 1:100)

of bleach in water

between uses.

Read this article regarding some info on haircuts

Hepatitis C: Risk of a Haircut

Author: Gitlin N, Nolte FS, Weiss M, Emory University School of Medicine,

Atlanta, GA 30322

Source: Ann Intern Med 126 (5): 410-411 (1997)

To the Editor: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has a prevalence of 1.8% in

the United States.

The mode of acquisition of HCV is unclear in nearly 40% of patients with

chronic HCV infection.

Various social practices are currently under scrutiny, including sharing

razors, snorting cocaine

through the same straw another person has used, and sexual practices .

We questioned whether a haircut that includes a trim of the sideburns and back

of the neck using a

straight razor might lacerate the skin and thereby spread hepatitis C. We

obtained the fluid used

in five different male hairdresser salons to " sterilize " the cutthroat blade

after its use to trim

the neck hairs and sideburns. The five fluids were negative for HCV RNA by

reverse transcription

polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (2). The fluids were then deliberately

" spiked " with 0.1 ml of

1:10 diluted serum that contained HCV. The serum had been obtained from a

patient who had chronic

HCV infection, as determined by a positive result on PCR testing for HCV RNA.

This qualitative

test was considered to be more sensitive (it detects >100 viral equivalents/mL)

than the HCV

branched-DNA quantitative assay (which detects >200,000 viral equivalents/mL).

By use of RT-PCR,

HCV RNA was detected at 6 and 24 hours and at 7 days.

The antiseptic fluids used to clean the razor did not destroy the viral RNA. We

wonder whether the

routine male haircut may be a risk factor for HCV infection

Hope this clarifies some issues.

July 24, 2003

Great, thanks for the info Dee! I was beginning to get a little

nervous there. I can't afford to add anymore to my credit cards

(we're trying to get pre-approved for a mortgage), but the thought of

not being able to get my soap base was going to hurt! LOL! I've

tried SFIC base a few times & don't like it much. For some reason a

few of the combos of mica & fo's I use in that base cause it to darken

over time, whereas the WSP base has never mutated on me before.

Thanks again Dee for setting my mind at ease!

Colleen

Country Meadow Creations