Personal Hygiene
What this domain covers
Personal hygiene is the set of daily habits that keeps a beauty worker clean and prevents infection passing between worker and client. The exam tests hand hygiene, body and oral care, uniform rules, and safe handling of cuts and skin problems.
Core rules and concepts
- Bathe daily and use clean clothing; in Punjab's hot season, extra attention to sweat and body odour is needed.
- Wash hands with soap and water before and after every client, after toilet use, after eating, after handling waste, and after removing gloves. Scrub palms, backs of hands, between fingers, thumbs, and under nails, then rinse and dry with a clean towel or paper towel.
- Keep nails short and clean. Long or artificial nails can trap dirt and scratch clients.
- Tie back hair, keep facial hair neat, and cover coughs and sneezes away from the client.
- Brush teeth twice daily and use a fresh uniform or apron. Strong perfume should not be used to hide odour.
- Cover cuts with a waterproof dressing; if the cut is on the hand and cannot be protected, do not perform services.
- Remove rings, bangles, and watches during services because they trap dirt and can injure the client.
Worked example
A therapist has a small cut on one finger and a client is waiting for a facial. What should the therapist do?
Reasoning: The therapist should clean the cut, apply a waterproof dressing, and wear a fresh glove if the service can be done safely without contaminating the area. If the cut is weeping, infected, or the glove cannot stay intact, the therapist should withdraw from the service and ask a colleague to take over. Covering the cut with only a cloth or continuing bare-handed risks cross-infection.
Traps that cost marks
- Saying hand sanitiser replaces soap and water in all situations; it does not remove visible soil.
- Wearing jewellery because it looks professional.
- Using perfume to mask poor hygiene.
- Treating a cut as a minor issue that needs no cover.