News 13 Special Report: Nail Salon Investigation

There are 350 nail salons in Maine and 1240 licensed manicurists so finding a place to get your nails done is easier than ever before.

Andi Sewal stopped in to a local nail salon for a quick, inexpensive pedicure. The pedicure came out looking great, but a last minute trim of her skin left her bleeding badly. Seeing the blood and smelling the fumes made for a dizzying combination - Andi fainted. Rescue crews were called and Andi was just fine - but her toe was left with a nasty fungus.

Local podiatrist Dr. Michele Kurlanski says it is important to treat a fungus early. She reminds patients to be patient - it can take months for a nail to heal. Dr. Kurlanski recommends bringing your own tools to the salon.

Still, Andi says even with her own tools she would never go back to T & C Nails in the Maine Mall.

News 13 went undercover to T & C nails and found one violation. State regulators say nail techs should not place a bare hand in a lotion jar so that they don't contaminate the entire jar with any germs that could be on the hand.

We contacted T & C Nails multiple times to try and get a response, but we were told that everyone was too busy to give a response and that a manager was not available. News 13 checked state records and found that under a previous owner, T & C did have two violations. Under current ownership, there are no violations.

If you would like to search your favorite nail salon to see if they have any violations, if you would like to see the rules and regulations that salons must follow, or if you want to file a complaint - please check the FYI section of this website on the left hand side of our homepage. We have placed links to the proper websites under the FYI icon. News 13 Special Report: Nail Salon Investigation

Posted: Thursday, November 5 2009, 06:33 PM EST