There is a risk of contracting diseases such as hepatitis B, malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through the patronage of mobile or street nail clippers that use unsterilized nail clippers.
Mr. Isaac Kwame Opare, Managing Director (CEO) of the Benemef Foundation, a non-governmental organization, noted that sharing of personal hygiene equipment should be avoided.
Mr Opare in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Tema explained that it may sound harmless, but that there were several conditions affecting the nails that could potentially be spread through the shared use of nail clippers, in particular street nail clipping services.
Healthcare professionals have identified paronychia, which is an infection of the nail folds where the nail meets the skin of the finger or toe, causing redness and swelling, and in some cases, blisters.
Paronychia can be an acute bacterial infection that goes away quickly with the use of antibiotics and can be chronic and affect the nail itself. This infection can be transmitted by unclean nail tools; in particular, nail clippers.
Hepatitis is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against sharing nail clippers as one of the preventative measures against the spread of hepatitis C, in particular.
âIt only takes a small cut or scratch to make the body more vulnerable to the entry of infection and this can easily happen when using a nail clipper,â he said.
Mr Opare said one can contract a fungal infection which usually affects the area between the toes with symptoms of redness, chapping and itching from street nail clippers.
Onychomycosis is another fungal infection that specifically affects the toenails and causes thickening and discoloration of the nail.
âNail files are gentler on the nails and are good for shaping and smoothing the edges of the nails. Regular trimming is important to keep them strong and strong, but revealed that street nail clippers used outdated tools that could endanger the lives of people who frequent their services.
Mr Opare therefore called on environmental health workers to educate the public on the implications of condescending street nail clipping services.
He explained that most people were unaware of the dangers associated with the work of street nail clippers, which mostly moved in markets and truck stations.
Mr Opare explained that most people complained about the expensive service at the salon and preferred to spend 2.00 GHC to have their nails cut.
He said environmental health workers in each district should educate both the public and the boys who do such work so as not to spread disease.