warfarin? Is it a contraindication to manicures?

[emily22]

Hi, ive had a query from a potential client re: warfarin....

She is an elderly lady who said she went to a salon to have a manicure but because she is on warfarin she was told she cannot have one because of the risk of cuts and therefore bleeding..

Can anyone tell me if this is right - that you cannot provide a manicure for clients on warfarin? Couldnt you adapt the manicure to not include cuticle work which is where the main risk of cuts is (although, touch wood, ive never cut anyone yet!)...

Obviously i would send a doctors letter before treatment but if this came back ok then all should be ok to go ahead shouldnt it?

She says her nails are quite bad and they did look very dry and brittle to be honest but she said she is on a lot of meds which may possibly be the cause...

Any advice would be great as she is hopefully calling me tonight....

 

[Terese]

warfarin is given to thin the blood,usually for Angina etc,so therefore if your client did cut herself it would take ages to stop. Cutting a client I guess does happen but it really shouldnt happen.

I would treat a client who is on warfarin, I would get permission via her GP and take extra care of her whilst she is enjoying her treatments best to lay off a heavy massage, light strokes only.

It may as well be a good idea to write about any conversation that you have had with her in respect of this....and ask her to read and sign it.

Also, bear in mind that people arent always honest and just go with your gut feeling, I have said what I would do at the end of the day it is up to you.

 

[emily22]

*bump*

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Well I can't say I have EVER made a client bleed when doing a manicure (and rarely ever do when doing enhancements). I think if I was your client I would have turned round to the salon and said, well in that case I don't want to come to you anyway, I want a manicure not a surgical procedure where you need to cut me open!

As you say a contra indication does not always mean that a treatment cannot proceed, more that we may have to adapt it to suit the client. Doctors are very loathe to give letters these days and usually make a charge if they do. She sounds like a manicure is just what she needs to perk her up.

 

[emily22]

hi, thanks for the replies! I know the lady said she has a heart condition which explains the warfarin. I will def send a docs letter if she does ring me and wants to go ahead. She was saying about her friend that has manicures at a salon and said she really wants it as she hates her nails and just wants them looking nice like they used to. She was a lovely lady, i got talking to her today as id been down my local high street giving out leaflets.
I had a good chat with her and gave her some tips on protecting her nails and a few things that may help to strengthen them up a bit.
She said she will ring me tonight but apologised in advance as she often falls asleep late afternoon!
She may very well not ring at all, but i hope she does - id love to be able to give her a treatment to lift her spirits a bit!

 

[bexi]

I regularly do a pedicure for a lady on warfin, it doesnt make a difference to me, I have no intention of cutting her.

I do a lighter massage as she bruises easily but I dont think it means you cant do a treatment?!

Becki x

 

[emily22]

Thanks bexi! I totally agree with having no intention of cutting anyone! We are providing a manicure service not cosmetic surgery! lol!

I just wanted to be sure because of what she said the other salon told her, it does seem a bit strane but i kind of get where the risk is, even though its a tiny risk as i guess accidents can happen!

 

[bexi]

lol some salons run a mile wen something isnt as they were taught, just a little common sense goes a long way me thinks!!!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

lol some salons run a mile wen something isnt as they were taught, just a little common sense goes a long way me thinks!!!

Bexi I couldn't agree more! The one that gets me is that we are taught not to remove hair from above the eyebrow, I still can't figure out why? I can understand colleges teaching 16 year old girls to err on the side of caution, but I can't be doing with telling clients to come back with a doctor's letter on EVERY single contra-indication ... it's hard enough to get a doc's appointment as it is, without clogging up the waiting rooms with people needing a note to say they can have a beauty treatment.

Let's face it, most people know their own medical condition pretty damned well - probably better than their GP. With a bit of an in-depth consultation you can really decide whether a treatment merely has to be adapted, or whether the risk is so great that you shouldn't proceed at all. Although i do always say that if you aren't confident enough to proceed then best leave it to someone who is.

 

[saspeterson]

Hi,

I think it comes down to therapists judgment as to whether a client is contra-indicated or not, although i think that in this situation the salon who declined the service may have been a little too over cautious.

As well as the medication, does the client have any conditions... poor circulation, loss of skin sensitivity, arthritis, etc.

In most cases, a manicure can aid a clients skin and nail condition and offer light relief from aches and pains, relieving stiff and painful joints etc. Ensure that massage is adapted to suit the individual, avoid tapotement over crepey delicate areas, and avoid dragging the skin. The cuticles usually grow thicker with age so cuticle work will be required, as long as care is taken, which should be during every manicure.. then there shouldnt be a problem.

 

[Terese]

It is all about common sense like so many have said on here....and surely looking at each case on its own merits

 

[bexi]

haha sassy I had a thread about above the eyebrows thinking i couldnt do it!!!! But that taught me just ignore college lol!!!

I completly agree that by doing a really deatiled consult u can find out more and if u can do the treatment.

To be honest your client doesnt have to tell u they have a problem do they?!

Becki xxx

 

[ValencianNails]

Well I can't say I have EVER made a client bleed when doing a manicure (and rarely ever do when doing enhancements).

I quite agree :green: I had a client who was on warfarin, she was an enhancement client and no matter what I did she just couldn't keep the overlays on, we put it down to her medication and medical conditions in the end and she stopped having enhancements because of it.

To be honest your client doesnt have to tell u they have a problem do they?!

Most definitely not, however if they're not honest with us then we can't be held accountable for any problems they might encounter with their treatments :wink2: