02:12 PM PST on Wednesday, January 11, 2006

CNN

If you've ever had a pedicure, you know the foot and toe nail treatment can feel great. But some people are learning a hard and painful lesson about the importance of hygiene at nail salons.

KING

Infections can be prevented if foot spas are cleaned properly.

Hundreds of women have developed skin infections after getting pedicures in salons. Doctors say it's a disturbing trend caused by bacteria that can grow in dirty equipment.

In the United States, the problem was first noticed in California, where there have been three serious outbreaks of bacterial infections in five years.

In 2002, a month after getting a pedicure near San Jose, Angela Lanctot noticed what she thought were mosquito bites. The bumps turned into sores her father, a surgeon, had to drain daily by squeezing them.

The Centers for Disease control says infections are caused by water-borne bacteria.

In a 2002 study of California salons, the CDC found the rapidly growing bacteria were highly prevalent in whirlpool footbaths.

Infections have now been reported in 12 states.

Dermatologist Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs says you can absorb bacteria from dirty footbath water through a tiny cut or abrasion on your skin.

KING

People can absorb bacteria from dirty footbath water through a tiny cut or abrasion, leading to bad sores.

“It can really hurt people's legs and it can leave them with disfiguring scars, so it's very bad,” she said..

Infections can be prevented if foot spas are cleaned properly.

One problem is the screen that covers the plumbing in many machines. It can trap dirt, hair and skin, turning the tub into a breeding ground for bacteria.

It takes about an hour to do a pedicure. but the numbers really add up for just one chair, which might service 200 pedicures a month.. If it's not cleaned correctly, it's like sitting in the same bath as everyone before you.

The California salon, where more than 100 women were allegedly infected, settled along with its insurance company and some of its suppliers a lawsuit for nearly $3 million. Cases against five other salons are pending.

Paul Dykstra, who heads the International Nail Technicians Association, which has published guidelines, advises members to clean by scrubbing foot spa screens daily and disinfecting after every client. He believes it's up to consumers to ask questions.

Though most salon owners said they do clean and disinfect after each client, one pedicure technician said she has never seen anyone do it.