While you're in quarantine, you may be remembering how relaxing it is to get hair blown out at your local hair salon.
A trip to the salon will look a lot different in the coming months amid the coronavirus pandemic. And up until now, most of us never really thought about if blow dryers circulate germs.
Do blow dryers spread germs in hair salons?
Dr. Lechauncy D. Woodard, a professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine, told "Today" that there are similarities between hair dryers and hand dryers in bathrooms and the possibility of bacteria being transmitted from one person to another.
"Specific to blow dryers, there is concern that blow dryers may circulate pathogens or enable them to spread more quickly," Woodward said.
Dr. David M. Aronoff, director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Division of Infectious Diseases, added that blow dryers could potentially spread germs, but the risk is not on the hair.
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"Shampoo and water will remove any SARS-CoV-2 virus from hair. Drying clean hair poses minimal risk for aerosolizing or dispersing virus from the scalp or hair," Arnoff said.
Since research is limited, Aronoff also urged clients and stylists to follow precautions like wearing a face mask during a blowout. He said that people should cover their nose and mouth when hair dryers are in use.
To minimize spreading germs, employees at the salon can also point the blow dryer down at the floor rather than upward and stylists should never point the hair dryer at someone's mouth or nose. Another suggestion is running a blow dryer for a short period before using it on a customer.
"However, regardless of how services are provided, it is important that proper safety precautions, including social distancing, masks, physical barriers where possible and appropriate sanitation, are consistently used," Woodward added.
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