How to Prevent Overuse Injuries in Your Salon: Master Your Craft, Protect Your Body

Think of a job site that’s prone to overuse injuries. 

What comes to mind first? Did you picture a construction site, where workers repeatedly lift heavy things and handle heavy machinery? Maybe you thought of crime scenes and fires, where first responders encounter varying degrees of danger and exertion every day.

Now, let’s get real: Did you picture a salon? 

The Pain Behind the Beauty  

True, you may not be fighting fires or handling heavy equipment. But beauty experts like hairstylists, nail technicians, and estheticians experience more physical demand than people assume. As a result, overuse injuries have become common nail salon problems and hairdressing problems. 

What are overuse injuries? Also called work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) or repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), they’re some of the most challenging injuries seen across the beauty industry. 

Musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace happen when you put repetitive strain on the body without ergonomic accommodations. This includes everyday stressors like:

• Standing for hours on end.
• Improper posture. (Picture poor nail tech, esthetician, and hairdresser ergonomics like hunching over wash basins, rounding or twisting your back, and keeping your arms extended or bent with little rest.)
• Leaning on hard surfaces.
• Repetitive movements like cutting hair, painting nails, shaking nail polish bottles, or massaging products into a client’s skin.
• Repeated use of tools like electric files.

Failure to prevent a repetitive strain injury can compound these hairdressing and nail salon problems over time. As a result, you could develop overuse injuries such as:

• Stiffening, tightening, and spasming muscles and joints.
• Trigger finger.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Tendinitis.
• Tennis elbow.
• Varicose veins.
• Tissue and nerve damage.
• Herniated discs.

Another trouble is, these injuries are tricky to see—making them easier to disregard.

Don’t make this mistake. The longer you put off the treatment and prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the more your body will suffer. You may need physical therapy, medications, injections, time away from work, surgeries, or permanent leave. If ignored for too long, the damage can even be irreversible.

How can you prevent a repetitive strain injury in your salon?

Ready to protect yourself and your salon employees from career-ending or debilitating overuse injuries? Here’s what to do.

1. Make time for breaks.

When you work in a fast-paced nail or hair salon, it’s easy to rush from one appointment to the next.

Sadly, it isn’t sustainable. 

In your efforts to nail that Insta-worthy color job, provide a clean, injury-free mani-pedi experience, and keep up with long, demanding days, don’t overwork yourself. Set aside time for breaks. 

If you wear a smartwatch, consider setting a timer. Even quick stretches, finger dexterity and hand exercises for hair stylists, or walks around the salon are better than hours of prolonged discomfort. You may also need to limit how many clients you take in a day, advises Shaniqua Pender Duhaney in an interview with The Tease.

Physical therapists often recommend exercising outside the salon, too. This will strengthen your muscles and reduce your risk of overuse injuries.

2. Use ergonomic tools.

Simple swaps can alleviate a lot of strain.

For example, to combat hairstylist injuries and body problems, choose swivel shears or shears with a crane grip. Additionally, alternate between standing and sitting in an ergonomic swivel chair. Maintain your salon tools to alleviate unnecessary strain, too.

Meanwhile, instead of shaking product bottles all day, nail techs might invest in a hands-free bottle shaker. 

For both nail techs and hairstylists, opt for lightweight tools that don’t weigh down your arms. If you have access to padded tools and surfaces, that’s all the better. And if you get sore feet from standing, research the best shoes for cosmetologists and salon specialists. 

3. Watch your posture.

When it comes to preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders and overuse injuries, posture is equally important.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: Don’t bring your body to the client. Instead, find ways to bring the client closer to you. 

Adjust wash basins, clients’ chairs, or even your clients’ arms and legs to accommodate your neutral posture. Your chair can provide better back support for hairstylists and nail techs, too. 

Finally, when you’re sitting, keep your feet flat on the floor—even if that means getting footrests, OSHA advises in their guide for nail salon workers.

4. Spread awareness about ergonomics and overuse injuries with training.

You’d be surprised how few people know the root causes of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace—even if they’ve received prior training. 

So if you run your own hair or nail salon, keep up the training. 

Offer routine training on proper ergonomics for nail technicians. Explain the red flags of hairdresser back pain and shoulder pain so they know when to rest. Furthermore, keep your team up to date on health and safety guidelines for hairdressers and your own hair salon rules for employees.

Whatever kind of salon you run, make it fun! If done well, this could be a valuable opportunity to bond and show your employees you care about their wellness. 

WellnessPro: Because your wellness matters, too.

Looking out for your salon team (and combatting overuse injuries) is a no-brainer. What about looking out for your business’s liability?

Whether you’re worried about contact dermatitis, burns, skin infections, or accidental cuts, or you’re protecting your space from salon fires and water damage, running a beauty business has its share of risks. 

But managing your risk against common beauty salon claims and complaints shouldn’t require sacrificing your own wellbeing. It should be easy and affordable—like a breath of fresh “hair.”

Give your beauty salon the security you deserve. Apply now to start your coverage journey.