What level of infection control is recommended for all esthetic implements and surfaces?

In the context of esthetic practices, disinfection is the recommended level of infection control for all esthetic implements and surfaces. This is because disinfection effectively reduces the number of pathogens on non-living surfaces and instruments, thereby minimizing the risk of infection. Disinfectants are vital in esthetic settings where tools and surfaces may come into contact with skin or bodily fluids.

Disinfection typically involves using chemicals that destroy or deactivate microorganisms, except for large numbers of bacterial spores. This process is crucial after sanitation, which primarily reduces the number of germs, and before considering sterilization, which is the process that eliminates all forms of microbial life, including spores. While sterilization is essential for specific tools used in invasive procedures, it is not practical for all surfaces and implements in every esthetic procedure. Both decontamination and sanitization are important processes, but they do not provide the same level of pathogen reduction as disinfection, making disinfection the most suitable and recommended practice in esthetics.