Paraffin wax is a petroleum-based wax that stores heat well and is good for moisturizing the skin. The wax is melted at a temperature of approximately 116°-147°F and applied to the hand either by immersion in a paraffin bath or by a single bag containing a single dose of wax. The heated wax forms a coating on the skin's surface, increasing blood flow to the skin and opening pores, allowing moisturizing emollients to penetrate the dermis while stimulating detoxification.

Paraffin wax was first used by doctors in the 1950s. They used wax to help patients with arthritis. In the '80s, paraffin baths strode forward and became commonplace in nail salons as an add-on to standard pedicures and manicures. Since then, paraffin applications have diversified, with new single-service kits offering disposable paraffin services. Customers simply place their hands or feet in separate bags filled with melted wax. Paraffin baths have also evolved, with heaters now featuring a variety of Settings and more automation.

Melissa Pechey, owner of The Matrix Nail Lab in Cape Cod, Mass., adds paraffin wax to her salon menu as a highlight of her thermal manicures and pedicures, and as an add-on to other services. "I have about seven or eight clients a week doing paraffin wax," she said. "They love it."

Pechey uses a "spoon" technique for paraffin wax, in which a paraffin bath heats the wax and keeps it liquid, but when it's time to apply wax, she scoops the liquid wax into a disposable plastic lining and inserts it into the client's hand or foot.

Spoon technology is a direct result of increased public awareness of salon hygiene. Many customers find it unhygienic to immerse their hands in paraffin baths previously used by other customers. However, the problem of cross-contamination has been proven to be non-existent if proper hygiene procedures are followed.

Several factors prevent paraffin wax from being a good conduit for spreading bacteria and other pathogens. First, because paraffin wax is an oil-based wax and contains no water, it does not provide an acceptable breeding ground for bacteria, fungi and viruses. The other is that in the process of immerging your hand in paraffin wax, the wax completely coats anything it comes in contact with, preventing it from coming into contact with any surrounding liquid wax. This can be seen when the hand or foot is removed from the wax. Wax coverings prevent skin contact with other wax in the bath.