AR Nail Technician cheat sheet

Cleaning removes visible debris; disinfection destroys most microorganisms on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microbial life, including spores.

Use an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant with a tuberculocidal claim and immerse implements fully for the label's stated contact time, commonly 10 minutes.

Implements must be washed with soap and water and dried before disinfection; a disinfectant is not a cleaner and will fail on debris-covered tools.

Porous items such as files, buffers, wooden sticks, and cotton cannot be disinfected and are single-use: discard them or give them to the client.

Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; alcohol-based hand sanitizers must contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective.

Blood or body-fluid spill: stop the service, put on gloves, absorb with a disposable towel, clean and disinfect with a virucidal product, and double-bag the waste.

Do not service clients with broken skin, open lesions, nail fungus, or suspected infection; refer them to a physician.

Keep all chemicals in labeled, closed containers in a ventilated area, and know the location of Safety Data Sheets and the correct fire extinguisher class.

Nail structures in order: matrix produces the plate, lunula is visible matrix, eponychium is the cuticle, nail bed lies under the plate, hyponychium seals beneath the free edge.

Fingernails grow about 3 mm (1/8 inch) per month and fully replace in 4-6 months; toenails grow about 1 mm per month and replace in 9-12 months.

Each hand has 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals, and 14 phalanges (three per finger, two for the thumb); the forearm bones are the radius and ulna.

The three nerves of the hand and arm are the radial, median, and ulnar; median nerve compression produces carpal tunnel symptoms.

Growth is faster in summer, in children, and on the dominant hand; it slows with age, illness, and poor circulation.

Injury to the matrix causes permanent nail deformity; the nail bed does not manufacture nail plate cells.

Each finger is supplied by two digital arteries and three digital nerves, which is why sensation and circulation checks matter before service.

Manicure sequence: consultation and hand washing, shaping, soak, cuticle care, massage, base coat, polish, top coat.

File natural nails in one direction from corner toward center using a fine-grit (180-240) file to prevent peeling and splitting.

Never cut living tissue; use nippers only on loose, dead cuticle tags, and never push the cuticle back beyond its natural attachment.

Base coat protects the plate and prevents staining; two thin color coats wear best; top coat seals and adds shine.

Standard massage movements are effleurage, petrissage, friction, vibration, and tapotement; work toward the elbow to support circulation.

Avoid prolonged soaking, which softens the nail plate and reduces polish adhesion.

Refer rather than treat paronychia, onycholysis, fungal infection, open cuts, or allergic reactions.

All reusable tools (pusher, nippers, curette, brush) must be cleaned and disinfected between clients.

Cut toenails straight across and file the corners slightly; deeply rounded corners increase the risk of ingrown toenails.

Clients with diabetes, neuropathy, or poor circulation should be referred to a physician before any aggressive callus or cuticle work.

Whirlpool footbaths must be drained, cleaned, and disinfected with an EPA-registered hospital-grade product after every client, including screens and filters.

Reduce callus on dry skin with a rasp or paddle; sanitize the tool afterward and use disposable abrasives where possible.

Do not treat onychomycosis, athlete's foot, or open lesions; refer the client out.

Leg and foot massage strokes move toward the heart; avoid deep pressure over varicose veins and the back of the calf.

Pedicure sequence: soak, trim and file, cuticle care, callus reduction, massage, base coat, polish, top coat.

Use toe separators, basin liners, and single-use files to limit cross-contamination between clients.

Nail tips are pre-formed plastic extensions bonded to the free edge with cyanoacrylate glue; the tip well must fit sidewall to sidewall.

Blend the tip seam with a medium-grit file and finish with fine grit; never thin the natural nail plate while blending.

Wraps use silk, linen, or fiberglass fabric set with resin and activator for strengthening or repair of a natural nail.

Wrap procedure: apply resin, press the cut fabric, saturate it, cure with activator, then file and buff smooth.

Dehydrate the nail plate and remove cuticle tissue from the plate before applying tips or wraps to improve adhesion.

The stress zone at the tip junction needs extra product or reinforcement because that is where breakage starts.

Keep glue off the skin, store bottles upright in a cool place, and discard glue with clogged or contaminated nozzles.

Acrylic is made from monomer liquid plus polymer powder; the correct liquid-to-powder ratio yields a workable bead, while too wet a mix shrinks and too dry a mix is brittle.

Zones: zone 1 is the free edge, zone 2 is the stress or apex area, and zone 3 at the cuticle must be applied thin.

Apply primer sparingly to the natural plate only; acid-based primer contains methacrylic acid and must not contact skin.

Never let acrylic touch skin or cuticle; repeated overexposure is a leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis.

MMA monomer is banned or restricted by many state boards; ethyl methacrylate (EMA) is the standard monomer.

Nail forms or sculpting forms build the free edge and are removed once the product has set.

Finish with a 100/180 grit file to shape, then refine with 180-240; overfiling the natural plate causes white spots known as ring of fire.

Polymerization is exothermic, so a large bead on a thin nail can create a heat spike; removal is by filing and acetone soak, never by prying.

Gels cure only under a UV or LED lamp; they are not mixed from liquid and powder and do not air-dry.

Match the gel to the lamp: LED-formulated gels cure under LED, and cure times follow the manufacturer's instructions for each layer.

Apply thin coats; thick layers trap uncured gel, cause service breakdown, and raise allergy risk.

Soft gel and gel polish soak off in acetone; hard gel cannot be soaked off and must be filed away.

Keep gel off the skin and cuticle; uncured product contacting skin is a primary cause of contact allergy.

Store gels away from sunlight and heat, cap tightly, and clean brushes between uses.

LED lamps cure faster than standard UV lamps, but only for products made with compatible photoinitiators.

Polish order: base coat, two thin color coats, then top coat; let each coat set before applying the next.

Never thin polish with acetone; use polish thinner only, because acetone breaks down the polish formula.

A French manicure pairs a sheer pink or nude base with a crisp white free edge and a glossy top coat.

Common art tools are the striper brush, dotting tool, sponge, stamping plate, and airbrush; disinfect reusable tools or use single-use items.

On the color wheel, complementary colors sit opposite each other and neutralize one another when mixed.

Matte or glossy top coat sets the final finish; top coat also seals art and adds durability.

Attach rhinestones and decals with nail glue or gel top coat cured under a lamp.

The state board of cosmetology licenses nail technicians and enforces sanitation rules and scope-of-practice limits.

A technician may not diagnose or treat disease; suspected medical conditions are referred to a physician.

OSHA requires hazard communication training and Safety Data Sheets for the chemicals used in the salon.

The EPA registers disinfectants and the FDA regulates cosmetics; state boards enforce how products are used in practice.

Client records are confidential, and informed consent should be obtained and documented before services.

Business models include commission, salary, and booth rental, where the technician pays fixed rent, keeps service income, and handles their own taxes.

Ethical practice includes punctuality, quoting prices in advance, and following a written cancellation policy.