Manicuring and Pedicuring Procedures and Techniques
Manicure Sequence
Prepare the station, wash your hands and the client's, then inspect. Shape with a file in one direction using the coarse side, then refine. Soak briefly to soften tissue, apply cuticle softener, gently push the cuticle back with a rubber-tipped pusher, and trim only hangnails or clearly dead tissue with nippers - never dig into the living eponychium. Clean under the free edge gently, massage with lotion, and polish or apply product. Dispose of single-use items and disinfect implements afterward.
Pedicure Sequence
Inspect both feet, including between toes. Soak in a clean basin with a disposable liner or a properly disinfected basin. Trim nails straight across with toenail clippers, file edges smooth, and reduce thickness only with appropriate tools. Use a separate set of implements for feet. Address calluses gently with a paddle or pumice; aggressive blades are a red flag. Massage, then polish.
Traps
Trap: filing back and forth with a coarse file, which splits the free edge. Trap: over-thinning the nail plate with a drill, causing heat and damage. Trap: cutting cuticles, which opens a portal for infection. Trap: using the same implements for hands and feet without processing. Trap: soaking too long, which softens the plate excessively. Trap: ignoring a client's report of pain during filing or drilling.
Worked Example
A client's toenails are thick and the corners curve inward. Correct approach: trim straight, file edges, reduce thickness cautiously with the appropriate tool, and refer if the nail appears ingrown (red, swollen, painful). Incorrect: dig out the corner.
Rule of thumb: file in one direction, push rather than cut, and stop whenever the client reports pain.