Nail Care and Manicuring
Nail anatomy you must name
The nail plate is the hard, non-living keratin surface. Beneath it lies the nail bed. The matrix produces the plate and extends under the proximal nail fold; the visible whitish half-moon is the lunula. The cuticle (cuticle tissue at the base) and eponychium (living skin at the proximal fold) seal the nail against infection. The hyponychium sits under the free edge, and the sidewalls are the skin along each side.
Procedure and safety
Sanitize your hands and the client's, then inspect both hands before starting. Shape nails with a file, working from the outer edge toward the center for natural nails, and use a fine-grit file on natural nails and a coarser one on enhancements. Soak to soften tissue, push back the cuticle gently, and never cut living tissue - nipping the eponychium opens a door to infection. Disinfect reusable metal implements between clients; porous files and buffing blocks are single-use.
Disorders and scope of practice
Recognize but do not treat: onychomycosis (fungal infection), paronychia (bacterial infection with redness and pus), onychorrhexis (split nails), koilonychia (spoon nails), leuconychia (white spots), and Beau's lines (deep horizontal grooves). Any sign of infection, pus, swelling, or unexplained dark streak is referred to a physician.
Traps to expect
Questions frequently state that the cuticle should be cut for a "clean" finish. It should not. Another trap: calling the nail plate living tissue, or implying a nail technician can diagnose fungus.
Worked example
A client's big toenail is thick, yellow-brown, and lifting. Rule of thumb: infection is a referral, not a manicure. Decline the service, document the observation, and refer.