Nail Technology
Nail Technology is the practical and scientific core of the Delaware nail technician exam. Questions test whether you can protect client and technician health while performing manicures, pedicures, tips, wraps, acrylics, gels, and electric-file work. Expect infection control, nail anatomy and disorders, product chemistry, and safe procedure sequencing-not just salon-style tips.
Infection control hierarchy
- Cleaning removes visible debris; disinfection kills most pathogens on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microbial life including spores. Implements that contact skin or nail need cleaning then hospital-grade disinfection after each client; porous items such as buffers, files, wooden sticks, and cotton are single-use or discarded.
- Wash hands before and after service; wear gloves when blood or body fluids are possible; disinfect the workstation; keep clean and dirty implements separate; follow the EPA-registered product label contact time exactly.
- For blood exposure: stop, glove, clean the wound, disinfect, dispose of contaminated materials, and follow the salon’s bloodborne-pathogen plan.
Nail anatomy and assessment
The nail plate rests on the nail bed; the matrix produces the plate; the lunula is visible matrix; the cuticle is dead tissue on the plate; the eponychium is the living fold; the hyponychium seals the free edge. Do not cut living tissue. Recognise onychomycosis, paronychia, onycholysis, Pseudomonas colonisation (“greenies”), and psoriasis; technicians do not diagnose-refer abnormal, painful, swollen, or undiagnosed conditions.
Product chemistry
Acrylic systems cure when monomer liquid is mixed with polymer powder; benzoyl peroxide is a common initiator. Gel systems cure under UV/LED with photoinitiators. Do not mix systems or use expired product; keep safety data sheets; monitor for allergic reaction such as itching, redness, or lifting. Correct mix ratio and thin application reduce heat spike, lifting, and service breakdown.
Worked example
A client returns 10 days after acrylics with dark green discolouration and slight lifting on one nail. Reasoning: green-black pigment under lifted product suggests Pseudomonas colonisation, not a cosmetic stain. Do not file over it, apply new product, or diagnose. Remove product gently, refer to a physician, discard porous items, disinfect reusable tools with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant for the label time, and document. Rebook only after medical clearance.
Traps
Assuming disinfectant works instantly; reusing a file because it “looks clean”; cutting cuticle; mixing acrylic and gel; filling over lifted product; calling fungus “mould”; skipping patch tests or SDS review; using an electric file at high speed on the natural nail plate.