HI Nail Technician cheat sheet

Three regulated tiers: cleaning (soap/detergent and water removes debris), sanitizing (reduces bacteria on surfaces to safe public-health levels), disinfection (kills or destroys nearly all pathogenic organisms on nonporous implements).

Sterilization destroys all microbial life including bacterial spores and is required for any implement that broke the skin; disinfection alone is not sterilization.

Hawaii adopts federal OSHA bloodborne-pathogen rules: exposure control plan, hepatitis B vaccination offered at no cost, gloves and other PPE, and universal precautions treating all blood and body fluids as infectious.

An EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant labeled tuberculocidal is the benchmark for implements; follow the label's contact (wet) time exactly, since shorting it invalidates the kill claim.

Implements must be cleaned of all debris and dried before immersion, because residue and dilution weaken the disinfectant; change solution when it is visibly soiled or at the label interval.

Porous items (wooden sticks, cotton, buffing blocks, emery boards) cannot be reliably disinfected and are single-use only; discard or give to the client.

Hand hygiene is the single most effective control: wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after each client, and use an alcohol-based rub only when hands are not visibly soiled.

Contaminated sharps go in a rigid, closable, puncture-resistant sharps container; do not recap, bend, or break blades, and never place sharps in regular trash.

Nail plate is keratinized cells produced by the matrix; the visible portion rests on the nail bed, which is attached by longitudinal ridges and contributes to the free edge as the plate advances.

Growth sequence: matrix produces cells, cells keratinize and flatten, plate slides forward over the bed, and the free edge extends past the hyponychium.

Nail matrix determines thickness, shape, and width of the plate; injury or disease of the matrix produces a permanently altered or absent nail.

Nail fold (proximal and lateral) seals the sides and base; the cuticle is the dead tissue on the proximal fold, and the eponychium is the live skin at the base of the plate.

Lunula is the visible portion of the matrix, appearing whitish because the newly formed cells are not fully flattened and translucent.

Fingernails grow roughly 3 mm (about 1/8 inch) per month and toenails about 1 mm per month; growth is faster in summer, in younger people, and on the middle finger.

Fingertip blood supply comes from the digital arteries and the superficial and deep palmar arches from the radial and ulnar arteries; nerve supply is from the median and ulnar nerves.

Bones of the hand are 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals, and 14 phalanges; the thumb has 2 phalanges and each other digit has 3.

Distinguish disorder (structural or functional abnormality, often systemic in origin) from disease (a condition with recognizable signs and symptoms, frequently infectious); a nail technician may identify and refer but not diagnose or treat.

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail plate and bed; signs include thickening, yellow-brown discoloration, crumbling, and separation, and it requires medical referral and disinfected implements.

Paronychia is inflammation or infection of the nail fold; acute cases are painful and red with possible pus, chronic cases cause swollen, separated folds, and both need referral.

Onycholysis is separation of the plate from the bed, leaving a whitish area; causes include trauma, psoriasis, and fungal infection, and the separated area must not be packed with product.

Pseudomonas (green) discoloration appears as green-black staining under a lifted enhancement and is associated with moisture trapped in a lifted area; remove the product, refer if the nail is infected, and do not reapply until resolved.

Beau's lines are transverse depressions from a temporary interruption of matrix growth after illness or trauma; they grow out and are not treated by the technician.

Koilonychia is a spoon-shaped nail associated with iron-deficiency anemia; pterygium is forward growth of the cuticle that splits the plate; both are referred.

A client with a visible bacterial or fungal infection, open lesion, or undiagnosed discoloration must be refused service on that area and referred to a physician; service may proceed on unaffected nails only if cross-contamination is prevented.

Standard manicure sequence: consultation and hand washing, removal of old product, shaping with a file in one direction, soaking, cuticle care, massage, base coat, color, top coat, and cleanup.

File natural nails with the abrasive side moving from the corner toward the center in one direction; sawing back and forth causes splitting and peeling of the free edge.

File grit: 240 and finer for natural nails, 180 for gel, 100-180 for acrylic, and 80 or coarser only for product removal on enhancements, never on the natural plate.

Soaking softens the plate and surrounding skin; limit soak time and dry thoroughly before application, because residual moisture under product promotes lifting and microbial growth.

Cuticle nippers are used only on hangnails and dead tissue with the client's consent; never cut live tissue or push the eponychium, which opens a portal for infection.

Pedicure basins must be cleaned and disinfected with an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant at the labeled contact time between clients; whirlpool tubs require running disinfectant through the jets.

Do not perform pedicure services on a client with diabetes, poor circulation, or neuropathy without physician clearance, because reduced sensation and healing raise the risk of serious infection.

Single-use items (files, buffers, toe separators, pedicure liners) are used once and discarded or given to the client; reusable metal implements are cleaned, disinfected, and stored covered.

Tip application: size the tip to the free edge with no overhang, apply adhesive to the well, hold at a 45-degree angle against the free edge, press and hold until set, then blend the seam.

Blending the tip seam removes the ridge so the enhancement looks continuous; over-thinning the blended area weakens the tip and causes cracks.

Fabric wraps (silk, fiberglass, linen) are applied with resin over the plate, cured, then filed and sealed; they add strength while remaining thin and are used for repairs and natural-nail reinforcement.

Wrap resin and activator must be used in a ventilated area away from open flame; activator is flammable and resin can cause skin sensitization with repeated contact.

A tip with a well is placed so the well covers the free edge; a well-less (no-well) tip is applied with adhesive and blended, and its fit must follow the natural free-edge curve.

Do not apply tips or wraps over a lifted, infected, or separated nail; the space traps moisture and supports Pseudomonas growth.

Removal of wraps requires soaking in the manufacturer's remover or filing off the resin; pulling or prying damages the plate and should never be done.

Nail tips are sized by width and by curve (C-curve) match; a mismatched curve leaves stress points that cause lifting and breakage.

Acrylic is a two-part system: monomer liquid (ethyl methacrylate) plus polymer powder; the correct mix ratio produces a bead that holds its shape without running or looking dry and crumbly.

Mixing ratio controls strength: too wet produces excessive shrinkage, lifting, and weakened product; too dry produces brittle, cloudy, and poorly adhering product.

Application zones: zone 1 is the free edge, zone 2 the stress area (apex), zone 3 the cuticle area; the apex is built in zone 2 to give strength and a natural curve.

Monomer must be dispensed fresh for each client into a clean dappen dish; never pour used monomer back into the bottle, and keep the bottle capped to prevent evaporation and contamination.

Polymer powder is picked up by dipping the brush into the powder after the liquid, and the bead is placed on the nail within seconds before it sets; working too slowly produces a lumpy surface.

Sensitization (allergic reaction) to uncured monomer presents as itching, redness, and lifting at the nail folds; repeated skin contact is the main cause, so keep product off the skin.

Filing the acrylic after cure: use a medium grit to shape, refine with finer grits, and finish the surface; overfiling at the sidewalls and cuticle area creates weak spots and lifting.

Do not use MMA (methyl methacrylate) monomer; it is banned or restricted in many jurisdictions because of severe sensitization and poor adhesion, and only cosmetic-grade EMA should be used.

Gel is a photoinitiator system: the gel contains photoinitiators that react to a specific wavelength, so it cures only under a lamp emitting that wavelength, not by air drying.

UV lamps emit broadband UVA around 340-380 nm; LED lamps emit narrow-band light near 365-405 nm; a gel must be matched to the lamp type recommended by its manufacturer.

Inhibition layer (dispersion layer) is the uncured sticky film left after curing; it is wiped with the manufacturer's cleanser and is normal for many gels, not a sign of undercuring.

Under-curing leaves gel soft, dull, or peeling and raises the risk of allergic sensitization; check lamp bulbs, cure times, and that the hand is positioned fully inside the lamp.

Gel polish removal: break the seal with a file, soak a cotton pad in acetone, wrap with foil, wait the manufacturer's time, then gently push off softened product without scraping the plate.

Gel and acrylic cannot be cured or set by the wrong lamp; a UV-only gel under an LED lamp may not fully cure, and mixing brands of gel and lamp voids the cure guarantee.

Thin, even layers cure more reliably than thick ones; thick application causes heat spikes (burning sensation) during curing and shrinkage that lifts the edges.

Hard gels are used for extensions and structure and are filed off; soft gels soak off in acetone; identifying the type prevents damage from the wrong removal method.

Consultation covers health history (diabetes, allergies, medications, skin conditions), occupation and nail-use demands, prior product reactions, and the client's desired shape, length, and color.

Informed consent means explaining the procedure, the products used, the risks (sensitization, lifting, infection), and the aftercare before beginning service.

Confidentiality: client health information is shared only on a need-to-know basis and is not discussed with other clients or on social media.

Scope of practice: a nail technician may perform cosmetic services and identify conditions to refer, but may not diagnose, prescribe, or treat disease.

Documentation includes the service record, products and batch numbers, and any reaction; it supports follow-up and defends the technician if a claim arises.

Professional boundaries include refusing services that are unsafe, declining to work on infected or undiagnosed conditions, and not making medical claims for products.

Contraindication screening: active infection, open lesions, allergic reaction to product, and uncontrolled systemic disease require postponement or physician clearance.

Communication of aftercare: advise the client to report redness, swelling, pain, or lifting, and to return for professional removal rather than pulling product off at home.

Nail technology in Hawaii is licensed under HRS Chapter 436 and regulated by the state board (currently the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing); verify current board name and rules at the time of application.

Scope of practice for a nail technician is limited to the care of the nails and the hands and feet: manicuring, pedicuring, nail extensions, wraps, and application and removal of enhancements; it does not include cutting living tissue or treating disease.

Licensure requires completion of an approved nail technology program (commonly 350 hours in Hawaii), passage of the state written and practical examinations, and payment of fees; confirm the current hour requirement with the board.

A licensed nail technician may not perform services outside the licensed scope, such as hair or skin care, unless separately licensed for those practices.

Establishment rules: a shop must hold a valid shop license, display licenses, provide hand-washing facilities, and maintain disinfection and sanitation standards inspected by the board.

Continuing education and license renewal are required on the board's cycle; failing to renew on time requires reinstatement and may involve late fees or reexamination.

Advertising and titles: only a licensed person may use the title nail technician or represent themselves as licensed, and unlicensed practice is subject to penalties.

Record-keeping and sanitation compliance are enforced through board inspections; violations can result in fines, suspension, or revocation of the license and shop license.