Nail Care and Skin Care Services
What this domain tests
This domain covers manicuring, pedicuring, nail enhancements, facial and skin care basics, and the sanitation and contraindication decisions that keep those services safe. Expect scenario questions about implements, skin conditions, and when to refer.
Nail service safety
- Clean and disinfect reusable metal implements after every client; porous items such as files, buffers, and wooden sticks are single-use.
- Do not cut living tissue. Cuticle nippers are for dead skin only; pus, redness, swelling, or pain suggests infection and requires referral.
- Methyl methacrylate (MMA) liquid monomers are prohibited in nail enhancements in the United States; use EMA-based products.
- Electric files require proper bits, low heat, and careful control to avoid plate damage. Foot spas must be drained, cleaned, and disinfected between clients according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Skin care basics
Assess skin type, sensitivity, and Fitzpatrick phototype. Avoid waxing, strong peels, or aggressive exfoliation on accutane users, recently irradiated skin, active eczema, or broken skin. Extractions are limited to comedones; do not attempt to remove milia or cysts. Massage is contraindicated over inflamed, infected, or injured areas.
Worked example
A pedicure client has diabetes and a cracked heel with redness. Do not proceed with soaking and aggressive callus work. Reason: reduced sensation and circulation raise infection risk; refer to a health care provider and offer only services approved by the client’s care plan.
Traps
Cutting live cuticle; reusing a file; using UV cabinets as the only disinfection step; treating a suspicious nail as cosmetic; waxing over irritated skin.