Client Consultation, Contraindications, and Skin and Nail Disorders
What the exam tests
Consultation questions test whether you can gather a useful history, obtain informed consent, recognize when a service is unsafe, and refer appropriately. The key distinction is between recognizing a sign and diagnosing a disease. Nail technicians identify visible abnormalities, ask nonleading questions, and avoid treatment claims.
Core concepts
- Ask about allergies, medications, diabetes, circulatory problems, skin conditions, pregnancy-related sensitivities, and prior reactions to products.
- Explain the service, products, risks, and alternatives; confirm consent and document it.
- Contraindications include open wounds, active infection, inflammation, unexplained swelling, severe pain, and recent surgery in the service area.
- Refer suspicious findings: dark streaks, sudden nail changes, pus, spreading redness, fever, or a lesion that does not heal.
- A client with a controlled condition may still be served with precautions, but do not promise safety or override medical advice.
Worked example
A client has a green-black discoloration on one toenail and asks you to cover it with acrylic. You do not file over it or apply product. You explain that the discoloration may indicate infection or another condition, decline the enhancement, and refer the client to a health care provider. You document the observation and referral. The reasoning: covering a possible infection traps moisture and delays care.
Traps
Diagnosing fungus or prescribing ointment. Treating a red, swollen nail fold as ordinary cuticle. Serving an open wound because the client insists. Failing to document an allergic reaction.