Manicuring, Pedicuring, and Natural Nail Care
Domain 4 covers safe, effective natural nail services and the sanitation details that differ between manicure and pedicure.
Core rules
- Shape with a fine-grit file (usually 180 or higher for natural nails) in one direction; sawing back and forth creates heat and delamination.
- Push back cuticle gently; do not cut live tissue. Nippers are for hangnails or dead tissue only.
- Buff lightly; overbuffing thins the plate. Use a base coat, thin polish layers, and top coat capped over the free edge.
- Pedicure: clean and disinfect the foot bath between clients using a label-compliant hospital-grade disinfectant; use single-use liners where allowed. Do not use credo blades or cut calluses if prohibited.
- Single-use files, buffers, and orangewood sticks; disinfect reusable metal implements.
Worked example
A client wants a pedicure but has a red, swollen toe with pus at the nail fold. That is paronychia, an active infection, and is a contraindication. Do not soak or work on it. Refer to a physician, disinfect anything that touched the foot, and reschedule. The reasoning is transmission and harm: the foot bath and tools can spread bacteria, and abrasion can worsen infection.
Traps
Cutting cuticles; using a coarse file on natural nails; skipping foot-bath disinfection because a liner was used; and treating a pedicure as lower-risk than a manicure.