Nail Care and Manicure/Pedicure
Manicure and pedicure questions test nail anatomy, safe filing and cuticle work, and the discipline of disinfection between clients.
Anatomy to know
Nail plate (visible keratin), matrix (produces the plate; damage causes grooves), cuticle (dead tissue seal at the base), eponychium (living skin at the base), lunula (visible part of the matrix), hyponychium (seal beneath the free edge), nail bed, lateral folds and free edge. Fingernails grow about 3 mm per month; toenails grow slower.
Procedure rules
- Sanitize hands, remove old polish, and file in one direction from corner to centre, because sawing causes splitting.
- Soak to soften, then push back cuticles gently with a rubber-tipped pusher; cutting live tissue is not part of a standard manicure.
- Shapes include square, squoval, oval, almond, round and stiletto; the shape must suit the nail bed and lifestyle.
- Massage with cream, then base coat, thin polish layers and top coat.
- Pedicure: assess for diabetes, circulatory problems, fungal infection or paronychia; file thick nails carefully and never cut callus with a blade.
Worked example
A client has a greenish-black discolouration on one toenail. Reasoning: this suggests a possible fungal or bacterial infection, which is a contraindication. Do not file the area or share tools; refer to a doctor, disinfect or discard anything that touched the nail, and record the advice.
Traps
Cutting the cuticle and causing infection; filing back and forth; using the same file on two clients; treating a diabetic client's feet with a blade; ignoring a nail that has lifted from the bed.