Nail Care: Manicure, Pedicure and Nail Art Basics
Nail Care tests the safe sequence for manicure and pedicure, contraindications, filing technique and basic nail art. Questions often ask what to do when a client has a suspected fungal infection or when cuticle tissue is torn.
Core rules
- Sanitise your hands and the client's hands; check for infection, cuts, swelling or discolouration.
- Remove old polish with acetone in a ventilated area.
- File in one direction with a disposable or sanitised file; avoid back-and-forth sawing.
- Soak, soften cuticle with lotion, and push back gently; do not cut live tissue.
- Massage with lotion, then apply base coat, colour and top coat.
- Pedicure water must be comfortably warm, not hot; diabetic clients need extra caution and referral if unsure.
- Nail art: dots, stripes and decals must be applied over dry polish; keep designs hygienic and use disposable tools.
Worked example
A client has a thickened, discoloured toenail. Reasoning: this may be fungal infection, so do not perform a pedicure. Refer to a doctor, clean and disinfect the station, and use single-use items where possible. Filing an infected nail can spread spores and damage the nail further.
Traps that cost marks
- Cutting cuticles until they bleed.
- Filing back and forth.
- Sharing files or buffers without disinfection.
- Using very hot water for a pedicure.
- Applying art on wet polish.