Manicure, Pedicure and Nail Care
What this domain covers
This domain tests nail anatomy in practice, tool use, shaping, cuticle care, massage, and recognition of disorders you must not treat.
Manicure sequence
Sanitise hands, remove old polish, shape with the file held at about 45 degrees and filed in one direction, soak 3-5 minutes, push back cuticles with a rubber pusher, trim only hangnails, massage with cuticle oil and lotion, then base coat, thin polish coats and top coat.
Pedicure sequence
Soak, file callus on damp skin, cut nails straight across to prevent ingrowing, clean under the free edge, massage, polish. Diabetic clients need extra care: no cutting of cuticles, no metal tools near the skin, and referral for any wound.
Nail disorders to recognise
Onychomycosis (thick, yellow, crumbly, refer), paronychia (red swollen nail fold), pitting and Beau's lines, leukonychia (white spots), clubbing, and longitudinal ridges with age. Never hide a suspected fungal nail under polish.
Shapes
Square, squoval, oval, almond, round, stiletto, coffin.
Worked example
A client's big toenail is thick, yellow-brown and lifting at the free edge. Correct action: do not polish or drill it, explain it may be a fungal infection, refer to a doctor, and disinfect every tool used while discarding the file. Reasoning: polish seals in moisture and hides progression, and the infection is transmissible.
Traps
- Cutting living cuticle, which invites infection.
- Sawing the file back and forth and splitting the free edge.
- Sharing a buffer or file between clients.