LA Nail Technician cheat sheet

Pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms; nonpathogens do not cause disease.

Four pathogen groups: bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites.

Chain of infection links: pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host - breaking any one link stops transmission.

Bacterial shapes: cocci (round), bacilli (rod), spirilla (spiral or corkscrew).

Viruses are smaller than bacteria, need a host cell to reproduce, and are not affected by antibiotics.

Standard precautions: treat all blood, body fluids, secretions, and non-intact skin as potentially infectious regardless of the client's known status.

Handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after every client; alcohol sanitizer is not a substitute when hands are visibly soiled.

Biofilms are colonies of microorganisms attached to surfaces such as foot spa tubing; they resist disinfectants unless removed by mechanical scrubbing.

Immunity may be natural or acquired, active or passive; vaccination produces active acquired immunity.

Sanitation: cleaning with soap, water, and scrubbing to remove dirt and reduce microbe counts on surfaces; it does not destroy all pathogens.

Disinfection: chemical process that destroys most microorganisms on nonporous surfaces, but not necessarily spores.

Sterilization: destroys all microorganisms including spores; reserved for items that contact broken skin or blood.

Implements: scrub with soap and water, rinse, dry, then fully immerse in an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant for the label contact time (often 10 minutes).

Porous items - wooden sticks, emery boards, buffer blocks, cotton, sponges - cannot be disinfected; use once and discard.

Disinfectant must be EPA-registered and mixed at the label dilution; never top off an old solution or mix different chemicals.

Store disinfected implements in a clean, closed container and clean that container regularly.

Towels and linens: single-use or laundered between clients; never reuse from one client to the next.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS): 16-section document giving hazards, ingredients, first aid, handling, storage, and disposal; keep it accessible in the workplace.

If a disinfectant is used on implements that may contact blood, the label should carry a tuberculocidal claim in addition to the EPA registration number.

Monomer, acetone, and other solvents are flammable: keep away from heat, sparks, and open flame; store in closed, labeled containers; no smoking.

Use ventilation or local exhaust with acrylics, gels, and polishes; wear nitrile gloves to limit skin contact and sensitization.

Electrical safety: use GFCI outlets, keep water and cords apart, and unplug by the plug rather than pulling the cord.

Blood exposure: stop the service, put on gloves, apply antiseptic, bandage the wound, disinfect implements and surfaces, and document the incident.

Dispose of blades and broken glass in a rigid sharps container; blood-soaked items in a biohazard bag.

Ergonomics: adjust table and chair height, keep wrists neutral, support forearms, and take micro-breaks between clients.

Fire classes: Class C extinguisher for electrical fires, Class B for flammable liquids.

Standard service order: consultation, wash hands, shape, cuticle care, massage, polish.

Nail shapes: square, squoval, round, oval, pointed, stiletto; shape follows the client's sidewalls and nail bed.

Cuticle is dead tissue on the nail plate and may be pushed back or trimmed; the eponychium is living tissue at the base and is never cut.

Nippers are used only on hangnails or loose nonliving tissue, never on living skin or sidewalls.

Foot soak of about 5–10 minutes in soapy water; disinfect the basin after every client, and prefer removable liners to limit biofilm.

Toenails are trimmed straight across and filed smooth; corners are not clipped deeply because of ingrown-nail risk.

Massage strokes: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion), friction, vibration.

Do not service open cuts, fungal or bacterial infections, or severe inflammation; refer the client.

Polish sequence: base coat, two thin color coats, top coat; allow drying between thin coats.

Acrylic system = monomer liquid plus polymer powder; a properly mixed bead holds its shape without running.

EMA (ethyl methacrylate) is the standard monomer; MMA (methyl methacrylate) is banned or restricted in many states and can damage the nail plate.

Bead too wet causes shrinkage, lifting, and skin irritation; bead too dry causes brittle, cloudy, weak product.

Prep: sanitize, push back cuticles, remove surface shine with a 180-grit file, dehydrate; never over-file the natural nail plate.

Gel enhancements cure only under UV or LED light; hard gel is filed off, soft gel soaks off in acetone.

Wraps use silk, fiberglass, or linen fabric bonded with resin or glue to strengthen or repair the natural nail.

Tips are plastic extensions glued to the free edge and blended; an overlay covers the natural nail without adding length.

Apex is the stress zone at the center of the enhancement; product is built there for strength.

Removal: file down the bulk, soak in acetone, never pry or force, because forcing lifts layers of the natural nail plate.

Nail plate: hard keratinized structure with no nerves, so trimming is painless.

Nail bed: skin beneath the plate with blood and nerve supply; its vessels give the pink color.

Matrix: makes nail cells and determines thickness and shape; the lunula is its visible portion.

Cuticle (cuticula) is dead tissue sealing the plate at the base; the eponychium is the living fold above it.

Hyponychium seals the area under the free edge and is a barrier against infection.

Sidewalls, nail folds, and nail grooves hold the nail in place; the mantle is the pocket at the base.

Growth: fingernails about 1/8 inch (3 mm) per month, toenails slower; fingernail replacement 4–6 months, toenail 9–12 months.

The nail plate is permeable to water and some chemicals; repeated wet-dry cycles make it brittle.

Skin layers: epidermis (outer, keratinized), dermis (nerves, vessels, glands), subcutaneous layer.

Disorder = abnormality that is not necessarily contagious; disease = condition with signs and symptoms that may be contagious or systemic.

Onychomycosis: fungal infection with thick, yellow-brown, crumbling nail; contagious - refer.

Paronychia: bacterial infection of the nail fold with redness, swelling, pain, and possible pus - do not service.

Onycholysis: painless separation of plate from bed, often after trauma, aggressive filing, or product lifting.

Beau's lines: transverse grooves from interrupted nail growth after illness or trauma.

Koilonychia (spoon nails): thin, concave nails associated with iron deficiency.

Leuconychia: white spots caused by minor matrix trauma.

Melanonychia: dark longitudinal band; a new or widening band requires medical referral for melanoma risk.

Verruca (wart) near the nail is viral and contagious; never abrade or treat it in the salon.

The Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology regulates cosmetology, manicuring, esthetics, and instructing under La. R.S. 37:571 et seq.

A license is required to perform manicuring or pedicuring for compensation; both the individual and the salon must be licensed.

The license must be displayed at the workstation or in the salon and shown to an inspector on request.

Unlicensed practice, and employing an unlicensed person, are prohibited and subject to penalties.

Licensure requires completion of a board-approved training program, passing written and practical examinations, and meeting the minimum age requirement.

Licenses renew on the board's cycle; the board must be notified of name or address changes.

Board inspectors may enter and inspect a licensed salon during business hours.

Practicing outside the scope of the license held (for example, a manicurist performing hair or esthetic services) is prohibited.

Sanitation violations can lead to fines, suspension, or revocation of a license.

Disinfectants must be EPA-registered hospital-grade; implements that may contact blood require a tuberculocidal claim.

All reusable implements must be cleaned and disinfected after each client; single-use items cannot be reused.

Hands must be washed with soap and water before and after each client; sanitizer does not replace washing when hands are soiled.

Salons must provide hot and cold running water, a hand-washing sink, and toilet facilities.

No eating, drinking, or smoking in the service area; chemicals are stored away from food.

Covered waste containers and a sharps container are required; waste is removed regularly.

Client records noting services and products are kept and treated as confidential.

Advertising must be truthful; licensees may not claim to cure or treat disease.

Chemical products must be kept in original or properly labeled containers with the manufacturer's directions available.

Consultation content: health history, medications, allergies, occupation, nail care habits, and expectations.

Use open-ended questions, active listening, and reflective statements to confirm the client's meaning.

Contraindications such as poorly controlled diabetes, anticoagulant therapy, skin infections, or recent surgery require medical referral.

Technicians describe what they observe but never diagnose a disease or condition.

Obtain informed consent, keep client information confidential, and document products used, reactions, and aftercare.

Business basics: know service cost, pricing structure, retail margin, and scheduling time per service.

Booth rental = self-employed, pays set rent, keeps client income, handles own taxes; commission = salon employee.

Professional conduct: be punctual, avoid gossip, respect boundaries, and refer rather than treat.