MO Nail Technician key terms

The process of washing and scrubbing surfaces, tools, and hands with soap and water to remove visible debris and reduce the number of microorganisms before disinfection.

Using an EPA-registered chemical product at the label's dilution and contact time to destroy most harmful microorganisms on nonporous implements and work surfaces.

The complete destruction of all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, on an object; required for implements that have touched blood or broken skin.

The number of minutes an implement or surface must stay visibly wet with disinfectant, as stated on the product label, for the product to kill the organisms it claims to kill.

Disease-causing microorganisms such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV that can pass from one person to another through contact with infected blood or other body fluids.

An infection-control approach in which all blood, body fluids, and used implements are treated as potentially infectious, no matter how healthy the client appears or what they say.

A small, spoon-shaped metal implement used to gently scrape debris from the nail sidewalls and from under the free edge without digging into living tissue.

A precision cutting tool with two curved jaws, used only to remove a thin hanging tag of dead tissue; it must be cleaned and disinfected after every client.

A series of light, gliding massage strokes used to begin a hand and arm massage, spread lotion, and warm the tissue before deeper movements.

The liquid part of a liquid-and-powder acrylic system, usually ethyl methacrylate, that reacts with the polymer powder to form a hard artificial nail.

The powder part of an acrylic system, made of finely ground plastic particles that absorb monomer liquid and form a workable bead that hardens into an artificial nail.

The chemical reaction in which monomer molecules link into long chains, changing a soft bead of acrylic or a wet gel coating into a hard, cured nail enhancement.

A liquid applied in a thin coat to the natural nail plate before some acrylic systems to improve adhesion; it must be kept off the skin and used sparingly.

A light-cured artificial coating made of oligomers and photoinitiators that stays soft until exposed to the correct wavelength and dose of ultraviolet or LED light.

The highest point of an artificial nail's arch, located over the stress area, which gives strength; it must be built up enough to support the extension without being bulky.

The visible, hard covering of the fingertip or toe, made mostly of keratin, that grows out from the matrix and rests on the nail bed.

The pink tissue directly beneath the nail plate, rich in blood vessels and nerves, over which the plate moves forward as the nail grows.

The living tissue at the base of the nail, hidden beneath the proximal nail fold, where new nail cells are produced and hardened into the plate.

The whitish, half-moon-shaped area visible at the base of the nail plate, formed by the front edge of the matrix showing through the plate.

The living skin at the base of the nail that overlaps the plate; it is a seal against infection and should never be cut, unlike the dead cuticle on the plate.

The tissue under the free edge of the nail plate where the nail separates from the fingertip; it seals the area and helps keep bacteria out.

A fungal infection of the nail that often causes thickening, yellow-brown discoloration, and crumbling of the plate; it cannot be treated in the salon and needs medical referral.

Inflammation or infection of the tissue around the nail, shown by redness, swelling, pain, and sometimes pus; it is a contraindication for nail services until it has healed.

The painless separation of the nail plate from the nail bed, often caused by trauma, aggressive filing, or prolonged moisture, which leaves a whitish patch near the free edge.

A delayed skin reaction, commonly to acrylic monomer or gel, that appears as redness, itching, swelling, or blisters on skin the product touched.

The process in which repeated skin contact with a substance such as uncured monomer trains the immune system to react to it, causing an allergy that can last for life.

A standardized document supplied by the manufacturer that lists a product's hazards, safe handling, first-aid steps, and storage requirements; it must be kept available in the salon.

A source-capture system, such as a fan at the work table, that pulls dust and chemical vapors away from the technician's and client's breathing zone before they are inhaled.

A rotary tool with interchangeable bits used to shorten, shape, and refine artificial nails; it requires light pressure and steady control to avoid heat and gouging.

The number printed on a file or buffer that indicates particle size; lower numbers cut faster and remove more product, while higher numbers are finer and create a smooth finish.

The state board within the Division of Professional Registration that licenses nail technicians and salons in Missouri and enforces the rules on sanitation and practice.

The set of services a Missouri-licensed nail technician is legally allowed to perform, which does not include diagnosing or treating medical conditions of the nail or skin.

The process of keeping a Missouri nail technician license active by sending the required application and fee to the state before the expiration date; working on an expired license is prohibited.

A conversation held before the service to learn the client's goals, health history, medications, allergies, and past nail services, and to agree on the products and techniques to use.

A condition, medication, or situation that makes a nail service unsafe or inadvisable, such as an open wound, active infection, or badly irritated skin at the treatment area.

A small test application of a product on the client's skin, usually checked 24 to 48 hours later, used to look for an allergic reaction before a full service.

A client's voluntary agreement to a service after being told what will be done, which products will be used, possible risks, and what other options exist.

A thickened, hardened patch of epidermis caused by repeated friction or pressure, common on the heels and soles; it is smoothed with a file, never sliced off.

A nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist and supplies feeling to the thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger.

A condition caused by pressure on the median nerve at the wrist that brings numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand; technicians can lower risk with good posture and breaks.