Manicuring, Pedicuring, and Nail Technology
Nail anatomy
The nail plate is the visible nail, made of keratin, resting on the nail bed. The matrix produces the plate; its visible portion at the base is the lunula. The eponychium (living cuticle tissue) seals the base, the hyponychium seals under the free edge, and the sidewalls line the sides. Fingernails grow about one-eighth of an inch per month.
Disorders and referral
Onychomycosis (fungal infection) causes thickened, discolored nails - refer. Paronychia is inflammation of tissue around the nail; if pus is present, refer. Onycholysis is separation of the plate from the bed. Beau's lines are horizontal depressions that follow illness. Never cut living tissue; nippers are for hangnails and dead skin only.
Sanitation
Disinfect all reusable metal implements with an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant after cleaning. Porous items - buffers, files, orange sticks - are single-use or given to the client. Pedicure tubs must be cleaned and disinfected between clients, using a new liner or following the label. Follow the Board's rules on which implements may be used on clients; when in doubt, file or curette instead.
Worked example
A client arrives with a greenish-black discoloration under the nail plate. Do not file it off and continue. That appearance suggests a Pseudomonas bacterial infection; stop, apply no product, and refer to a physician.
Traps
Cutting the cuticle. Using MMA liquid monomer. Skipping disinfection between clients. Soaking nails too long before polish. Treating a fungal nail cosmetically.