Manicuring and Pedicuring
Practical manicure and pedicure questions test sequence, tool choice, and the boundary between cosmetic care and medical treatment.
Manicure sequence
Sanitize your hands and the client's, inspect the nails, remove old polish, shape with a fine-grit file, soften cuticles, gently push back, nip only loose dead tissue, buff lightly, massage hand and arm, then base coat, two thin color coats, and top coat with the free edge capped.
Filing and shaping
File natural nails in one direction from side to tip with a 180- or 240-grit file. Back-and-forth sawing creates splitting and peeling. Shapes include square, squoval, oval, round, and pointed; the shape must suit the hand and the client's lifestyle.
Pedicure
Sanitize the basin before and after, use a disposable liner where required, and follow the manufacturer's disinfectant contact time afterward. Reduce callus with a paddle, pumice, or rasp. Never shave callus with a credo blade or razor; that is medical treatment and is prohibited.
Massage
Use effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, and vibration. Skip massage with undiagnosed swelling, open lesions, or circulatory disease. Ask clients not to shave their legs within 24 hours of a pedicure, because micro-cuts invite infection.
Worked example
A client asks you to "shave off" a heel callus. Correct answer: decline, explain the legal limit, and offer a rasp and moisturizer instead. Doing it anyway risks a cut, infection, and a Board citation.
Traps
Cutting the cuticle instead of pushing it; soaking feet in a basin that was only rinsed; using a credo blade; massaging a diabetic foot with reduced sensation; filing wet nails.