Manicuring and Pedicuring
This domain tests whether you can perform a basic manicure and pedicure safely and in the right order. The exam rewards correct sequence, correct tool handling, and correct decisions about when to stop and refer.
Manicure sequence and rules
- Consult and inspect first; record anything abnormal and refer if it is a disease or an inflamed area.
- Wash your hands and the client's hands, sanitize your station, and use a fresh towel.
- Shape with the file held at about a 45-degree angle; on natural nails file in one direction rather than sawing back and forth, which generates heat and splits the layers of the plate.
- Apply cuticle softener, then gently push back the eponychium. Nippers are used only on a hangnail or clearly dead tissue, only with client permission, and never to cut living tissue - cutting the seal opens a portal for infection.
- Massage with light, upward strokes; skip massage over inflamed, broken, or contagious skin.
- Polish: base coat, two thin color coats, top coat; thin coats dry faster and wear better than thick ones.
Pedicure rules
Limit soaking to roughly 5–10 minutes; prolonged soaking softens and lifts the plate. Toenails are cut straight across and corners only gently rounded. Sharp credo blades and razor-type callus shavers remove living tissue and are outside nail technology scope; use a pumice or file instead, and disinfect or discard it afterward. Footbaths are drained, cleaned, and disinfected between clients.
Worked example
A client with diabetes and reduced sensation in the feet requests a pedicure with callus shaving. Reasoning: reduced sensation means the client cannot feel a cut, and healing is impaired. The technician does not use sharp tools, keeps soaking short, uses a gentle abrasive, and refers the client for medical clearance before aggressive work.
Traps that cost marks
Cutting the cuticle "for a clean look," reusing a porous pumice, over-soaking, and treating high-risk clients like any other client.