NJ Nail Technician cheat sheet

Nail plate is non-living keratin; the nail matrix is the living tissue that produces it, so damage to the matrix deforms future growth.

Basic manicure sequence: shape, soak/soften, cuticle care, massage, polish; implements contacting skin must be disinfected between clients.

Nail file grit: lower numbers (80-180) remove more product; 240+ grit is for finishing natural nails and smoothing.

Sculpted nail forms are single-use; reusable metal forms must be cleaned and disinfected after each client.

Acrylic liquid is ethyl or ethyl methacrylate monomer; primer improves adhesion and must be used in a ventilated area.

Gel polish cures under UV/LED lamp; the inhibition layer is wiped with alcohol after curing, not before.

Nail drill bits: carbide for product removal, diamond for natural nail and cuticle work; always run from cuticle to free edge on the natural nail.

A pedicure basin must be cleaned and disinfected with an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant after each client, following label contact time.

Disinfection kills most pathogens on surfaces; sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores; sanitation reduces contaminants on skin and surfaces.

Implements that contact blood or broken skin are single-use or must be sterilized; porous items like emery boards and orange sticks cannot be disinfected and are discarded after one client.

EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant must be mixed and used per label dilution and contact time; test strips verify quaternary ammonium concentration.

Hand washing uses soap and running water for at least 20 seconds; hand sanitizer is not a substitute when hands are visibly soiled.

Blood spill protocol: wear gloves, stop service, clean with soap and water, disinfect with EPA-registered tuberculocidal product, and follow OSHA bloodborne pathogen rules.

A client with a suspected fungal or bacterial nail infection must be referred to a physician; service is refused until cleared.

Sharps such as lancets or credo blades go in a rigid sharps container, never in regular trash.

Disinfectant containers must be covered when not in use and labeled with the product name and date prepared.

Nail structures: matrix (growth), lunula (visible matrix), nail bed, nail plate, eponychium (cuticle), hyponychium (under free edge), and nail folds.

Fingernails grow about 0.1 mm per day (3-3.5 mm per month); toenails grow slower, roughly 1 mm per month.

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail plate; onycholysis is separation of the plate from the bed; paronychia is inflammation of the nail fold.

Koilonychia (spoon nails) and clubbing can signal systemic disease and warrant medical referral.

Leukonychia (white spots) usually results from trauma to the matrix, not calcium or vitamin deficiency.

Skin layers: epidermis (outermost), dermis (nerves, vessels, glands), and subcutaneous layer; the nail matrix sits over the distal phalanx.

Melanoma warning signs follow the ABCDE rule: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter over 6 mm, Evolving lesion.

A healthy nail plate is translucent, flexible, and pink from underlying blood supply; yellow, thickened, or crumbling nails suggest infection or disease.

New Jersey manicurists are licensed by the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling within the Division of Consumer Affairs.

Licensure requires completion of an approved manicuring program (minimum hours set by Board rule) and passing the state practical and written examinations.

License renewal in New Jersey is biennial; continuing education hours are required for renewal per current Board rule.

Licenses and shop registration must be displayed in public view at the workplace; practicing without a license or on an unregistered shop is prohibited.

The Board may discipline licensees for unsanitary practices, unsafe services, or fraud; penalties include fines, suspension, or revocation.

Shops must be registered with the Board and are subject to inspection by Board investigators and the Division of Consumer Affairs.

Client records and service documentation must be maintained as required; practitioners may not diagnose or treat medical conditions.

Advertising and price lists must be accurate, and licensees must follow Board rules on sanitation equipment and product use.