Nail Care and Manicuring
Structure and growth
Trace a nail from the matrix forward: matrix (where the plate is produced, contains nerves and vessels), lunula (visible portion of the matrix), nail bed, nail plate, cuticle (dead tissue on the plate), eponychium (living tissue at the base), hyponychium (seal under the free edge), sidewalls, and mantle. Nails grow about 1/8 inch per month, faster in summer and on the dominant hand, and fingernails faster than toenails.
Disorders versus diseases
A disorder is a condition; a disease is pathological and is treated by a physician. Know the vocabulary: onychomycosis (fungal infection), paronychia (bacterial infection around the nail), onychorrhexis (splitting), onychophagy (bitten nails), leukonychia (white spots), and the difference between a bruised nail and a growth. The manicurist's job is to recognize and refer, not to treat.
Practice and safety
Implements are cleaned, disinfected, and stored covered; files, buffers, and orangewood sticks are single-use in most settings. Pedicure equipment needs special attention: drain, bowl, and jets must be cleaned and disinfected per label, and screens/filters addressed. Never use a sharp tool to dig under the free edge, and stop with a client who has a cut, infection, or bleeding.
Traps
Items confuse the cuticle with the eponychium, put the matrix at the tip, or let a manicurist "treat" a fungus. Watch for MMA liquid questions - methyl methacrylate is banned or restricted in many jurisdictions; ethyl methacrylate (EMA) is the accepted product.
Rule of thumb
If a question mentions redness, pus, swelling, or dark streaks, the answer is: do not service, refer to a physician.