OH Nail Technician cheat sheet

Pathogen groups are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites; only pathogenic types cause disease in clients or technicians.

Bacteria shapes are cocci (round), bacilli (rod), and spirilla (spiral); flagella provide motility, and spores are dormant, resistant forms.

Bloodborne pathogens include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV; hepatitis B is the most infectious and can survive on dried surfaces.

Standard precautions treat every client's blood and body fluids as infectious, regardless of known health status.

Handwashing requires soap, running water, and friction for at least 20 seconds, before and after every client and after glove removal.

Gloves, masks, and eye protection are PPE; gloves never replace handwashing and must be changed between clients.

Blood or body-fluid spill procedure: stop service, don gloves, absorb the spill, disinfect with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, and bag waste as biohazard.

Sterilization kills all microorganisms including bacterial spores; disinfection kills most pathogens but not spores.

An SDS (formerly MSDS) must be on file for every chemical product used in the salon.

Sanitation removes visible debris and reduces microbes; disinfection kills pathogens on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microbes and spores.

Implements must be cleaned with soap and warm water to remove debris before disinfection, because organic matter inactivates disinfectants.

Disinfectants must be EPA-registered, mixed at label dilution, and left wet for the full label contact time, often 10 minutes.

Porous items such as emery boards, wooden sticks, cotton, and foam buffers cannot be disinfected and must be discarded after one client.

Nonporous implements such as metal nippers, metal pushers, glass, and hard plastic can be cleaned and disinfected between clients.

UV light cabinets are not EPA-registered disinfectants and do not substitute for liquid disinfection or sterilization.

Clean, dry implements are stored in a closed, labeled container separated from soiled implements and waste.

Pedicure basins must be drained, scrubbed, and disinfected with an EPA-registered product at label contact time between clients.

Electrical tools such as drills and handpieces are wiped with disinfectant and never immersed in liquid.

The nail plate is keratinized protein with no nerves or blood vessels; the nail bed beneath it contains nerves and capillaries.

The matrix produces the nail plate; injury to the matrix causes ridges, grooves, or permanent nail deformity.

The lunula is the visible whitish half-moon portion of the matrix at the proximal nail base.

The eponychium (cuticle) seals the proximal nail base, and the hyponychium seals the free edge against infection.

Fingernails grow about 3 to 4 mm per month and replace in 4 to 6 months; toenails replace in 9 to 12 months.

Hand bones are 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals, and 14 phalanges; the major hand nerves are the median, ulnar, and radial.

Skin layers are epidermis (stratum corneum outermost), dermis (nerves, vessels, glands), and subcutaneous tissue.

Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection; paronychia is a bacterial nail-fold infection; Pseudomonas causes green-black discoloration.

Onycholysis is nail-plate separation; koilonychia is spoon nails; leukonychia is white spots; Beau's lines are transverse grooves after illness.

Fungal infections, paronychia, open wounds, and unexplained discoloration are contraindications that require medical referral.

Manicure sequence: sanitize hands, shape nails, soak, care for the cuticle, massage, apply base coat, polish, and top coat.

File from the corner toward the center in one direction at about a 45-degree angle; a sawing motion splits and peels the nail plate.

Nail shapes include square, squoval, oval, round, almond, stiletto, and coffin.

Cuticle softener loosens the eponychium; living tissue is never cut, and nippers are used only on nonliving hangnails.

Massage strokes are effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), friction, and vibration.

Acrylic enhancements form from monomer liquid plus polymer powder; the mix ratio controls strength, cure speed, and shrinkage.

Gel enhancements cure only under a UV or LED lamp; uncured gel left on skin can cause allergic sensitization.

Enhancements are removed by filing and acetone soaking; they are never pried or forced off the nail plate.

Pedicure service includes soak, cleansing, exfoliation or callus reduction, massage, and polish; clients with diabetes or circulatory disease require medical clearance.

Electric files require a moving bur, light pressure, and correct speed to prevent friction burns and nail damage.

Consultation collects medical history, allergies, medications, occupation, lifestyle, prior nail services, and client expectations.

A patch test applies a small amount of product and is checked 24 to 48 hours later before the first full use on sensitive clients.

Contraindications include contagious or infected skin, open lesions, severe nail disease, and unexplained discoloration; service is declined and the client is referred.

Scope of practice limits nail technicians to cosmetic services; they do not diagnose disease or prescribe treatment.

Active listening uses open-ended questions, paraphrasing, and confirming the client's meaning before service begins.

Client records document medical history, products used, services performed, reactions, and consent, and are kept confidential and secure.

Professional ethics require honesty about service limits, no guaranteed cures, and referral of abnormal findings to a physician.

Complaints are handled by listening, documenting the facts, and offering a resolution without argument.

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4709 is the cosmetology statute; Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 4713 contains the board's operating rules.

The Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board licenses and regulates cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, hair designers, and salons.

Ohio manicurist licensure requires 300 training hours and passing the board's written and practical examinations.

Ohio licenses renew every two years; required continuing education hours are set by board rule and must be documented.

The individual license must be displayed at the workstation, and the salon license must be posted in the salon.

Only licensed individuals may perform nail services for compensation; unlicensed practice is prohibited and subject to penalty.

Board rules require cleaning and disinfection of implements, single-use porous items, and proper storage between clients.

Ohio board rules prohibit methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer in nail enhancements.

The board may inspect salons, issue fines, and suspend or revoke licenses for violations.