TN Nail Technician cheat sheet
TN Nail Technician · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices
Cleaning removes visible debris and oils; sanitizing reduces microbes; disinfection destroys most pathogens; sterilization destroys all microbial life including spores.
Disinfectants must be EPA-registered with a hospital-grade, tuberculocidal claim and used for the manufacturer's stated contact time.
Implements must be washed with soap and water, dried, then completely immersed in disinfectant; residual debris blocks disinfectant contact.
Porous items such as files, buffers, wooden sticks, cotton, and sponges cannot be reliably disinfected and are single-use.
Hand washing uses soap and running water for at least 20 seconds; alcohol-based sanitizer is not a substitute when hands are visibly soiled.
A blood or body-fluid exposure stops the service: gloves on, wash with soap and water, apply antiseptic, cover, disinfect tools, and refer if needed.
Do not double-dip implements into product; remove product with a clean spatula and discard anything that touches the client.
Keep disinfectant containers covered, labeled, and at the correct dilution; test strips verify concentration when required.
Wash hands before and after each client and after removing gloves; gloves do not replace hand washing.
Nail and Skin Structure, Growth, and Disorders
Nail plate is keratinized cells; nail bed is skin under the plate; matrix produces the plate; cuticle is dead seal; eponychium is living proximal fold; hyponychium is seal under the free edge.
Fingernails grow about 3 mm per month and replace in 4–6 months; toenails grow about 1 mm per month and replace in 9–12 months.
The lunula is the visible portion of the matrix; it is whitish and most apparent on the thumb.
Matrix damage produces grooves, ridges, or thinning; the defect grows out with the nail plate.
Onychomycosis is fungal; paronychia is nail-fold infection; onychorrhexis is brittleness; koilonychia is spooning; Beau's lines are transverse grooves after illness.
Leuconychia is white spotting, often from minor trauma; melanonychia is a dark band and needs medical referral.
Cut only loose dead cuticle; the eponychium is living tissue and cutting it can cause infection and ridge formation.
Redness, swelling, pus, pain, dark streaks, or separation are referral signs; do not perform services on infected tissue.
Anatomy, Physiology, and Histology of the Hands, Feet, and Nails
Hand bones: 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals, 14 phalanges; foot bones: 7 tarsals, 5 metatarsals, 14 phalanges.
The nail is a skin appendage made of hard keratin produced by the matrix.
Blood supply to the hand comes from radial and ulnar arteries via palmar arches and digital arteries.
Hand sensation and movement involve the median, ulnar, and radial nerves.
Lymph from the hand and arm drains mainly to axillary nodes; lymph from the foot drains to popliteal and inguinal nodes.
Skin layers: epidermis (outer), dermis (connective tissue, nerves, vessels), subcutaneous (fat and cushioning).
Skin functions include protection, sensation, temperature regulation, excretion, secretion, and vitamin D synthesis.
Muscles of the hand include flexors that close the fingers and extensors that open them; thenar muscles move the thumb.
Manicuring and Pedicuring Procedures
Manicure sequence: consultation and hand washing, inspection, shaping, cuticle care, massage, polish, and aftercare.
File natural nails with a fine-grit file in one direction from side to center to reduce splitting.
Soak feet in warm water in a sanitized basin; limit soaking time to avoid over-softening skin and nails.
Push back cuticle gently with a pusher; nip only loose, dead tissue; never cut live eponychium.
Massage strokes: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), friction (circular).
Polish: thin base coat, two thin color coats, thin top coat; cap the free edge to reduce chipping.
Pedicure tools include nippers, curette, pusher, file, buffer, and sanitized basin liner.
Do not service open lesions, warts, fungal nails, eczema, or inflamed skin; refer to a physician.
Clean and disinfect implements between clients; discard single-use files, buffers, and pedicure liners.
Nail Tips, Wraps, and Sculpted Nail Enhancements
Tip fit: the well should fit sidewall to sidewall without pressure; gaps or pinching cause lifting and nail damage.
Blend the tip seam until smooth; a visible ledge catches product and causes lifting.
Wraps use silk, linen, or fiberglass fabric with resin or glue; apply thin, bubble-free layers.
Sculpted acrylic: fit form, prep nail, apply primer, mix monomer and polymer, build zones, cure, shape, and finish.
Zones: zone 1 free edge, zone 2 stress area/apex, zone 3 cuticle area; the apex sits at the stress area.
Keep product off skin and cuticle; contact causes lifting, irritation, and outgrowth.
Acrylic mixture that is too wet causes shrinkage and bubbles; too dry causes brittleness and poor adhesion.
Remove enhancements by filing bulk and soaking in acetone; do not force or pry product off the natural nail.
Chemistry, Product Knowledge, and Implements/Equipment
pH: 0–6 acidic, 7 neutral, 8–14 alkaline; nail products and skin have specific pH ranges.
Acrylic system: monomer liquid plus polymer powder; initiator starts curing and catalyst speeds the reaction.
Solvents dissolve other substances; acetone removes polish and acrylic; use with ventilation and away from flame.
SDS provides hazard, handling, storage, and first-aid information; keep it accessible in the salon.
Store flammable monomers in closed, labeled containers away from heat and ignition sources.
Primer improves adhesion; acid primers can irritate skin and should not touch soft tissue.
Autoclave sterilizes heat-resistant implements; UV lamps cure gels but do not disinfect tools.
Implements include metal pushers, nippers, files, buffers, and brushes; porous items are single-use and metal items are disinfected or sterilized.
Client Consultation, Communication, and Professional Services
Health history covers allergies, medications, diabetes, circulation, skin and nail disorders, pregnancy, and prior reactions.
Contraindications include open lesions, fungal or bacterial infections, warts, severe eczema, and uncontrolled diabetes.
Patch-test new products 24–48 hours before a full service when the client reports sensitivity.
Informed consent explains benefits, risks, alternatives, aftercare, and cost before the service begins.
Active listening includes reflecting back, asking open questions, avoiding interruption, and confirming the client's goal.
Document products, lot numbers, services, and reactions in the client record; keep records confidential.
Refer medical conditions to a physician; do not diagnose or treat disease.
Professional boundaries include no diagnosis, no medication advice, and no service on infected tissue.
Tennessee Laws, Rules, and Salon Business Practices
Tennessee requires a license to perform nail services for compensation; practicing without a license is unlawful.
The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners regulates nail technicians, salons, and schools under state law.
A salon must hold a current license and display required licenses where clients can see them.
Salons are subject to Board inspections for sanitation, equipment, licensing, and recordkeeping.
License renewal requires compliance with Board rules, including continuing education if required by the Board; verify current requirements.
Only licensed personnel may perform nail services; unlicensed assistants may not perform chemical or nail services.
Salon owners must provide a safe workplace, SDS access, and compliance with sanitation and fire codes.
Advertising must be truthful; license numbers and credentials may not be misrepresented.
Client records and confidentiality are part of professional practice; retain records as required by Board rules.