Manicuring and Pedicuring Procedures
Manicuring and pedicuring in the right order
Master the sequence so speed and sanitation never conflict. Basic manicure: wash hands, inspect, sanitize your own hands, shape with the file (one direction, corner to center, to avoid splitting the free edge), soak, apply cuticle softener, gently push back the cuticle with a rubber-tipped pusher, trim only dead tissue with nippers, apply base coat, polish, top coat, then massage. A water manicure softens with a soak; a dry manicure skips the soak and suits clients with onycholysis or a weakened plate. Specialty services include hot oil, paraffin (test the temperature on your own wrist first), and men's and children's services.
A pedicure adds a foot bath, callus work with a paddle or file, and more time on the toes - but the same order and the same sanitation. Never reduce a corn or callus that is painful, bleeding, or linked to a client-reported medical condition; refer instead.
Nail shapes: square, squoval, oval, round, pointed, and lipstick. Coarser grits suit thick enhancements; fine grits suit natural nails.
Traps: pull, do not cut, a hangnail - cutting invites infection. Sharp tools used on living tissue are a licensure risk. Massage has contraindications: inflamed or contagious skin, open lesions, recent surgery, known clotting problems. Stroke questions expect effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), and vibration.
Rule of thumb: cleanse, inspect, shape, soak, push, trim, massage, polish - and when a step would break skin, stop.