TX Nail Technician cheat sheet

Sanitation removes visible debris; disinfection destroys most pathogenic organisms on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores.

Implements must be washed with soap and water, dried, then completely immersed in an EPA-registered hospital-grade, tuberculocidal disinfectant for the full labeled contact time.

Porous or single-use items (files, buffers, orange sticks, cotton, wooden spatulas) cannot be disinfected and must be discarded after one client.

Hand washing with soap and warm running water for at least 20 seconds is required before and after every client, after restroom use, and after handling contaminated items.

Blood or body-fluid exposure: stop the service, don gloves, cleanse with soap and water, apply antiseptic, cover the wound, then disinfect every contaminated surface and tool.

Whirlpool foot spas and pedicure basins must be drained, cleaned, and disinfected between clients to prevent Pseudomonas folliculitis and nail-bed infections.

Bacterial forms are cocci (round), bacilli (rod-shaped), and spirilla (spiral); viruses do not respond to antibiotics.

Federal roles: OSHA enforces workplace safety and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) access, the EPA registers disinfectants, and the FDA regulates cosmetics such as polish and lotion.

Disinfectant containers must be labeled, covered, and changed when the solution becomes cloudy or contaminated with debris.

File natural nails with fine-grit abrasives (180 grit or higher) using the side of the file, stroking from the corner toward the center.

Never saw back and forth across the free edge; friction creates heat, separates nail layers, and causes peeling.

Standard manicure sequence: shape, cleanse or soak, cuticle care, massage, base coat, two color coats, top coat.

The cuticle is nonliving tissue at the nail base and may be softened and pushed back; live eponychium tissue is not cut.

Nippers are used only on a hangnail with client permission and must be cleaned and disinfected afterward.

Pedicure soak water should be warm, not hot, and soaking is limited to roughly 5 to 10 minutes to avoid over-softening the nail plate.

Massage movements: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), friction (circular), tapotement (tapping), vibration.

Acetone polish remover is highly flammable and volatile; keep it capped, away from flame and heat, and use in a ventilated area.

Over-buffing with a coarse buffer thins the nail plate and causes sensitivity; buff lightly in one direction only.

Acrylic is monomer (liquid) plus polymer (powder); it sets by an exothermic chemical reaction, not by air drying.

A correct bead has a medium consistency like thick sour cream; too wet causes shrinkage and lifting, too dry causes brittleness.

Primer temporarily dehydrates the nail plate and improves adhesion; dehydrator removes surface oils and moisture before application.

EMA (ethyl methacrylate) is the approved monomer; MMA (methyl methacrylate) is prohibited for cosmetic nail use because of severe reactions and nail damage.

Keep product off the skin; acrylic or gel contacting skin can sensitize the client and cause allergic contact dermatitis.

A tip attaches at the free edge with its well fitted over the nail and blended flush; a form is placed under the free edge to sculpt an extension.

Gel products cure only under a UV or LED lamp, and any uncured gel left on skin must be removed immediately.

Over-filing the natural nail during prep, fills, or removal creates the red irritated band known as the ring of fire.

Removal requires soaking in acetone until the product softens; prying or forcing product off removes layers of the natural nail plate.

The matrix produces new nail plate cells; the lunula is the visible whitish half-moon at the base where cells are still immature.

Structures include nail plate, nail bed, lateral and proximal folds, cuticle (eponychium), hyponychium, free edge, nail groove, and mantle.

Fingernails grow about 0.1 mm (one-eighth inch) per month and fully replace in four to six months; toenails take nine to twelve months.

Onychocryptosis is an ingrown nail; onycholysis is separation of the plate from the bed; onychomadesis is shedding of the nail.

Onychauxis is thickening; onychorrhexis is brittleness with splitting; koilonychia is a spoon-shaped nail; leuconychia is white spotting.

Paronychia is a bacterial infection of the nail fold with redness, swelling, and pus; onychomycosis (tinea unguium) is a fungal infection.

Tinea pedis (athlete's foot) and verruca (plantar wart) are contagious and are never treated in the salon; refer to a physician.

Infection signs are redness, heat, swelling, pain, pus, and dark discoloration; no product or implement touches such tissue.

Skin layers are epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue; sudoriferous glands produce sweat, sebaceous glands produce oil.

The intake or client record form captures allergies, medications, medical conditions, and prior product reactions, and is kept confidential.

Blood thinners and diabetes raise the risk of cuts, slow healing, and infection, so service is adjusted and doubtful cases are referred.

A licensed manicurist may not diagnose a disease or condition; suspicious findings are referred to a physician.

Informed consent is documented before artificial nails, cutting, or any service carrying risk, and refusals are noted in the record.

Prevent cross-contamination: dispense with a clean spatula, never double-dip, and never let a contaminated hand touch a clean tool.

Ergonomics: neutral wrists, supported client hands, adjustable stool and table height, and scheduled breaks reduce repetitive strain.

The service area stays ventilated, well lit, free of food and drink, with clean implements kept in closed, labeled containers.

Scope of practice limits services to those the license covers; services may not be delegated to unlicensed persons.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses and inspects cosmetology establishments and nail technicians (manicurists).

Governing authority is the Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1602, plus the rules in 16 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 83.

Manicurist licensure requires completion of a 600-hour TDLR-approved program and passing the written and practical examinations.

Texas cosmetology and manicurist licenses are renewed every two years and must be displayed at the workstation or establishment.

Each salon location must hold its own establishment license and post required sanitation and consumer notices.

TDLR sanitation rules require cleaned and disinfected implements and fresh linens or towels for every client.

Practicing without a license, or allowing an unlicensed person to perform services, is prohibited and subject to penalties.

TDLR representatives may inspect an establishment without advance notice, and licensees must cooperate and produce records.

Manicurist scope covers manicures, pedicures, artificial nail application, and nail art, not haircutting, chemical skin care, or hair removal.