Manicuring and Pedicuring
Know the structures
The nail plate is the visible hard keratin and it rests on the nail bed. The matrix at the base produces the plate; its visible portion is the lunula. The cuticle is thin dead tissue on the plate, while the eponychium is the living fold of skin at the base. The hyponychium seals beneath the free edge, and the sidewalls are the skin at the sides.
Growth and filing
Fingernails grow about 1/8 inch (roughly 3 mm) per month; toenails are slower, and growth speeds up in summer and in younger clients. File in one direction, from side to center, with a 180-grit file on natural nails. Sawing back and forth frays the plate layers and causes peeling.
Manicure sequence
Soak, shape, gently push back softened cuticle, remove only loose dead tissue and hangnails with nippers, massage, then base coat, polish, and top coat. Never cut the living eponychium - that opens the door to paronychia.
Pedicure cautions
Clean and disinfect the basin per the label after every client. Reduce callus with a file or paddle; sharp credo blades are restricted or banned in many jurisdictions. Do not work over open lesions.
Refer, don't treat
Fungal infection, paronychia, sudden discoloration, a lifting plate, or unexplained thinning are outside your scope. Diabetes and poor circulation are relative contraindications - ask for a physician's release and be conservative with sharp tools.
Rule of thumb: a lower grit number is coarser. 180-grit for the natural nail, 100-grit for shortening artificial product - never the reverse.