WA Nail Technician cheat sheet

Disinfection kills most microorganisms on nonporous surfaces using an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant mixed at label dilution and left for the full contact time (commonly 10 minutes).

Sterilization destroys all microbial life including spores and requires an autoclave; reserve it for implements that can withstand heat and moisture.

Classify implements first: nonporous items (metal, glass, hard plastic) can be cleaned and disinfected; porous items (files, buffers, wooden sticks, cotton) cannot be disinfected and must be discarded or given to the client.

Cleaning with soap and water must always precede disinfection, because organic debris inactivates disinfectants.

UV light cabinets and ultrasonic units are not disinfectants on their own; an ultrasonic cleaner only removes debris before the disinfection step.

Blood spill rule: stop the service, don gloves, clean the area, apply an EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectant, cover with a bandage, and discard all contaminated porous items.

Footbath rule: drain, clean, and disinfect the basin and jets after every client with a hospital-grade product at the labeled contact time.

Keep a Safety Data Sheet on site for every chemical, label all secondary containers, and store products away from food, heat, and sunlight.

Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after every client; use hand sanitizer only when hands are not visibly soiled.

The nail plate is keratin resting on the nail bed; the matrix at the base produces it, and the lunula is the visible portion of the matrix.

The cuticle (eponychium) seals the proximal nail fold and the hyponychium seals beneath the free edge; both are infection barriers and neither should be cut.

Growth rate: fingernails about 0.1 mm per day (roughly 1/8 inch per month) with full replacement in 4-6 months; toenails about 1/25 inch per month with replacement in 9-12 months.

Growth is faster in summer, in youth, during pregnancy, and on the dominant hand; it is slower in winter, in older adults, and with poor circulation.

Transverse grooves (Beau's lines) follow illness or matrix injury, longitudinal ridges increase with age, and pitting suggests psoriasis.

Refer rather than treat: onychomycosis, paronychia, pseudomonas (green) discoloration, warts, psoriasis, lichen planus, and any open or oozing lesion.

Terminology: onychocryptosis = ingrown nail, onycholysis = plate separating from the bed, onychauxis = thickening, onychorrhexis = splitting, koilonychia = spoon nail.

Each hand has 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals, and 14 phalanges; blood arrives via the radial and ulnar arteries and lymph drains to the epitrochlear then axillary nodes.

Standard manicure sequence: consult, wash hands, remove old polish, shape with a file, buff, push back cuticle, massage, base coat, two color coats, top coat.

File natural nails with 180-240 grit using light strokes from corner toward center; coarse grits (80-100) are only for reducing product.

Cuticle work is limited to pushing back softened cuticle; nippers are for dead hangnails or nonliving tissue only, because cutting living tissue is prohibited.

Nail shapes: square, squoval, round, oval, almond, stiletto, coffin; the shape must follow the natural free-edge curve and stay clear of the sidewalls.

Base coat protects the plate from pigment staining and improves adhesion; top coat seals color and adds gloss; thin coats cure faster than thick coats.

Pedicure: soak 5-10 minutes, use a single-use liner, and reduce callus on moistened skin with a file or pumice, never on broken skin or on diabetic feet without clearance.

Massage strokes are effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), and vibration; avoid massage over inflammation, swelling, fractures, or contagious lesions.

Stop or modify the service for open wounds, contagious infection, severe inflammation, uncontrolled diabetes, recent surgery, or a known product allergy.

Acrylic is liquid monomer plus powder polymer; the bead ratio controls cure speed and strength, with too wet causing brittleness and too dry causing weakness and cloudiness.

EMA (ethyl methacrylate) is the industry standard monomer; MMA is not FDA-approved for cosmetic nails because it is rigid, hard, and difficult to remove.

Prep order: sanitize, push back cuticles, gently remove shine from the plate, dehydrate, then prime; never over-file or groove the natural nail plate.

Zones: zone 1 is the free edge, zone 2 is the stress area where the apex belongs, zone 3 is near the cuticle; product should be thin at the cuticle and sidewalls.

Tips come in full well, half well, and no-well styles; blend the well seam until invisible, and use forms rather than tips when sculpting an extension.

Gel cures only under the correct UV/LED lamp; apply thin even layers, cap the free edge, and wipe the inhibition layer with the manufacturer's cleanser.

Wraps of silk, linen, or fiberglass are applied with resin or adhesive over a crack or as an overlay; wrap resin does not deliver the strength of acrylic.

Rebalance or fill every 2-3 weeks; remove product with an acetone soak or the manufacturer's solvent and never pry or force an enhancement off.

Overexposure signs include redness, swelling, itching, and lifting near the cuticle; remove the product, refer the client to a physician, and switch to a lower-sensitizer system.

Layer order for art is base color, then art medium, then top coat; seal thick items and rhinestones inside the product so they cannot catch and lift.

Crack repair: clean, dry, and lightly buff the area, then bridge it with silk or fiberglass wrap and resin or a thin acrylic patch; a broken free edge also needs the stress area rebuilt.

A split natural nail can be stabilized temporarily with a tea-bag or silk patch and polish, then scheduled for a follow-up visit.

Airbrush, stamping, water decals, foils, marbling, and ombre all require a fully cured base; wet-on-wet art must be sealed within one working layer to avoid smearing.

Maintenance intervals: fills every 2-3 weeks and pedicures every 4-6 weeks; booking the next visit at checkout protects retention.

Aftercare: cuticle oil daily, gloves for wet work and household chemicals, no using the nails as tools, and a file on hand for snags.

Repair pricing rule: charge a repair fee when one to three nails are affected; recommend a full rebalance when four or more have lifted or broken.

Nail art must never be applied over broken skin or an open lesion; if the plate is damaged, stop the service and refer.

The intake records allergies, medications, medical conditions, occupation, hobbies, previous product reactions, and the client's service goals.

Ask open-ended questions and restate the client's words back to confirm desired shape, length, color, and service before beginning work.

Patch test adhesives and acrylics on clients with a history of reaction and wait 24-48 hours before a full application.

Do not diagnose: describe what is observed, advise the client to see a physician, and document the referral on the record card.

Scope of practice is manicure, pedicure, enhancements, and nail art; it excludes medical treatment, cutting living tissue, and prescribing.

Client health information stays confidential and is discussed only where it cannot be overheard by other clients.

Conflict resolution: listen without interrupting, restate the concern, offer two concrete options, and document the outcome.

Refuse or modify a service when the client has a contagious condition, an open lesion, or is intoxicated; explain the reason and offer to rebook.

RCW 18.16 is Washington's statute for cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nail technology; WAC 308-20 holds the Department of Licensing rules that implement it.

A person must hold a valid license issued by the Washington State Department of Licensing to perform nail technology for compensation.

The salon or shop must also be licensed; licenses must be current, posted, and available for inspection at the place of business.

Practice is limited to licensed individuals and properly supervised students in an approved school; practicing without a current license is a violation.

Unprofessional conduct includes unsanitary practice, intoxication at work, fraud, practicing beyond scope, and aiding unlicensed practice; penalties include fines, suspension, and revocation.

Nail technicians may not cut living tissue, use implements that puncture or slice skin, or diagnose and treat disease; suspected disorders must be referred out.

Disciplinary actions follow Washington's Administrative Procedure Act, and the licensee is entitled to notice and a hearing.

Fees, applications, and renewals are administered by the Department of Licensing; practicing on an expired license is a violation.

Client record card minimum: name, contact, date, service performed, products used, patch test results, allergies, observations, and the technician's initials.

Keep a Safety Data Sheet for every product on hand and review it before introducing a new chemical into the salon.

Inventory: rotate first-in, first-out, date containers when opened, store away from sunlight and heat, and never use expired or separated product.

Price a service as materials plus labor plus overhead plus profit, and track cost per service so a small product load on a large ticket stays visible.

Record daily receipts, deposits, and expenses, reconcile cash and card totals at close, and retain records for tax and audit purposes.

Booth renters pay a fixed rent and generally set their own prices and hours, while employees are paid wages or commission under the salon's schedule and control.

Carry general and professional liability insurance and confirm the policy covers chemical and allergic reactions.

Washington requires a business license with a UBI number and, where applicable, a reseller permit and local endorsements.