Infection Control & Safety
25%of exam
Nail Anatomy & Disorders
25%of exam
Services & Procedures
25%of exam
MA Laws & Sanitation
25%of exam
License RulesSalon RulesInspectionsScope of PracticeDisplay License
Quick Facts
- Credential
- Manicurist license
- Format
- Written only
- Vendor
- PSI Services
- Pass
- 75% or better
- Training
- 100 hours
- Min age
- 17, 10th grade
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Cosmetology & Barbering
Tool Disinfection
Clean Rinse Immerse Dry Store
Clean debrisRinseImmerse EPADryClosed container
Sanitize vs Disinfect vs Sterilize
Sanitize/Disinfect
- Lower germs
- EPA chemical
- Salon level
Sterilize
- Kills all
- Autoclave
- Kills spores
Most vs all microbes
Refuse Service or Proceed?
- Healthy nails→Proceed(Document consult)
- Dry cuticles, ridges→Proceed(Cosmetic disorder)
- Thick yellow nail→Refuse(Suspect fungus)
- Red, swollen fold→Refuse(Paronychia)
- Plate lifting→Refuse(Onycholysis)
- Green under enhancement→Refuse(Pseudomonas)
- Open sore, pus→Refuse(Refer doctor)
- Unsure if disease→Refuse(Do not diagnose)
Disinfectants & Contact Time
- EPA-registered
- Hospital-grade requiredMA
- Bactericidal
- Kills bacteria
- Virucidal
- Kills viruses
- Fungicidal
- Kills fungi
- Contact time
- Follow label exactly
- Quats
- Common salon disinfectant
- 70% alcohol
- Antiseptic, not surfaces
- Clean first
- Remove debris, then soak
Refuse Signs
Swelling Pus Green Yellow Lifting
Swelling: paronychiaPus: infectionGreen: bacteriaYellow: fungusLifting: onycholysis
Which Disinfection Level?
- Metal pusher, nippers→Clean + disinfect(EPA immersion)
- File, buffer, wood→Discard(Porous, single-use)
- Workstation surface→Wipe disinfectant(Between clients)
- Pedicure basin→Scrub + disinfect(Each client)
- Whirlpool spa→Chelating clean(Weekly)
- Blood-contaminated tool→Disinfect or discard(BBP protocol)
- Towels, linens→Launder hot(Never reuse)
- Hands→Soap 20 seconds(Each client)
Clean vs Disinfect vs Sterilize
- Cleaning
- Removes visible debris
- Sanitizing
- Lowers germ count
- Disinfecting
- Kills most pathogens
- Sterilizing
- Kills all microbes
- Autoclave
- Steam under pressure
- Salon standard
- Clean then disinfect
- Spores
- Survive disinfection
- Closed container
- Store disinfected tools
Bloodborne Pathogens
- HBV
- Hepatitis B, very hardy
- HCV
- Hepatitis C virus
- HIV
- Fragile outside body
- If bleeding
- Stop, antiseptic, bandage
- Contaminated waste
- Sealed bag disposal
- Nitrile gloves
- Barrier protection
- Wash hands
- 20 seconds each client
- First aid kit
- Antiseptic, styptic, gloves
Chemical Safety & SDS
- SDS
- Safety Data Sheet, OSHA
- Ventilation
- Local exhaust at table
- Dust mask
- Filtering acrylic dust
- Flammables
- Cool, away from heat
- Acetone
- Flammable solvent
- Eye splash
- Flush 15 minutes
- Chemical waste
- Hazardous-waste rules
- Hazard Communication
- OSHA standard
Nail Plate Layers
Dorsal over Intermediate over Ventral
Dorsal: topIntermediate: thickestVentral: bottom
Disorder vs Disease
Disorder
- Cosmetic only
- Ridges, hangnails
- Service OK
Disease
- Infection present
- Fungus, paronychia
- Refuse, refer
Cosmetic vs infectious
Nail Unit Parts
- Nail plate
- Keratin, three layers
- Matrix
- Makes new cells
- Lunula
- Visible matrix, half-moon
- Eponychium
- Living cuticle seal
- Hyponychium
- Under free edge
- Nail bed
- Skin beneath plate
- Free edge
- Grows past fingertip
- Nail grooves
- Lateral side tracks
Bacterial vs Fungal
Bacterial
- Pseudomonas green
- Paronychia swelling
- Fast onset
Fungal
- Onychomycosis
- Thick yellow
- Slow spread
Both refuse, refer
Nail Growth & Composition
- Keratin
- Main nail protein
- Growth rate
- About 3 mm monthly
- Full regrow
- Four to six months
- Faster
- Summer, middle finger
- Biotin
- Supports keratin strength
- Matrix damage
- Permanent nail change
- Onychocytes
- New nail cells
- Three layers
- Dorsal, intermediate, ventral
Eponychium vs Hyponychium
Eponychium
- At base
- Living cuticle
- Seals matrix
Hyponychium
- Under free edge
- Seals fingertip
- Blocks debris
Base vs free edge
Disorders vs Diseases
- Onycholysis
- Plate lifts from bed
- Onychomycosis
- Fungal infection, refer
- Paronychia
- Infected nail fold
- Pseudomonas
- Green bacterial stain
- Beau's lines
- Horizontal growth ridges
- Leukonychia
- White spots, benign
- Pterygium
- Skin grows onto plate
- Hangnail
- Service OK, disorder
Manicure Order
Remove File Soak Cuticle Massage Polish
Remove polishFile, shapeSoak warmCuticle careMassageBase, color, top
MMA vs EMA
MMA
- Banned use
- Too hard
- Allergy, damage
EMA
- Industry standard
- Safer monomer
- Flexible bond
Avoid MMA always
Basic Manicure Order
- Remove polish
- Strip old color
- File and shape
- One direction, fine grit
- Soak
- Warm 100-105F water
- Cuticle care
- Push back, do not cut
- Massage
- Hand and arm
- Base coat
- Prevents staining, adheres
- Color
- Two thin coats
- Top coat
- Shine, protects wear
Tip vs Wrap vs Sculptured
Tip / Wrap
- Plastic tip glued
- Fabric overlay
- Reinforce edge
Sculptured
- Built on form
- No tip
- Acrylic or gel
Pre-made vs molded
Implements & Tools
- Metal tools
- Disinfect, reusable
- Files, buffers
- Porous, single-use
- Wooden pusher
- Disposable, one client
- Fine grit
- 240+ for natural
- Coarse grit
- Enhancements only
- E-file
- Light pressure, keep moving
- Pedicure basin
- Clean, disinfect each client
- Whirlpool spa
- Weekly chelating clean
Product Chemistry
- Monomer
- Acrylic liquid, EMA
- Polymer
- Acrylic powder
- Polymerization
- Liquid plus powder hardens
- MMA
- Banned, unsafe monomer
- EMA
- Safe acrylic monomer
- UV/LED gel
- Light cures photoinitiators
- Primer
- Etches for adhesion
- Dehydrator
- Removes oil, moisture
MA License Rules
- 100 hours
- Board-approved school
- Age 17
- Plus 10th grade
- Written only
- Practical ended 2023
- PSI Services
- Computer-based exam
- Score 75
- Minimum to pass
- Two-year cycle
- Renew on birthday
- No CE
- None required now
- Display license
- Visible at station
MA Salon & Sanitation Rules
- Salon license
- Separate establishment permit
- Inspections
- Unannounced, cooperate fully
- Sanitation log
- Document disinfection
- Linens
- Closed hamper, launder
- Scope
- Hands and feet only
- No diagnosis
- Refer to physician
- Intake form
- Allergies, medications, history
- Unlicensed practice
- Fines, criminal charges
Common Traps
Disorder vs disease
Disorder is cosmetic ≠ Disease means refuse
Disinfect vs sterilize
Disinfect kills most ≠ Sterilize kills all
MMA vs EMA
MMA is banned ≠ EMA is standard
Reuse vs discard
Metal disinfected ≠ Files discarded
Written vs practical
Written-only now ≠ Practical ended 2023
Cuticle vs eponychium
Push, do not cut ≠ Cutting risks infection
Last Minute
- 1.Written-only PSI exam, 75% to pass
- 2.100 training hours, Board-approved school
- 3.Age 17 plus 10th grade required
- 4.No practical exam since October 2023
- 5.Refuse service on infection or inflammation
- 6.Clean first, then EPA disinfect tools
- 7.Files and buffers are single-use
- 8.MMA banned; EMA is standard
- 9.Renew every two years; no CE
- 10.Never diagnose; refer to a physician
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