Free OR Nail Technician Exam Flashcards

The Oregon Health Licensing Office (HLO), part of the Oregon Health Authority, administers nail technologist certification under the Board of Cosmetology's rules. HLO gives the written exams on a walk-in basis in Salem — not PSI or a national NIC computer exam.

241 nail technology curriculum hours plus 70 practical operations at a Board-approved school (OAR chapter 817), along with required Oregon Laws and Rules and career-development instruction. Training must be completed before testing.

Three: a Board-approved practical exam given at the school, a written Nail Technology exam at HLO, and a written Oregon Laws and Rules exam at HLO. All three must be passed to be certified.

The Nail Technology exam has 100 multiple-choice questions; the Oregon Laws and Rules exam has 90 multiple-choice questions. Each is a separate, timed, in-person walk-in exam.

A minimum of 75% on each written examination — the Nail Technology exam and the Oregon Laws and Rules exam are scored separately, so 75% must be reached on both.

90 minutes per exam — 90 minutes for the Nail Technology exam and 90 minutes for the Oregon Laws and Rules exam. Both must be passed within two years of the application date.

Every two years. The certificate becomes inactive on the last day of the month two years from issuance, so renew in advance to avoid practicing on a lapsed certificate.

No. Oregon does not mandate continuing education hours for nail technology renewal, though ongoing education is encouraged for skills and safety. Renewal is a two-year cycle with a renewal fee.

No. Oregon issues separate practitioner certificates for Nail Technology, Hair Design, Barbering, and Esthetics — there is no single umbrella cosmetology license. Nail services legally require the Nail Technology certificate.

Manicures, pedicures, and nail enhancements (tips, acrylics, gels, wraps) plus related hand and foot care. Skin, hair, and any medical or podiatric treatment are outside the scope and require different credentials.

Each practicing technician's current, valid license must be prominently displayed so clients and HLO inspectors can verify licensure. Permitting unlicensed practice exposes both the worker and the salon owner to penalties.

No. Out-of-state licensees must apply to HLO through reciprocity/endorsement, meet Oregon's requirements, and pass any Oregon exams not waived. A license from another state is not automatically valid in Oregon.

Clean, then disinfect, then store. Wash off all debris with soap and water first, immerse in disinfectant for the labeled contact time, then keep in a clean, covered container. Disinfecting a dirty tool does not work.

An EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant that is proven bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal. Always verify the EPA registration number on the label; a product without one must not be used.

They are single-use. Porous items absorb debris and microorganisms and cannot be reliably disinfected, so they must be discarded or given to the client after one use — never reused on another client.

Daily, or immediately whenever it becomes visibly contaminated or cloudy. Used solution loses potency over time, so fresh disinfectant is required for adequate contact-time disinfection.

Treat every client's blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, regardless of known health status. This drives glove use during exposure risk, hand hygiene, and safe disposal of contaminated materials for all clients.

Stop the service, put on disposable gloves, control the bleeding with clean gauze, apply antiseptic, and bandage. Place all blood-contaminated materials in a sealed biohazard container per OSHA bloodborne pathogen rules — Hepatitis B can survive on surfaces about 7 days.

Drain the basin, remove debris from the screen and jets, clean with soap and water, then circulate an EPA-registered disinfectant for the label's full contact time (often about 10 minutes). A longer/overnight disinfection is done at day's end.

At least 20 seconds with soap and water (CDC standard), covering all surfaces including between fingers and under the nails. Hand hygiene between every client is a core defense against cross-contamination.

Cleaning removes visible debris; disinfecting kills most pathogens on a surface; sterilizing destroys all microbial life including spores. Nail salons are required to clean and disinfect — sterilization is a medical-setting standard.

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) accessible for every chemical product, hazard-communication training for employees, and proper labeling of all containers. It is the worker 'Right to Know' rule for salon chemicals.

It captures chemical vapors, fumes, and dust at the source before they reach the technician's and client's breathing zone. It is especially important when working with acrylic monomer, gels, and acetone.

Formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) — chemicals linked to health effects with prolonged exposure. Many modern polishes are labeled '3-free' (or higher) to signal these are omitted.

Keratin — a tough, fibrous protein (the same one in hair and the outer skin) that gives the nail plate its hardness and protective strength.

It sits under the proximal nail fold at the base of the nail. Its cells divide and keratinize to produce the nail plate, so damage to the matrix can permanently alter nail growth and shape.

The whitish half-moon at the base of the nail — the visible part of the matrix showing through the plate. Its lighter color comes from the thicker layer of matrix cells beneath it.

It lies beneath the nail plate and supplies blood and nourishment through its vessels. The pink color seen through the plate comes from this blood supply.

The cuticle is non-living tissue that adheres to the nail plate surface and can be gently removed. The eponychium is the living skin at the base of the nail that seals and protects the matrix — it must never be cut.

The skin directly under the free edge of the nail. It forms a waterproof seal between the nail plate and fingertip that blocks bacteria and debris, so aggressive cleaning under the free edge can damage it.

About 1/8 inch (roughly 3.5 mm) per month on average, faster in warm months and with good health/nutrition. Toenails grow roughly half as fast.

A fungal infection of the nail that causes thickening, yellow-brown discoloration, and brittleness (common in toenails). It is a disease — the technician must not service the nail and should refer the client to a physician.

Inflammation or infection of the skin (nail folds) around the nail, often bacterial or fungal and linked to aggressive cuticle work or trauma. It is an infection — decline service on the area and refer to a physician.

Separation of the nail plate from the nail bed, usually starting at the free edge. Causes include trauma, fungal infection, allergy, psoriasis, or thyroid conditions. Do not service affected nails — refer the client.

Abnormal forward growth of living skin (eponychium or hyponychium) that adheres over the nail, usually after injury or disease. Never forcibly push back or cut it — doing so worsens damage; refer the client to a physician.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria growing in warm, moist conditions when moisture is trapped between the natural nail and an enhancement. Remove the enhancement, keep the area dry and clean, and refer if it does not resolve.

A harmless disorder (for example, leukonychia — white spots from minor matrix trauma) can usually be worked over. Any sign of infection or disease (fungus, swelling, pus, active inflammation) means decline the service and refer to a physician.

Sanitize the hands and remove any old polish. Shaping, soaking, cuticle care, and finishing steps follow in sequence — sanitation and polish removal come first.

To gently loosen and push back the non-living cuticle from the nail plate. The living eponychium must not be cut, because it protects the matrix.

From each corner toward the center, in one direction per stroke. Sawing back and forth splits the layers of the natural nail plate and weakens it.

240 grit or finer. Coarse grits (roughly 80-180) thin and damage natural nails and are reserved for shaping artificial enhancement product, not the natural plate.

Effleurage = light gliding strokes (begins/ends a massage); petrissage = kneading and lifting of tissue; friction = deep circular pressure; tapotement = rhythmic tapping.

Polymerization: the liquid monomer joins with the powder polymer to form long polymer chains that harden. The reaction is exothermic, so it releases heat as it sets.

A correct ratio makes a workable, moldable bead that sets properly. Too wet (too much monomer) causes excess heat, service breakdown, and lifting; too dry causes weak adhesion and brittle product.

The lamp's light activates photoinitiators in the gel, triggering polymerization (hardening). LED lamps generally cure faster because they emit a narrower, more targeted wavelength.

Base coat, then color coat, then top coat, curing each layer per the manufacturer. After the final cure, wipe the sticky inhibition layer (uncured surface gel from oxygen contact) with gel cleanser or alcohol.

Uncured acrylates can penetrate skin and trigger allergic contact dermatitis and lasting sensitization. Cap the free edge, avoid skin contact, cure fully, and wear nitrile gloves to reduce exposure.

To review health history, medications, allergies, and prior reactions and to spot contraindications before starting. It lets the technician plan safe, suitable service and document what was discussed.

A small amount of product is applied to a small skin area and observed for 24-48 hours for an allergic reaction. It screens sensitive clients before full application to prevent a more serious reaction.

Use gentle technique, do not cut cuticles, avoid aggressive callus work, inspect the feet for wounds, and check water temperature carefully (reduced sensation and circulation). Any open wound or infection is a contraindication — refer to a physician.