Manicures, Pedicures, and Nail Disorders on the Cosmetology Exam

What the NIC theory outline asks about nails

NIC's current bulletin (effective July 1, 2022, revised January 1, 2026) puts nail anatomy in Scientific Concepts: identify the structure and function of the nails, and recognize signs and symptoms of nail conditions, disorders, and diseases. Nail Care and Services, 10% of the exam, then asks you to evaluate the client's nails, recognize contraindications, recommend services, keep client records, and use tools safely. The tools it names are the workstation and the pedicure basin (equipment), nippers and files (implements), and towels, creams, and polish (supplies). It ends with the basic manicure and pedicure and with nail enhancements, which have their own nail enhancements guide.

NIC still posts this bulletin as of October 28, 2026 and has announced no replacement, so the same lines apply to a 2027 candidate in an NIC state. Nail care is a small domain, and it gets a matching share in the 85 Nail Care and Services questions planned for launch.

Nail structure and what each part does

The parts below are the ones exam questions name most. A 2013 anatomy study of the human nail unit, in The Anatomical Record, describes most of them. Learn each by its job, because questions often describe the job and ask for the part.

Nail findings: service, adjust, or decline and refer

You recognize, then decide. You never name a disease to the client. The MedlinePlus descriptions below help you recognize what you are looking at.

EPA's nail salon guide, last revised in 2007, states the general rule plainly: perform services only on healthy nails and intact skin, and refuse service when a client shows any sign of infection or broken or irritated skin. MedlinePlus adds two notes that explain many exam answers. Paronychia often follows injury to the skin around the nail, including from trimming or pushing back the cuticle. And its prevention advice for fungal nail infection includes not sharing manicure and pedicure tools. Gentle cuticle work and properly disinfected implements are infection control, not just good technique.

Here is the decision in one fictional case. Lourdes books a pedicure. Her right big toenail is thick, with a yellow streak along one side and debris under the free edge. You do not tell her what it is. You tell her the nail should be looked at by a physician before a pedicure, decline the service, clean and disinfect anything that touched the foot, and note the finding on her card. After you can explain each part of that decision, try the thickened-toenail pedicure question in the free cosmetology practice set.

Clients with diabetes or numb feet. MedlinePlus explains that diabetes can damage the nerves and blood vessels in the feet, so injuries may go unnoticed and heal poorly. It tells people with diabetes to check water temperature with a hand or elbow, to have corns and calluses treated by a foot doctor, and to have thick or discolored toenails trimmed by a podiatrist. In a pedicure, that means checking the water yourself, skipping callus cutting, and suggesting the client ask a physician or podiatrist about foot care.

Pedicure basins: why they get their own infection-control step

NIC names the pedicure basin as equipment with its own infection-control procedure, and EPA's 2007 guide explains why: bacteria, fungi, and viruses can pass between customers through dirty implements, towels, and pedicure tubs. The logic of a basin procedure is the same everywhere, even though your state sets the exact steps, frequency, and any record-keeping log.

1. Clean first. EPA's guide says to clean residue from implements after each use and before disinfection, and the same order applies to the basin.
2. Disinfect by the label. Use an EPA-registered disinfectant and follow its Directions for Use. EPA says the surface must stay visibly wet for the entire contact time listed on the label.
3. Keep clients out of disinfectant. EPA's guide says not to put clients' feet in water that contains an EPA-registered disinfectant, and to avoid skin contact with it.
4. Finish as your state requires. Rinse, dry, and log the cleaning if your state's rules call for it.

The cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization guide covers contact time and label reading in more detail, and explanations that tie infection-control calls to EPA guidance in planned full prep apply the same contact-time rule to new scenarios.

The order of a basic manicure and pedicure, and the reason behind each step

Reference textbooks differ slightly in order and terms, so check yours. The reasons stay the same.

1. Consult and analyze. Check the nails and skin against the findings table and read the client card.
2. Wash hands. EPA's guide says to wash your hands and the client's hands or feet before each service.
3. Remove old polish. You cannot judge the plate through color.
4. Shape the nails. Use a clean, disinfected or new file. EPA's guide says disposable implements are for one customer only.
5. Care for the cuticle gently. Dermatology sources warn that cutting or pushing back cuticles can lead to infection, so follow your reference text and state rules, keep any cuticle work light, and never cut living skin.
6. Massage, if offered. Skip it over broken or irritated skin.
7. Prepare the plate and polish. Clean residue from the plate, then apply base coat, color, and top coat.
8. Clean up and record. Discard single-use items, clean and disinfect implements, and note anything unusual on the card.

For a pedicure, add the foot bath and callus care. EPA's 2007 guide warns against razor-type callus shavers because they can cause injuries that need medical attention, and it says licensing laws do not allow cutting tools to remove living or callused skin. Your state's rules decide which callus tools are allowed.

Reviewing nail decisions for the NIC theory exam

Cover the findings table and say, for each row, whether you would service, adjust, or decline, and why. Then cover the basin steps and rebuild them from the reasons. If a step feels arbitrary, it usually protects the next client. When those answers come easily, a timed 110-question mock exam that mixes all four domains, planned for launch, checks whether the nail calls still hold up among hair and skin items.