California Manicurist (Nail Technician)

A sales rep visits your salon with four products for soaking metal implements. Which one meets California requirements?

1. AQuaternary ammonium wipes sold for cleaning countertops
2. BA scented household spray that advertises it cuts grease and grime
3. CA hospital-grade disinfectant registered with the EPA and labeled bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidalCorrect
4. DA jar of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol

Why: California requires an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant whose label carries bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal claims. Household cleaners only clean and make no kill claim against pathogens. Alcohol and countertop quat wipes are not accepted substitutes for a hospital-grade implement disinfectant.U.S. EPA registration of disinfectants (FIFRA)

During a manicure the client asks you to cut all of her cuticle away because she likes how clean it looks. What should you do?

1. AExplain that you may only remove loose dead tissue from the nail plate and may not cut living skinCorrect
2. BCut only the skin along the sidewalls and leave the base of the nail alone
3. CCut it carefully with sharp disinfected nippers, since the client asked for it
4. DSoak the finger longer first, because soaking makes trimming the living skin safe

Why: In California a manicurist may not cut living tissue, so the eponychium and the sidewalls stay intact no matter what the client requests. Only the thin, dead, colorless tissue clinging to the nail plate may be softened with cuticle remover, gently pushed back and removed. Cutting living skin opens a doorway for bacteria and can cause paronychia, and soaking does not make it legal or safe.California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Health and Safety Regulations (CCR Title 16)