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Nail Health and Safety
Please take a minute to
visit BeautyTech.Info; it is a very important web site. It is designed
for you, the nail client, regardless of what Nail Tech you use.
You will benefit from the knowledge and resources available at BeautyTech.Info.
File Sanitization
We at the Hairport want you to rest assured that if a nail problem
arises here, it will not be ignored; it will be treated and you
will be informed! However, every precaution is taken to avoid any
problems. You have your own personal file which is stored in a container
with your name on it and sanitized in between uses. Also, all sanitizable
implements are sanitized between each person and all non-sanitizable
implements are discarded. You can see your file and implements being
sanitized in the purple liquid in a jar right on Holly's desk!
Nail Anatomy
The fingernail is an important structure made of keratin that has
2 purposes. The fingernail acts as a protective plate and enhances
sensation of the fingertip. The protection function of the fingernail
is commonly known, but the sensation function is equally important.
The fingertip has many nerve endings in it allowing us to receive
volumes of information about objects we touch. The nail acts as
a counterforce to the fingertip providing even more sensory input
when an object is touched.
Nail Growth
Nails grow all the time, but their rate of growth slows down with
age and poor circulation. Fingernails grow faster than toenails
at a rate of 3mm per month. It takes 6 months for a nail to grow
from the root to the free edge. Toenails grow about 1 mm per month
and take 12-18 months to be completely replaced.
Nail Structure
The structure we know of as the nail is divided into six specific
parts - the root, nail bed, nail plate, eponychium (cuticle), perionychium,
and hyponychium. Each of these structures has a specific function,
and if disrupted can result in an abnormal appearing fingernail.
Nail Root
The root of the fingernail is also known as the germinal matrix.
This portion of the nail is actually beneath the skin behind the
fingernail and extends several millimeters into the finger. The
fingernail root produces most of the volume of the nail and the
nail bed. This portion of the nail does not have any melanocytes,
or melanin producing cells. The edge of the germinal matrix is seen
as a white, crescent shaped structure called the lunula.
Nail Bed
The nail bed is part of the nail matrix called the sterile
matrix. It extends from the edge of the germinal matrix, or lunula,
to the hyponychium. The nail bed contains the blood vessels, nerves,
and melanocytes, or melanin-producing cells. As the nail is produced
by the root, it streams down along the nail bed, which adds material
to the undersurface of the nail making it thicker. It is important
for normal nail growth that the nail bed be smooth. If it is not,
the nail may split or develop grooves that can be cosmetically unappealing.
Nail Plate
The nail plate is the actual fingernail, made of translucent
keratin. The pink appearance of the nail comes from the blood vessels
underneath the nail. The underneath surface of the nail plate has
grooves along the length of the nail that help anchor it to the
nail bed.
Cuticle
The cuticle of the fingernail is also called the eponychium.
The cuticle is situated between the skin of the finger and the nail
plate fusing these structures together and providing a waterproof
barrier.
Perionychium
The perioncyhium is the skin that overlies the nail
plate on its sides. It is also known as the paronychial edge. The
perionychium is the site of hangnails, ingrown nails, and an infection
of the skin called paronychia.
Hyponychium
The hyponychium is the area between the nail plate
and the fingertip. It is the junction between the free edge of the
nail and the skin of the fingertip, also providing a waterproof
barrier.
Green Nails
Have you ever seen those GREEN nails? Most people have either seen
them or at least heard about someone getting a fungus from a nail
salon. Those green nails are actually the result of a Pseudomonas
Bacterial Infection. Understand that even though this type of infection
can be difficult to get rid of, if it were an infection inside your
body like a urinary tract infection, it is fairly simple to alleviate
on the nail plate. All your nail tech has to do is remove the enhancement,
dehydrate the nail plate, and reapply the product. If the nail is
soft and has darkened to a deep green to black color, more damage
control may be needed. The client should be referred to a physician
if the color reaches into the cuticle area. No artificial enhancements
should be reapplied if this situation occurs until the doctor says
it is okay.
There is no way to be certain how an infection started in the first
place, but one possible factor is improper sanitation practices
in the salon--like using dirty files and implements that have not
been sanitized in a solution like Barbicide. The most common cause
of this type of infection is the client's everyday activities, e.g.,
bathing, washing dishes, washing their hands, working in their gardens,
or anything that involves a moist environment when the product on
the nail has lifted. Water gets trapped between the natural nail
and the enhancement, then becomes stagnant, and the bacteria in
the water begin to grow and turn green.
Licensing
Make sure the Nail Technician performing services on you is properly
licensed. State law requires that the license be displayed in plain
sight in the salon. You can find a current Nail License for Holly
Schippers on the wall behind the reception desk. She has also gone
a step further and achieved a Creative Nail Design Masters License,
which you can view right above the nail table.
Nail Anatomy obtained at About.com
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