60 questions · 60 min · 75% to pass
Question 1
What condition causes thick, yellow-brown, crumbly nails?
Answer: Onychomycosis (fungal nail infection)
Question 2
Why does a healthy nail plate look pink?
Answer: Blood vessels in the nail bed show through
Question 3
Why is the nail matrix considered the most critical structure of the nail unit?
Answer: The nail matrix is the growth origin of the nail plate, located beneath the proximal nail fold; any trauma or damage to the matrix can cause permanent nail deformity or growth cessation.
Question 4
A client's nail fold is red, swollen, and painful, with visible pus near the cuticle area. Which condition does this describe, and can a nail technician service this client?
Answer: These signs describe paronychia, a bacterial infection of the skin surrounding the nail; the technician must refuse service entirely and refer the client to a physician for antibiotic treatment.
Question 5
What is onycholysis?
Answer: Nail plate separating from the nail bed
Question 6
During a pedicure, you notice a dark brown longitudinal streak running the full length of a client's nail plate. What should you do?
Answer: A dark brown or black longitudinal streak called melanonychia may indicate subungual melanoma; the technician must stop the service and immediately refer the client to a physician for evaluation.
Question 7
Where are the lateral nail folds located, and what is their role in protecting the nail unit?
Answer: The lateral nail folds, also called nail walls, are the skin folds running along both sides of the nail plate that protect the edges of the nail plate from trauma and bacterial entry.
Question 8
What is pterygium of the nail, and why should a nail technician avoid aggressively cutting or manipulating it?
Answer: Pterygium is the abnormal forward growth of the living eponychium skin onto the nail plate; cutting it aggressively risks cutting living tissue, causing pain, bleeding, and possible infection.
Question 9
What is the function of the hyponychium, and why must a nail technician be careful not to disrupt it?
Answer: The hyponychium is the skin under the free edge of the nail plate that forms a waterproof seal, preventing bacteria and debris from entering beneath the nail bed and causing infection.
Question 10
What is tinea unguium?
Answer: Ringworm fungal infection of the nail