Nail disorders & diseases

Why is it important to understand nail disorders and diseases?

• You must be able to recognize conditions to be able to diagnose and provide in-salon treatment.

• You must be able to identify conditions and prescribe at-home treatments.

• You must be able to identify conditions and determine if they can be treated in the salon.

• You must be able to recognize conditions so you do not work on any nails with diseases or disorders.

Jessica notices that a few toes on her client's feet seem to have a fungal infection. Jessica suggests that the client start a regimen of regular foot soaks as well as using tea tree oil, and that if she does this, she doesn't need to see a podiatrist. Jessica's manager overhears this conversation and is unhappy with Jessica's response. Why?

• Clients only want their nails taken care of; they do not want medical advice.

• Clients can become embarrassed by discussing a fungal infection.

• Nail technicians do not get paid to be doctors and should not offer free medical advice.

• Cosmetologists should not provide any medical advice.

_ is also known as athlete's foot.

• Herpes simplex

• Verruca

• Tinea manus

• Tinea pedis

Which of the following is a nail disease that requires the attention of a physician?

• hangnails

• a bruise on the nail bed

• paronychia

• plicatured nails

All of the following are considered reasons that cosmetologists must differentiate between healthy and unhealthy nails EXCEPT:

• You must be able to identify conditions that are affected by weather conditions and humidity.

• You must be able to identify conditions that should not be treated in the salon.

• You need to take appropriate steps to protect yourself and your clients from the spread of disease.

• You could be in a position to see conditions that may signal mild to serious health problems that require the attention of a doctor.

Which of the following nail disorders show signs of depressions running across the width of the nail plate due to a slowing production of matrix cells, which causes the nail plate to grow thinner and is usually the result of serious illness or injury?

• bruised nail bed

• Beau's lines

• eggshell nail

• discolored nail

Which of the following nail disorders shows as a noticeably thin, white nail plate that is more flexible than normal and is usually caused by diet, heredity, internal disease, medication, or overfiling with an abrasive?

• pincer nail

• Beau's lines

• eggshell nail

• nail psoriasis

Which of the following nail disorders displays as dark purplish spots usually due to a small injury to the nail bed?

• bruised nail bed

• ridged nail

• onychophagy

• splinter hemorrhage

Which of the following nail disorders shows symptoms of the nail turning a variety of colors, which may indicate surface staining, a systemic disorder, or poor blood circulation?

• leukonychia

• onychorrhexis

• melanonychia

• discolored nail

Which of the following nail diseases is associated with rapidly growing and contagious bacteria that can cause an infection, and in early stages is seen as a yellow-green spot?

• onycholysis

• paronychia

• tinea pedis

• pseudomonas aeruginosa