24 Nail & Skin Science Practice Questions & Answers
Every Nail & Skin Science practice question from the Nail Technician Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.
Start practice test →1. The cells that form the natural nail plate are produced in which part of the nail unit?
- A.The nail bed
- B.The hyponychium
- C.The matrix✓ Answer
- D.The lunula
The matrix is the only part of the nail unit where new nail cells are made; those cells keratinize and are pushed forward to form the plate, which is why injury to the matrix can produce a permanent deformity in the nail.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Structure and Growth (nail matrix); NIC Nail Technology Theory CIB, Anatomy & Physiology objective 1Report a problem with this question
2. Where are the nerves and blood vessels of the natural nail located?
- A.In the nail bed✓ Answer
- B.In the nail plate
- C.In the free edge
- D.In the cuticle
The nail bed is living tissue that supplies the plate with nourishment and sensation, so it contains the nerves and blood vessels. The nail plate itself is made of dead keratinized cells and has no nerve or blood supply, which is why filing it is painless.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Structure and Growth (nail bed); NIC published sample item, Anatomy & PhysiologyReport a problem with this question
3. Which structure is living tissue that a nail technician must never cut?
- A.The eponychium✓ Answer
- B.The nail plate
- C.The cuticle
- D.The free edge
The eponychium is the living skin of the proximal nail fold that seals the matrix area against contaminants; cutting it breaks that seal and opens a route for bacterial infection. Only the dead cuticle tissue lying on the plate may be removed.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Structure and Growth (eponychium vs. cuticle); NIC Pre-Service/Anatomy objectivesReport a problem with this question
4. The dead, colorless tissue shed from the underside of the eponychium onto the nail plate is called the:
- A.Cuticle✓ Answer
- B.Hyponychium
- C.Nail bed epithelium
- D.Lunula
By Milady's terminology the cuticle is dead tissue shed from the underside of the eponychium that sticks to the new plate; because it is nonliving, it can safely be softened and gently pushed or removed during a manicure.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Structure and Growth (cuticle)Report a problem with this question
5. Which structure forms the protective seal between the free edge of the nail plate and the skin beneath it?
- A.Eponychium
- B.Hyponychium✓ Answer
- C.Specialized ligament
- D.Nail groove
The hyponychium is the living skin under the free edge; its seal keeps microorganisms from entering under the plate, so aggressive cleaning or digging beneath the free edge can break the seal and invite infection.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Structure and Growth (hyponychium)Report a problem with this question
6. The natural nail plate is composed mainly of which hardened protein?
- A.Melanin
- B.Collagen
- C.Elastin
- D.Keratin✓ Answer
The plate is roughly 100 layers of dead, keratinized cells made of a hard, sulfur-rich keratin; its normal water content keeps it flexible, so a plate that loses moisture becomes brittle and splits.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Structure and Growth (composition of the nail plate)Report a problem with this question
7. About how long does a fingernail plate normally take to grow out and be completely replaced?
- A.4 to 6 months✓ Answer
- B.2 to 3 years
- C.1 to 2 weeks
- D.1 to 2 months
Fingernails grow roughly one-tenth of an inch (about 2.5 mm) per month, so a full plate replaces itself in about 4 to 6 months; toenails grow about half as fast and need roughly 9 to 12 months.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Structure and Growth (nail growth rates)Report a problem with this question
8. In which layer of the epidermis does cell division occur and melanin get produced?
- A.Stratum germinativum (basale)✓ Answer
- B.Stratum lucidum
- C.Stratum granulosum
- D.Stratum corneum
The stratum germinativum is the deepest epidermal layer, where new cells are continually formed and pushed upward and where melanocytes make the melanin that colors and protects the skin from UV.
Source: Milady Standard Foundations / Standard Nail Technology 8e, Skin Structure and Growth (layers of the epidermis)Report a problem with this question
9. Which structures are absent from the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet?
- A.Stratum lucidum
- B.Sebaceous (oil) glands✓ Answer
- C.Nerve endings
- D.Sweat (sudoriferous) glands
Sebaceous glands open into hair follicles, and the palms and soles are hairless, so they have no oil glands; they do have abundant sweat glands, plentiful nerve endings, and the thickest stratum lucidum, which is why these areas dry and crack easily.
Source: Milady Standard Foundations, Skin Structure and Growth (glands of the skin; stratum lucidum)Report a problem with this question
10. Which statement about the epidermis is correct?
- A.It contains the sweat and oil glands and hair follicles
- B.It contains blood vessels but no nerve endings
- C.It contains no blood vessels but does contain nerve endings✓ Answer
- D.It is the deepest of the skin's layers
The epidermis is avascular and is nourished by diffusion from the dermis below; blood and lymph vessels, glands, and follicles sit in the dermis, mainly its reticular layer, while nerve endings do reach into the epidermis.
Source: Milady Standard Foundations, Skin Structure and Growth (epidermis and dermis; papillary and reticular layers)Report a problem with this question
11. Which of the following is classified as a SECONDARY skin lesion?
- A.Fissure✓ Answer
- B.Vesicle
- C.Papule
- D.Macule
Primary lesions such as macules, papules and vesicles are early changes in the skin, while secondary lesions develop later and involve accumulation or loss of tissue; a fissure, like the cracks of severely chapped hands, is a secondary lesion, as are scales, crusts, ulcers and scars.
Source: Milady Standard Foundations, Disorders and Diseases of the Skin (primary vs. secondary lesions)Report a problem with this question
12. A greenish-black discoloration found between the nail plate and the nail bed or under an enhancement is caused by:
- A.A mold
- B.A virus
- C.A bacterium✓ Answer
- D.A mite
The discoloration commonly called a "greenie" is a bacterial infection, usually Pseudomonas aeruginosa, that grows where moisture is trapped; because it is an infection, the tech must not file, scrape or cover it, and the client should be referred to a physician.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Diseases and Disorders (bacterial infection of the nail / Pseudomonas aeruginosa)Report a problem with this question
13. Separation of the nail plate from the nail bed, beginning at the free edge, is known as:
- A.Onychauxis
- B.Onychorrhexis
- C.Onycholysis✓ Answer
- D.Onychomadesis
Onycholysis is lifting of the plate off the bed starting distally, which exposes the bed to moisture and microorganisms; onychomadesis is the different condition in which the plate separates at the matrix and the whole nail is shed.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Diseases and Disorders (onycholysis vs. onychomadesis)Report a problem with this question
14. White spots appearing in the nail plate (leukonychia) are most often caused by:
- A.A fungal infection
- B.A calcium deficiency
- C.Injury to the matrix✓ Answer
- D.A zinc deficiency
Leukonychia results from minor trauma to the matrix that traps air between the layers of newly formed plate; the popular belief that white spots signal a calcium or vitamin deficiency is incorrect, and the spots simply grow out with the nail.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Diseases and Disorders (leukonychia)Report a problem with this question
15. A client arrives with red, swollen, painful skin around one nail, and pus is visible. What should the nail technician do?
- A.Soak the finger in warm soapy water and continue the service
- B.Service the other nails and lightly buff the affected one
- C.Nip away the inflamed tissue and apply antiseptic
- D.Decline the service and refer the client to a physician✓ Answer
Redness, swelling and pus indicate an infection such as paronychia, and a nail technician may never diagnose, prescribe or treat; any sign of infection, inflammation, broken skin or an unidentifiable condition means the service is refused and the client is referred to a physician.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Nail Diseases and Disorders (scope of practice: disorders vs. infections); NIC Pre-Service objective on contraindicationsReport a problem with this question
16. How does a corn (heloma) differ from a callus (tyloma)?
- A.A corn must be cut out by the nail technician
- B.A corn appears only on the palms of the hands
- C.A corn is a cone-shaped thickening with a hard core, while a callus is a diffuse thickening✓ Answer
- D.A corn is a viral infection; a callus is not
Both are hyperkeratosis from friction or pressure, but a corn forms a conical mass with a hard central core over a bony prominence, while a callus is a broad, diffuse thickening; technicians may soften and smooth them but must never cut or excise living tissue.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Pedicuring / Disorders of the Feet (heloma vs. tyloma; hyperkeratosis)Report a problem with this question
17. Nail polish "drying" on the nail plate is best described as:
- A.Oxidation of the resin
- B.A physical change caused by evaporation of solvents✓ Answer
- C.An exothermic chemical reaction
- D.A chemical change called polymerization
Polish hardens only because its solvents evaporate and leave the film behind; no new substance is created, so it is a physical change. Curing of acrylics and gels is different: monomers chemically link into polymers, forming a new substance, which is a chemical change.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Basics of Chemistry (physical vs. chemical change; polymerization)Report a problem with this question
18. Why must hard (builder) gel be filed off, while soak-off gel can be dissolved in acetone?
- A.Hard gel is cured by heat rather than by light
- B.Hard gel is heavily cross-linked, forming a dense network that solvent cannot penetrate✓ Answer
- C.Hard gel contains no photoinitiator, so it never fully cures
- D.Soak-off gel is never actually polymerized
Cross-linkers tie polymer chains together in three dimensions, so a heavily cross-linked product is stronger and solvent-resistant and must be reduced mechanically. Soak-off gels use little or no cross-linking, so acetone can penetrate and break the product down.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Chemistry of Nail Enhancement Products (cross-linkers; removal methods)Report a problem with this question
19. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer is considered unsafe for nail enhancements mainly because:
- A.It has no odor, so overexposure cannot be detected
- B.Its small molecules can penetrate skin and it forms an excessively hard product that will not dissolve in acetone✓ Answer
- C.It evaporates before it can cure
- D.It can only be cured under an LED lamp
MMA's small molecule can pass through skin and sensitize, and the enhancement it makes is so hard and solvent-resistant that removal requires heavy filing and the nail can tear away from the bed on impact; ethyl methacrylate (EMA) is the accepted professional monomer, and the FDA discourages MMA in nail products.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Chemistry of Nail Enhancement Products (MMA vs. EMA); FDA guidance on methyl methacrylate in nail productsReport a problem with this question
20. Applying a nail dehydrator before product application improves adhesion because it:
- A.Chemically etches holes into the nail plate
- B.Raises the pH of the nail plate
- C.Temporarily removes surface moisture and natural oil from the plate✓ Answer
- D.Deposits a layer of resin that the product bonds to
Adhesion is the attraction between two unlike surfaces, and moisture or oil on the plate blocks that contact; a dehydrator only dries the surface. It is not a primer — a primer acts as the bonding bridge, and acid-based primers contain corrosive methacrylic acid requiring gloves and eye protection.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Chemistry of Nail Enhancement Products (adhesion vs. cohesion; dehydrators and primers)Report a problem with this question
21. Which bone of the forearm is located on the same side as the little finger?
- A.Carpus
- B.Ulna✓ Answer
- C.Humerus
- D.Radius
The forearm has two bones: the ulna, the larger one on the little-finger side, and the radius, the smaller one on the thumb side; the humerus is the single bone of the upper arm and the carpus is the group of eight wrist bones.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e / Standard Foundations, Anatomy and Physiology (bones of the arm and hand)Report a problem with this question
22. Which bone is the heel bone and the largest of the tarsal bones?
- A.Cuboid
- B.Talus
- C.Navicular
- D.Calcaneus✓ Answer
The calcaneus is the heel bone and the largest of the seven tarsals; because it bears body weight, the skin over it thickens into calluses, which is why it receives attention during a pedicure.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e / Standard Foundations, Anatomy and Physiology (bones of the leg and foot)Report a problem with this question
23. Pus-forming bacteria that grow in grape-like clusters are called:
- A.Staphylococci✓ Answer
- B.Bacilli
- C.Streptococci
- D.Spirilla
Cocci are round bacteria grouped by arrangement: staphylococci form clusters and cause pus-filled infections such as abscesses and boils, streptococci form chains, and diplococci form pairs; bacilli are rod-shaped and spirilla are spiral.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Infection Control (classification of bacteria)Report a problem with this question
24. Which statement correctly distinguishes an antiseptic from a disinfectant?
- A.Antiseptics are used on skin; disinfectants are used on nonporous, nonliving surfaces✓ Answer
- B.Antiseptics are used on nonliving surfaces; disinfectants are used on skin
- C.They are interchangeable as long as the contact time is met
- D.Both reliably destroy bacterial spores
Antiseptics are formulated to be safe on living skin, while disinfectants are far stronger, EPA-registered chemicals meant for nonporous implements and surfaces and can burn skin, so the two are never interchanged; neither reliably kills spores, which requires sterilization.
Source: Milady Standard Nail Technology 8e, Infection Control (levels of decontamination: cleaning, disinfection, sterilization; antiseptics vs. disinfectants)Report a problem with this question
Practice questions based on the NIC national nail technology content outline. Not affiliated with NIC, PSI, or any state board. Your state may add state-law content — check your board's requirements. About NIC exams →