Manicure: the full procedure

Sanitize the hands, remove old polish, shape the nails, soak, perform gentle cuticle care by pushing (not cutting), massage, and apply polish.

• Applies to: Nail technician.
• Frequency: Every manicure service.
• Scope: Covers the standard manicure process. Cuticles are pushed and conditioned, not cut into living tissue, and any infection or abnormality is referred to a physician per the consultation SOP.

What you need

• Antibacterial soap / sanitizer
• Cotton & remover
• Nail file
• Cuticle pusher & remover
• Cuticle oil & hand lotion

The procedure, step by step

1. Sanitize hands — Have the client wash with antibacterial soap and sanitize your own hands before and after the service to prevent the spread of disease.
2. Remove polish — Wipe off existing polish from base to free edge with remover-soaked cotton until the nail plate is clean.
3. Shape & file — File each nail to the agreed shape and length, filing in one direction toward the center to avoid splitting.
4. Soak — Soak the fingers in warm, soapy water to soften the skin and cuticles, then dry thoroughly.
5. Cuticle care — Apply cuticle remover and gently push back the cuticle with the pusher flat to the plate using light circular motions — push, never cut into living skin.
6. Clean & buff — Clean under the free edge, remove debris, and lightly buff or smooth the surface as needed.
7. Massage — Apply lotion and massage the hands and lower forearm to condition the skin and relax the client.
8. Polish — Remove oils from the plate, then apply base coat, color, and top coat (or move to enhancements/finish per the chosen service).

Quality check before you finish

• Hands sanitized before and after service.
• Nails filed evenly to agreed shape and length.
• Cuticles pushed back, not cut into living tissue.
• No nicks, bleeding, or torn skin.
• Free edge and under-nail clean.
• Lotion fully massaged in, no greasy residue before polish.
• Polish even, fully covering, no flooding of sidewalls.

This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Nail Salon business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.

Sources

• Milady — Standard Nail Technology (Manicuring) (milady.com)
• Arkansas State Board of Cosmetology — Manicure CIB (arkansas.gov)