AL Cosmetology cheat sheet

Cleaning removes visible dirt with soap and water; disinfection destroys most pathogens on nonporous items; sterilization destroys all microbial life including spores.

Use an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant labeled bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal, and immerse implements for the full label contact time (commonly 10 minutes).

Porous items such as nail files, buffers, wooden sticks, cotton, and spatulas cannot be reliably disinfected and must be discarded after a single use.

If a client bleeds: stop the service, glove up, cleanse with soap and water, apply antiseptic, cover with a bandage, and discard all contaminated single-use items.

Never double-dip: remove product with a clean spatula and never return used product to the container.

Electrical safety: use GFCI-protected outlets near water, keep cords dry and untangled, and disconnect tools by the plug rather than by pulling the cord.

Chemical safety: keep products labeled and away from heat, read the safety data sheet, and never mix products such as bleach and ammonia.

Wash hands with soap and warm running water for at least 20 seconds before and after each client and after removing gloves.

Hair shaft layers outside to inside: cuticle (protective scales), cortex (about 90 percent of the weight, holds melanin and side bonds), medulla (innermost, sometimes absent).

Side bonds: hydrogen bonds break with water and heat, salt bonds break with pH change, and disulfide bonds are strong and broken only by chemical texture services.

The trifacial (trigeminal), fifth cranial nerve, is the chief sensory nerve of the face; the facial, seventh cranial nerve, is the chief motor nerve.

Cranium bones include the frontal, two parietal, two temporal, and occipital; the skull is supported by the cervical vertebrae.

pH scale runs 0 to 14; 7 is neutral, hair is about pH 4.5 to 5.5, skin about 5.5, and alkaline solutions swell and soften the cuticle.

Conductors carry current (metal, water) and insulators resist it (rubber, glass, plastic); alternating current changes direction while direct current flows one way.

Galvanic current is a constant direct current used in facial treatments: anaphoresis (negative pole) softens tissue and cataphoresis (positive pole) tightens it.

Mixtures: a solution is evenly blended, a suspension has particles that settle, and an emulsion holds oil and water together with an emulsifier; surfactants lower surface tension.

Oxidation adds oxygen or removes hydrogen (developers, neutralizers); reduction adds hydrogen and breaks disulfide bonds (perms and relaxers).

Hair analysis covers texture (fine to coarse), density (thin to thick), porosity (ability to absorb), elasticity (stretch and return), and scalp condition.

Porosity check: hair that floats a long time is low porosity; hair that sinks quickly is high porosity and takes color and chemicals unevenly.

Elasticity check: a wet strand should stretch about 50 percent and return; if it snaps, hair is fragile and chemical services should be postponed.

Shampoo selection follows scalp and hair condition: clarifying for buildup, moisturizing or acid-balanced for dry or damaged hair, medicated only as directed.

Warm water opens the cuticle during shampooing; cooler water in the final rinse helps close the cuticle and add shine.

Scalp massage manipulations include effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, and friction; they increase circulation but are contraindicated on abraded, inflamed, or infected scalp.

Contagious scalp conditions such as tinea capitis (ringworm), pediculosis (lice), and scabies require referral to a physician and refusal of service.

Conditioners are grouped as moisturizing (humectants), protein (repair), and scalp treatments; rinse thoroughly and use light product near the scalp on fine hair.

Elevation controls structure: 0 degrees gives a one-length blunt cut, 45 degrees a graduated shape, 90 degrees uniform layers, and 180 degrees long layers.

A stationary guide stays fixed and sets the length for every other section; a traveling guide moves with each section and is used for layered cuts.

Cross-check by parting the hair opposite to the original sectioning to confirm evenness, balance, and blending.

Clipper guard numbers: #1 equals 1/8 inch, #2 equals 1/4 inch, #3 equals 3/8 inch, #4 equals 1/2 inch, and #8 equals 1 inch.

Texturizing methods include point cutting, notching, slicing, slithering, channel cutting, and carving; all reduce bulk without changing the perimeter line.

Blow-dry with airflow directed from scalp to ends along the shaft to smooth the cuticle, keeping the dryer moving to avoid burning the scalp.

Thermal irons and pressing combs must be matched to hair texture and condition; test the tool temperature on a paper or tissue before applying it to hair.

Wet hair is elastic and stretches; cut with controlled tension, and avoid cutting wet curly hair too short because it shrinks as it dries.

Perm chemistry: an alkaline reducing agent (ammonium thioglycolate, pH about 9.0 to 9.5) breaks disulfide bonds; the neutralizer (hydrogen peroxide or sodium bromate) re-forms them in the new shape.

Rod size controls curl: larger rods make larger, looser curls, smaller rods make tighter curls; wrapping tension and processing time also change the result.

A test curl shows when the strand has formed the desired S-shape; rinse thoroughly, apply neutralizer, and wait the label time before removing rods.

Avoid shampooing or vigorously scrubbing the scalp for 48 hours after a perm, because strong shampooing can relax the new curl.

Hydroxide (lye) relaxers have a pH of 12 to 14 and straighten by breaking disulfide bonds; they require thorough neutralizing after processing.

Virgin relaxer application follows the manufacturer's order (often midshaft and ends first, scalp area last), and retouches are applied only to new growth to prevent overlapping.

Relaxer contraindications include scalp abrasions, sores, recent chemical burns, and hair already broken from prior services; a strand test predicts how the hair will respond.

Neutralizing shampoo returns hair to an acid pH of about 4.5 to 5.5, removes processing residue, and stops further straightening.

Levels run from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde); level describes lightness or darkness, while tone describes warmth or coolness, and the two are chosen separately.

Hydrogen peroxide volumes: 10 volume (3 percent) lifts about 1 level, 20 volume (6 percent) 2 levels, 30 volume (9 percent) 3 levels, and 40 volume (12 percent) up to 4 levels at a 1:1 ratio.

Lightening requires an alkaline product (ammonia or a substitute) to swell the cuticle so peroxide can enter and oxidize melanin.

Patch test aniline-derivative tints 24 to 48 hours before a first-time application and record the result in the client's record.

Law of color: red, yellow, and blue are primaries; orange, green, and violet are secondaries; opposite colors on the color wheel neutralize unwanted tones.

Fillers add warm (red and yellow) pigment before tinting back darker or after lightening; without filler the result can appear green or muddy.

Semipermanent color deposits only, demipermanent uses low-volume developer with no lift, and permanent color both lifts and deposits.

Metallic salts and compound henna react unpredictably with lighteners; strand test and refer when the client's color history is unknown.

Skin types are normal, dry, oily, and combination; the Fitzpatrick I to VI scale rates sun sensitivity and guides treatment choices.

Facial sequence: consultation and skin analysis, cleansing, exfoliation, massage, extractions when appropriate, mask, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen.

Facial massage manipulations are effleurage (light gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion), vibration, and friction, each with a specific pressure and direction.

Contraindications include open lesions, sunburn, recent facial surgery or waxing, and use of isotretinoin or retinoids, which thin the skin and can cause waxing injuries.

Waxing: test the temperature on the inner wrist, apply the wax in the direction of hair growth, and remove it against growth while holding the skin taut.

The acid mantle sits at about pH 5.5 and protects skin; alkaline cleansers disrupt it, and toners help restore the pH balance.

Extractions are limited to visible comedones using proper technique; pustules, cysts, and inflamed lesions are referred to a physician.

Client protection includes clean towels and gowns per client, sanitary product handling, and shielding of the client's eyes and clothing.

Nail structures: plate, bed, matrix, lunula, cuticle, eponychium (cuticle skin fold), hyponychium (under the free edge), sidewalls, and free edge.

Fingernails grow about 1/8 inch (roughly 3 mm) per month; toenails grow more slowly, and growth slows with age and in cold weather.

Matrix damage produces permanent grooves or distortion; the lunula is the visible portion of the matrix.

Disorders to refer rather than treat include onychomycosis (fungal), paronychia (bacterial, red and swollen), severe ridges, and separated or discolored plates.

Pedicure sanitation: disinfect the basin with an EPA-registered hospital-grade product between clients, use a new liner, and discard single-use abrasives.

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) liquid monomer is prohibited in many states, and ethyl methacrylate (EMA) is the accepted salon product.

Softening cuticle cream and a rubber-tipped pusher are used to push back the cuticle; nippers are only for hangnails, never for cutting live tissue.

The nail plate is porous and absorbs water, swelling and shrinking; nails must be thoroughly dry before product is applied.

Cosmetology licenses in Alabama are issued and regulated by the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering.

Alabama requires 1,500 clock hours of cosmetology training in an approved school before a candidate may take the licensing examination.

Scope of practice: cosmetologists perform the hair, skin, and nail services defined by law; diagnosing disease or prescribing medication falls outside the license.

Booth rental means the licensee pays a fixed weekly or monthly fee for space and keeps all service income; commission arrangements pay a percentage of service revenue.

Retail pricing: keystone pricing doubles the wholesale cost, and markup percentage equals (retail minus cost) divided by cost, times 100.

Profit equals total revenue minus total expenses; gross profit considers only the direct cost of goods or services.

Professional ethics require client confidentiality, disclosure of product ingredients and risks, informed consent, and referral of medical conditions to a physician.

Compliance includes keeping licenses current, providing access to safety data sheets, following sanitation rules, and posting required permits for state inspection.