AL Cosmetology flashcards
AL Cosmetology · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Disinfection
- Process using an EPA-registered hospital-grade product to destroy most bacteria, fungi, and viruses on nonporous salon surfaces and implements; it does not kill bacterial spores.
- Sterilization
- A process that destroys all microbial life, including spores, usually with an autoclave; it is used for implements that may contact blood or broken skin.
- Universal precautions
- Practice of treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious: wash hands, wear gloves, stop the service when bleeding occurs, and disinfect every contacted item.
- Single-use implements
- Items such as nail files, wooden sticks, cotton, and razor blades that cannot be adequately disinfected and must be discarded after use on one client.
- Cortex
- The middle and thickest layer of the hair shaft, made of elongated keratinized cells; it holds melanin and the disulfide bonds that give hair strength and shape.
- pH scale
- A scale from 0 to 14 that measures hydrogen ion concentration; 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic, above 7 is alkaline, and hair and skin are naturally mildly acidic.
- Disulfide bond
- Strong chemical side bond between cysteine amino acids in hair; reducing agents in perms and relaxers break it, and neutralizers or oxidation re-form it.
- Cataphoresis
- Galvanic current process that drives acidic, astringent products into the skin using the positive pole; anaphoresis uses the negative pole to soften and cleanse tissue.
- Elasticity test
- Wet a strand and stretch it; healthy hair stretches about 50 percent and returns to length, while hair that snaps is fragile and should not be chemically serviced.
- Surfactant
- Molecule with a water-attracting head and an oil-attracting tail that lowers surface tension, letting shampoo lift and suspend oils and dirt for rinsing away.
- Tinea capitis
- Contagious fungal infection of the scalp, commonly called ringworm, marked by circular patches and broken hairs; it is referred to a physician and is a contraindication to service.
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Scalp condition with oily, yellowish scales and redness that may need medicated shampoo; inflamed or severe cases are referred to a physician before any service.
- Stationary guide
- A section of hair held at a fixed position that establishes the length for all other sections cut to it; used in one-length and graduated cuts.
- Graduated haircut
- Haircut in which sections are held at about 45 degrees of elevation, building weight at the perimeter and tapering shorter toward the crown.
- Point cutting
- Texturizing technique in which the tips of the shears cut into the ends of a section, softening the perimeter and blending weight lines.
- Cross-checking
- Parting the finished haircut in a direction opposite to the original sections to confirm that the line, balance, and blending are even.
- Thioglycolate relaxer
- Ammonium thioglycolate product with a pH near 9 that breaks disulfide bonds to soften curl; weaker than hydroxide relaxers and requires a neutralizer afterward.
- Test curl
- Checking a small strand during a perm to see whether the desired S-shape has formed, which signals when to rinse and apply neutralizer.
- Neutralizer
- Oxidizing solution, usually hydrogen peroxide or sodium bromate, applied after a perm to rebuild disulfide bonds and stop the reducing action.
- Relaxer retouch
- Application of relaxer only to new growth while avoiding previously relaxed hair, preventing overlap and breakage; usually scheduled every 6 to 8 weeks.
- Developer volume
- Number showing hydrogen peroxide strength: 10 volume lifts about one level, 20 volume two, 30 volume three, and 40 volume four when mixed 1:1.
- Patch test
- Applying a small amount of aniline-derivative color product behind the ear or in the elbow 24 to 48 hours before service to detect an allergic reaction.
- Law of color
- Theory that red, yellow, and blue are primary colors; mixing two primaries makes a secondary, and opposite colors on the wheel neutralize each other.
- Level
- Number from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde) describing how light or dark hair is, independent of its tone or warmth.
- Acid mantle
- Thin, slightly acidic film of sebum and sweat on the skin surface, around pH 5.5, that helps control bacteria and limit moisture loss.
- Effleurage
- Light, continuous gliding massage movement used to begin and end a facial, spreading product evenly and relaxing the client.
- Contraindication
- A condition such as sunburn, an open lesion, or recent cosmetic surgery that makes a service unsafe and requires the cosmetologist to decline or postpone treatment.
- Nail matrix
- Actively growing tissue at the base of the nail that produces new nail plate cells; injury to it causes permanent ridges or deformity.
- Onychomycosis
- Fungal infection of the nail plate or bed causing thickening, discoloration, and separation; it is contagious and must be referred to a physician rather than serviced.
- Lunula
- Whitish half-moon visible at the base of the nail plate; it is the visible portion of the matrix where new nail cells are produced.
- Booth rental
- Business arrangement in which a licensed cosmetologist pays the salon a fixed periodic fee for space and keeps all service income, supplying tools and paying own taxes.
- Scope of practice
- The specific services a license legally permits; performing procedures outside it, such as diagnosing disease or prescribing medication, is unlawful.