AL Cosmetology study plan
AL Cosmetology · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Haircutting, Shaping, and Styling & Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices
Identify and label from memory the lines, sections, elevation angles, and distribution patterns used in one-length, graduated, and layered haircuts
Demonstrate correct shears and razor handling, subsection size, and tension control on a mannequin
Differentiate cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization, and match each process to the correct salon tool or surface
Sequence the standard steps of hand washing, implement disinfection, and soiled-towel handling required before and after a service
Your checkpoint
Complete a one-length mannequin haircut in 45 minutes or less, then pass a self-written 15-item sanitation checklist covering every tool and surface touched during the service.
Haircutting, Shaping, and Styling & Scientific Concepts: Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, and Electricity
Execute a graduated haircut and a uniformly layered haircut on a mannequin, checking every elevation angle against a written rubric
Explain how head shape, bone structure, and growth patterns dictate sectioning, distribution, and blending decisions
Diagram and label the bones, major muscles, and nerves of the head, face, and neck that matter during cutting and draping
Adjust a haircut plan for a stated growth pattern or cowlick and justify the change in writing
Your checkpoint
A hand-drawn, fully labeled head-and-neck anatomy diagram plus a self-scored two-cut rubric (graduated and layered) with a written note on each angle that fell below standard.
Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices & Hair Coloring and Lightening
Sort 30 written salon scenarios into the correct sanitation or safety protocol within 20 timed minutes
Explain the color wheel, levels 1 through 10, and the underlying pigment exposed at each level of lift
Calculate developer volume, mixing ratio, and processing time for a retouch, a virgin lightener application, and gray coverage
Write a haircolor consultation script that addresses a client with resistant gray and prior box color
Your checkpoint
A three-formulation color portfolio (retouch, virgin lightener, gray coverage) listing level, developer, ratio, and processing time for each, paired with a 20-item sanitation quiz scored at 90% or higher.
Scientific Concepts: Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, and Electricity & Hair Coloring and Lightening
Explain oxidation-reduction in permanent color and the role of the alkalizing agent and couplers
Compare the chemistry, lift capability, and longevity of permanent, demi-permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary color
Describe galvanic versus faradic current, the modalities used in scalp and facial treatments, and the electrical safety rules for each
Run a strand test and a lightening progression on swatches to verify a predicted result before committing to a formula
Your checkpoint
A timed 25-item mixed chemistry-and-color quiz scored at 80% or higher, with a written correction note for every missed item explaining the underlying principle.
Hair and Scalp Care, Shampooing, and Conditioning & Chemical Texture Services: Permanent Waving and Relaxing
Match shampoo and conditioner categories to stated hair and scalp conditions, and justify each selection
Perform the five basic scalp massage manipulations in correct sequence with consistent pressure and rhythm
Wrap a mannequin in a basic pattern and in a bricklay pattern, checking tension and placement at each section
Explain how pH affects the cuticle during shampooing, conditioning, and perm processing
Your checkpoint
A timed mannequin practical: full shampoo, conditioning, and scalp massage service followed by one complete perm wrap, recorded with a step-by-step timing log and self-scored against a written rubric.
Chemical Texture Services: Permanent Waving and Relaxing & Hair and Scalp Care, Shampooing, and Conditioning
Determine relaxer strength and processing time from a hair analysis covering texture, porosity, elasticity, and density
Sequence a virgin relaxer application and a retouch application, and state the safe overlap and rinsing rules for each
Compare thio-based and hydroxide-based relaxing chemistry and explain the neutralization step for each
Select and justify a conditioning treatment for high-porosity, chemically processed hair, naming the ingredient category that does the work
Your checkpoint
A written relaxer service plan for three distinct hair profiles, each specifying strength, timing, neutralization, and post-service conditioning, graded against a self-made 10-point rubric.
Skin Care and Facial Services & Nail Care, Manicuring, and Pedicuring
Classify skin types and identify contraindications, then select the matching facial products and treatment steps
Demonstrate the basic facial manipulations and massage movements in the correct sequence and direction
Label nail anatomy and separate treatable nail disorders from conditions that require medical referral
Perform a complete manicure and a complete pedicure sequence with sanitation between every step
Your checkpoint
A 30-item identification quiz on skin types, skin conditions, nail anatomy, and nail disorders scored at 85% or higher, plus one timed full manicure on a partner or mannequin checked against a sanitation checklist.
Salon Business, Professional Ethics, and Alabama Cosmetology Law
Summarize Alabama licensing, salon permit, and sanitation requirements as they apply to the exam and to daily practice
Explain professional ethics, scope of practice boundaries, and client record-keeping obligations
Complete a full-length timed practice exam under test conditions with no notes or references
Remediate every missed item by domain and rewrite the underlying rule or principle in your own words
Your checkpoint
One full-length timed practice exam (100 or more items) with a per-domain error log and a written remediation action for every domain scoring below 80%.
Milestones
Week 2: Three mannequin haircuts completed (one-length, graduated, layered), each scoring 80% or higher on the self-written rubric, with the sanitation checklist passed at 100%.
Week 4: Mixed chemistry-and-color quiz scored at 80% or higher, and all three color formulations in the portfolio judged technically correct on level, developer, and ratio.
Week 6: Shampoo, scalp massage, and perm wrap practical completed inside the time limit, and all three relaxer service plans scored 8 of 10 or higher on the rubric.
Week 8: Full-length practice exam scored at 85% or higher overall with no single domain below 75%, and a remediation note written for every missed item.