Advanced Diploma of Skin Therapy flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Stratum basale
- Deepest epidermal layer of mitotically active keratinocytes attached to the basement membrane; it also houses melanocytes and Merkel cells and renews the epidermis continuously.
- Thermal relaxation time
- Time for a heated target to cool to about half its peak temperature; pulse duration shorter than this confines heat to the target, the basis of selective photothermolysis.
- Fitzpatrick phototype
- Six-point scale describing skin response to ultraviolet exposure, from type I (always burns, never tans) to type VI (never burns, deeply pigmented); guides device settings and pigment risk.
- Wood's lamp
- Ultraviolet examination light producing fluorescence that helps distinguish sebum, porphyrins, melanin and thickened corneum, supporting lesion assessment before treatment selection.
- Acid mantle
- Thin film of sebum, sweat and filaggrin breakdown products on the skin surface, averaging about pH 4.7, which supports barrier integrity and limits pathogenic colonisation.
- Transepidermal water loss
- Measurement of water diffusing through the stratum corneum; values rise when barrier lipids are depleted and fall as barrier repair progresses.
- Informed consent elements
- Documented disclosure of the procedure's nature, expected benefits, risks, alternatives and the right to decline, signed before treatment begins.
- Isotretinoin washout
- Systemic retinoid therapy typically requires a six-month cessation before resurfacing procedures because of impaired healing, photosensitivity and scarring risk.
- Patch test protocol
- Small controlled application of a product or peel acid at a test site, observed for 24 to 48 hours, before full-face application.
- Glycolic acid neutralisation
- Alpha-hydroxy acid peels must be neutralised to stop acid activity; free-acid concentration and pH determine penetration depth more than label percentage alone.
- Salicylic acid caution
- Lipophilic beta-hydroxy acid suited to comedonal acne; contraindicated in aspirin or salicylate allergy and used cautiously in pregnancy and on large body areas.
- TCA frosting
- Whitening from protein coagulation during trichloroacetic acid peeling; it signals the treatment end point and further application to frosted areas is avoided.
- Microneedling depth selection
- Needle length matched to indication: roughly 0.25 to 0.5 mm for product delivery, 0.5 to 1.0 mm for texture, and 1.0 to 2.0 mm for scars.
- Intense pulsed light
- Broadband 500 to 1200 nanometre light filtered to target haemoglobin or melanin; used for vascular lesions, pigment and hair reduction.
- Ablative versus non-ablative
- Ablative lasers remove epidermis and trigger full resurfacing; non-ablative devices heat dermis while sparing the stratum corneum, reducing downtime.
- Laser eyewear matching
- Protective eyewear must be rated for the specific device wavelength; mismatched filters offer inadequate protection to operator and client.
- Hyaluronidase reversal
- Enzyme that degrades hyaluronic acid filler; used in vascular occlusion or overcorrection and kept available wherever HA fillers are injected.
- Vascular occlusion signs
- Blanching, disproportionate pain and livedo reticularis after filler injection indicate arterial compromise and require immediate emergency escalation.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
- Acquired pigmentation following inflammation or injury, more common in darker phototypes; prevented with gentle technique, tyrosinase inhibitors and photoprotection.
- Botulinum toxin timing
- Neuromodulator effect appears over days, peaks around two to four weeks and resolves in three to four months; no massage or pressure for four hours after injection.
- WHO five moments
- Hand hygiene before client contact, before aseptic tasks, after body fluid exposure, after client contact and after touching surroundings.
- Sharps disposal rule
- Used needles and blades go directly into a puncture-resistant sharps container at point of use; recapping by hand is prohibited.
- Autoclave validation
- Sterilisation assurance through chemical indicators, biological spore tests and documented cycle logs confirming the process achieved required parameters.
- Standard precautions
- Infection control applied to every client regardless of known status, using gloves, eye protection, aprons and surface barriers according to exposure risk.
- Scope of practice
- Legally defined boundaries of a skin therapist's role; excludes diagnosis of disease, prescribing and procedures reserved for registered medical practitioners.
- Advertising integrity
- Marketing must avoid guaranteed outcomes and present before-and-after images only with documented consent and without digital alteration.
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Obligation to inform clients when a recommended product or service yields personal financial benefit, allowing informed choice.
- SOAP note format
- Structured record of Subjective report, Objective findings, Assessment impression and Plan, used to keep clinical reasoning and treatment decisions traceable.
- Contemporaneous records
- Notes written at the time of care or shortly after, improving accuracy and legal weight; later additions are dated and clearly identified.
- Record correction method
- Errors are corrected with a single strike-through, initials, date and reason, preserving the original entry rather than overwriting it.
- Device setting documentation
- Recording wavelength, fluence, pulse duration, spot size and pass number for each treatment, enabling safe repetition and comparison at review.
- Baseline photography
- Standardised images taken before treatment with consistent lighting, distance, angle and no makeup, used to evaluate change objectively at follow-up.