Barbering
Barbering on the Colorado exam covers the services that define the barbershop - clipper cutting, fades and tapers, straight-razor shaving, beard and mustache design - plus the infection-control rules that apply to all of them. Expect technique-and-reason pairs, so tie every tool setting and blade angle to the hair or skin structure it acts on.
Cutting geometry
- Elevation is the angle hair is held away from the head: 0° gives a blunt or one-length line, 45° a graduated wedge, 90° uniform layers, 180° long layers.
- Distribution is where hair travels before cutting; natural fall follows the head shape, shifted distribution builds weight toward a stationary guide.
- Guides are stationary (all sections cut to one fixed length) or traveling (each section becomes the next guide). Fades depend on traveling guides plus the clipper lever.
Clipper and razor work
- Clipper-over-comb removes bulk above the comb; shear-over-comb softens the blend. Closing the lever cuts closer, opening it leaves length.
- Straight razor: lather, stretch the skin, hold the blade at roughly a 30° angle, shave with the grain first, then re-lather and go across or against the grain.
- A dull blade, a too-steep angle, or loose skin produces razor burn and nicks. Never shave over moles, inflamed skin, or freshly shaved areas.
Infection control
- Non-porous implements (shears, clippers, combs, razor handles) are cleaned and then fully immersed in an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant for the label contact time.
- Blades, neck strips, cotton, and wooden sticks are single-use; porous items cannot be disinfected.
- On a cut: stop, glove, apply antiseptic, cover, dispose of contaminated items in a closed container, and follow the shop's exposure procedure.
Worked example
A client wants the sides faded from a #1 down to skin. Reason it out: establish the top line with the #1 guard, then work downward through a #0.5 and no guard, using the lever to blend each band into the one below. Keep the top guideline stationary so the fade stays level, use the blade corner for the bald line, and finish the outline with a razor. Full marks come from naming direction (down), guide type, and lever use.
Traps that cost marks
- Cutting a blunt or one-length line at 90° elevation.
- Spray-sanitizing clippers when the label requires immersion.
- Quoting 45–90° as the razor angle.
- Forgetting the 24–48 hour patch test before an aniline-derivative tint, which barbers may also apply.