Cosmetology (Cosmetology License) case studies
Cosmetology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
A cosmetology license is the state-issued credential that legally authorizes you to perform hair, skin, and nail services for paying clients. It is required in every U.S. jurisdiction before you can work in a salon, rent a booth, or open your own shop, and it is what salon owners and insurance carriers look for when hiring or covering a practitioner. The examination has two parts: a written (or computer-delivered) theory test covering the sciences and practical service knowledge behind the work, and a hands-on performance section in which you demonstrate sanitized, correctly sequenced procedures on a manikin or model under an evaluator's observation. The Cosmetology case studies are 5 cases and about 2,045 words.
1Saturday Walk-In With a Scabbed Nape
At 3:40 on a Saturday the salon is fully booked and running 15 minutes behind. A walk-in requests a skin fade.
484 words, about 2 min2Platinum in Five Days After Two Years of Box Black
A new client brings a photo of icy platinum blonde. She says she has been coloring at home for two years with a "henna-based" black powder.
324 words, about 2 min3Relaxer Touch-Up Ten Days After the Last One
A client arrives for a relaxer touch-up 10 days after her last relaxer. She mentions she scratched her scalp last night and that it "burned" when she shampooed this morning.
430 words, about 2 min4Green Discoloration Under a Lifted Acrylic
A regular client comes in for an acrylic fill. On the right index finger, the natural nail under a lifted acrylic shows a dark green-black patch, and the surrounding skin is slightly swollen.
417 words, about 2 min5Chair Rent, Control, and a Minor Client
A stylist rents a chair for $1,200 per month. The owner sets her hours, sets her prices, requires her to attend weekly staff meetings, supplies all color, and keeps 60% of service revenue, yet calls her an "independent contractor." The stylist asks you, a fellow licensee, whether she can deduct mileage and her own tools and whether she must display her license.
390 words, about 2 min