Assam ASSEB HSLC NSQF Beauty and Wellness key terms

The combined sector of businesses that provide personal appearance and self-care services, such as salons, spas, barber shops and mobile beauty providers, together with the products and training that support them.

National Skills Qualifications Framework: India's system that grades skills from level 1 to 10 and links vocational training to recognised certificates, helping candidates move from school courses into jobs or further study.

A planned sequence of jobs and qualifications that takes a worker from entry level to more senior or specialised roles, for example from salon assistant to senior stylist, therapist or salon owner.

A structured training arrangement in which a learner works under a qualified professional for an agreed period, combining supervised on-the-job practice with related classroom instruction and assessment.

The activity of identifying a service need, planning a small business, arranging finance, staff and premises, and taking responsibility for its risks and profits.

A licensed beauty or wellness business set up at a fixed address, registered with local authorities and holding the permits, insurance and trained staff required to operate legally.

The level of sales at which total income exactly covers total costs, so the business makes neither profit nor loss; knowing it helps a salon owner set prices and monthly targets.

The method of setting a charge for a treatment by adding product cost, staff time, overheads and a reasonable profit margin, then adjusting for local competition and client expectations.

The daily habits a professional follows to stay clean and healthy, including bathing, oral care, clean uniform, tidy hair and nails, and the use of deodorant, so clients feel confident in their care.

The overall presentable appearance a service worker maintains at work, covering neat hair, light suitable make-up, trimmed nails, polished shoes and a clean pressed uniform that builds client trust.

The agreed dress rules of a salon, usually a clean apron or tunic, closed flat shoes, tied-back hair and minimal jewellery, chosen to protect both the worker and the client during treatments.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitiser before and after every client, after handling waste, and after removing gloves, to stop microbes spreading between people.

The broad categories of skin, usually normal, dry, oily, combination and sensitive, identified by oiliness, pore size and reaction to products, which guide the choice of cleanser and treatment.

A careful examination of the client's face under good light, noting skin type, texture, hydration, blemishes and sensitivity, before selecting products and planning a safe facial treatment.

The first step of any facial, removing make-up, sweat, sebum and surface dirt with a suitable cleanser and gentle upward movements, preparing the skin for the next products.

Removing dead surface skin cells with a scrub, enzyme or acid product to leave skin smoother and brighter, always applied gently and avoided on broken, inflamed or recently waxed skin.

A sequence of gentle, rhythmic strokes on the face, neck and shoulders that improves circulation, relaxes muscles and helps product absorb, performed in a fixed order towards the lymph nodes.

Any condition, medicine or circumstance that makes a treatment unsafe or unwise, such as open wounds, active infection, recent surgery or pregnancy, requiring the service to be refused, postponed or modified.

A small trial of a product, usually tint or colour, applied to a hidden area such as the inner elbow or behind the ear and checked after 24 to 48 hours to detect an allergic reaction.

The three layers of a hair strand: the protective outer cuticle, the middle cortex that holds pigment and strength, and the central medulla, which together explain damage, colouring and shine.

The repeating pattern of hair life: a growing phase, a short transition phase and a resting phase after which the hair sheds, which explains why some shedding is normal and why waxing needs regular repeats.

The ability of the hair cuticle to absorb and hold moisture; low porosity resists water, high porosity absorbs quickly but loses moisture fast, and the result guides conditioning and colour choices.

A quick check on a small cutting of hair, used to judge elasticity or how a colour or product will behave, so the stylist can adjust the formula before treating the whole head.

Shaping damp hair with a hand dryer and brush, working from the scalp to the ends with the nozzle pointed down the hair shaft to smooth the cuticle and set the style.

The practice of keeping hot tools at safe temperatures, using a heat-protective spray, testing heat on the wrist and never holding a dryer or iron on one spot for too long.

The parts of the nail and surrounding tissue, including the nail plate, nail bed, cuticle, lunula, matrix and side walls, which a manicurist must know to work safely and avoid injury.

Shaping the free edge of the nail with a file in one direction, matching the file grit to the natural nail and avoiding back-and-forth sawing that splits the layers.

Softening and gently pushing back the thin skin at the base of the nail with a wooden or rubber pusher, then applying cuticle oil, without cutting living tissue or using force.

A foot treatment that soaks, cleans, exfoliates and moisturises the feet, trims and shapes toenails and cares for the cuticles, often including removal of hard skin from the heels.

The rules describing how primary, secondary and complementary colours combine, used in make-up to match skin tones and to neutralise unwanted redness or darkness on the face.

Selecting a base product whose shade and undertone blend invisibly with the client's jawline and neck in natural light, avoiding a visible line between face and neck.

Using colour correctors and concealers to reduce the appearance of redness, dark circles, blemishes or scarring before foundation, so the finished base looks even and natural.

A short structured conversation before a service in which the professional asks about the client's needs, history, allergies and expectations, explains the plan and records the agreed details.

A client's clear agreement to a treatment after being told what it involves, its likely results, its risks and the alternatives, recorded on a signed record card before work begins.

Paying full attention to a client, allowing them to finish, and checking understanding by repeating key points back, so that instructions and preferences are correctly understood.

Keeping a client's personal details, health information and treatment records private, sharing them only with those who need them for the client's care and never gossiping about them.

A process that destroys all micro-organisms, including spores, on reusable tools, typically by autoclave or approved chemical soak, after the items have first been cleaned.

Reducing the number of harmful micro-organisms on surfaces and tools with an approved chemical solution, which is weaker than sterilisation and does not kill all spores.

The set of precautions that prevent accidents and injury at work, including safe storage of chemicals, correct electrical checks, clear walkways and safe handling of hot tools and sharp items.

The immediate, basic care given to a person who is injured or suddenly unwell before professional help arrives, such as controlling bleeding, cooling a burn or starting CPR.