WBCHSE HS Vocational Beauty & Wellness flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Scope of practice

The legally permitted limits of a beauty professional's work: cosmetic services only, with no diagnosis of disease, no prescription medicine, and referral of suspicious conditions to a doctor.

Informed consent

The client's voluntary agreement to a service after being told what will be done, the expected result, the risks, the alternatives, and the right to stop at any point.

Client confidentiality

The duty to keep a client's personal and health information private, sharing it only with the client's permission or where the law compels disclosure.

Disinfection versus sterilization

Disinfection destroys most disease-causing organisms on surfaces, while sterilization destroys all microbial life including bacterial spores and is reserved for items that pierce skin.

Single-use items in salon

Porous or hard-to-clean items such as nail files, buffers, wooden spatulas, and razor blades that must be discarded after one client because they cannot be reliably disinfected.

Epidermis

The outer, avascular skin layer built from keratinocytes; its basal layer produces new cells that migrate outward and eventually shed from the stratum corneum.

Hair growth cycle

Three phases: anagen, the active growth stage lasting years; catagen, a short transitional stage; and telogen, a resting stage after which the hair sheds.

Nail matrix

The tissue beneath the proximal nail fold that produces the nail plate; its activity determines plate thickness, shape, and the visible white lunula.

Skin types classification

Normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive. Oily skin shows shine and enlarged pores; combination skin has an oily T-zone; sensitive skin reacts easily and needs patch testing.

Patch test

A small application of a new product or active ingredient on a discreet area, assessed after 24 to 48 hours, to detect an allergic or irritant reaction before full use.

Extraction contraindication

Do not extract inflamed, cystic, or undiagnosed lesions. Only softened, non-inflamed comedones are extracted where training and salon policy permit it.

Hair porosity

The cuticle's capacity to absorb and retain moisture; high porosity absorbs quickly and loses moisture fast, while low porosity resists absorption and can feel product-coated.

Cutting elevation angles

0 degrees builds a solid weight line, 45 degrees creates graduation and stacked weight, and 90 degrees produces uniform layers with the most volume removal.

Point cutting

A texturising technique where the shear tips cut into the ends of a section, softening a blunt line and removing bulk without shortening the overall length.

Nail filing direction

File natural nails from the side edge toward the centre in one direction; back-and-forth sawing creates heat and splits the plate layers, especially on thin nails.

Paronychia

Inflammation or infection of the tissue around the nail, showing redness, swelling, and pain. It is a contraindication to manicure, and the client is referred for medical care.

Acetone remover action

Acetone dissolves most nail polish and acrylic products quickly but strips oils from the nail plate and surrounding skin, so remover is followed by moisturising.

Colour correction rule

Complementary colours neutralise each other: green reduces redness, orange cancels blue-purple tones, and lavender counters sallow yellow tones before foundation is applied.

Foundation undertone

The underlying warm, cool, or neutral cast of skin, judged at the jawline in natural light; matching undertone matters more than matching surface shade depth.

Brow three-point rule

Brow start aligns with the inner eye corner, the arch sits above the outer iris edge, and the tail ends on a line from the nose past the outer corner.

Consultation record card

A written client history holding contact details, allergies, previous chemical services, products and strengths used, timings, patch test results, and any adverse reaction.

Open versus closed questions

Open questions invite description and history, such as what the client dislikes about their hair; closed questions confirm specific facts such as allergies or prior colour use.

Complaint handling sequence

Listen without interruption, acknowledge the client's experience, check the service record, offer a remedy within salon policy, and document the outcome and actions taken.

Break-even calculation

Fixed costs divided by the difference between price per service and variable cost per service gives the number of services needed before the business makes a profit.

Portfolio evidence for employment

A collection of before-and-after photographs with consent, service logs, certificates, and a current CV that demonstrates practical competence to an employer or examiner.

Salon pricing components

Price must cover product cost, professional labour time, overhead such as rent and utilities, and a profit margin; pricing below variable cost loses money on every service.

Practical viva rationale

In the oral exam, each step must be justified by its reason, for example explaining why a patch test or contraindication check was performed, not merely naming the step.

Portfolio reflection entry

A short written record stating what was planned, what actually happened, what deviated and why, and what the candidate will change in the next service.

Practical assessment criteria

Typical marking areas: preparation of client and workstation, hygiene and safety, communication, technical execution, finishing quality, and clean-up and aftercare advice.

Wet disinfection contact time

The immersion period stated on the disinfectant label that is required to kill target organisms; shortening it means the item is cleaned but not properly disinfected.

Blood spill procedure

Wear gloves, absorb the spill with disposable material, clean the area, disinfect with a labelled hospital-grade product, and seal the waste for safe disposal.

Anagen phase

The active growth phase of the hair cycle, lasting several years on the scalp; most scalp hairs are in anagen at any time, so pulling a hair shows a sheath.