LA Alternative Hair Design study plan

Define the scope of alternative hair design practice and distinguish wigs, hairpieces, extensions, and integrated units by purpose and construction

Map the major cap constructions (hard front, lace front, monofilament, closed-weft, hand-tied) to the client profiles each serves best

Build a consultation script that elicits lifestyle, budget, maintenance tolerance, and medical or sensitivity history

Practice three mock consultations and document how each recommendation changed based on client constraints

Compare fiber and hair options at a client-advice level: human hair, synthetic, heat-friendly synthetic, and blends, including lifespan and care tradeoffs

Identify the Louisiana licensing and scope-of-practice rules that govern alternative hair services, including sanitation obligations and prohibited practices

List the recordkeeping and client-consent items Louisiana rules and sound practice require before chemical or adhesive services

Draft plain-language client education talking points covering cost per wear, expected lifespan, and reorder timing

Differentiate cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing and state where each applies in an alternative hair setting

Select the correct EPA-registered disinfectant contact time for tools, combs, blocks, and clipper blades and justify the choice

Sequence a full sanitation workflow for a single client service from station setup through breakdown

Explain how to handle a blood or body-fluid exposure and which items cannot be safely reused

Identify common cross-contamination failures in wig storage, mannequin heads, and shared tools

Classify fibers by origin and behavior under heat, friction, and sunlight, and predict which will frizz, melt, or fade first

Describe weft types, knotting methods, and lace densities and how each affects styling freedom and concealment

Explain how cap size, elasticity, and adjuster placement affect fit before any cutting begins

Identify quality-control defects to reject at intake: shedding, loose knots, uneven density, and color banding

Take and record the full measurement set: circumference, front-to-nape, ear-to-ear over the crown, and temple-to-temple

Match measurements to cap sizing and decide when to adjust rather than reorder

Demonstrate adjustment techniques on a mannequin: adjuster tightening, temple-tab modification, and nape take-in

Fit a unit and verify stability, hairline placement, and comfort during head movement

Set heat tools to safe temperatures for each fiber type and verify with a strand test before contact with the unit

Cut a unit on a block and on a live model using point cutting, slide cutting, and blunt line work appropriate to alternative hair

Style with blow-dryer, curling iron, and steam to build volume and shape without over-processing the fiber

Recognize heat damage early and state the corrective or replacement decision

Explain why cutting on a mannequin differs from cutting on a moving client head

Determine which color services are safe on which fibers and identify the services that will destroy synthetic fiber

Perform a strand test for color or toner and interpret the result before full application

Compare adhesive types by hold duration, skin sensitivity, and removal method, and match each to a client scenario

Execute and safely remove at least one attachment method, documenting skin prep and removal solvent use

Explain the risk factors that make a client a poor candidate for adhesive attachment

Review all eight domains using missed-question logs and close the three weakest areas first

Rehearse Louisiana rule citations from memory for sanitation, scope of practice, and recordkeeping

Complete a timed full-length practice set under exam conditions and score it by domain

Build a final one-page quick-reference sheet of heat limits, disinfectant contact times, and measurement formulas