LA Cosmetology cheat sheet

Sterilization destroys all microbial life including bacterial spores; disinfection destroys most pathogens but not necessarily spores; sanitation reduces microorganisms to a safe level.

Hospital-level disinfectants (tuberculocidal) kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis and are required for items that contact blood or body fluids.

Bloodborne pathogens of concern in salons: HBV, HCV, and HIV; HBV is the most contagious and survives longest on surfaces.

Standard precautions treat all blood and body fluids as infectious regardless of known diagnosis.

Implements that contact skin must be cleaned and disinfected after each client; porous items that cannot be disinfected must be discarded.

EPA-registered disinfectant must be used at the label dilution and contact time; mixing too strong or soaking too briefly invalidates efficacy.

Hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is required before and after each client; alcohol sanitizer does not remove soil.

Material Safety Data Sheets (now SDS) must be on file for every chemical product in the salon and accessible to workers.

Hair is composed of keratin; the three layers are cuticle (outer scales), cortex (bulk and pigment), and medulla (central core, often absent in fine hair).

pH scale 0-14: hair and skin are naturally acidic (about pH 4.5-5.5); alkaline products swell and open the cuticle.

The three side bonds are hydrogen (broken by water and heat), salt (broken by pH change), and disulfide (broken only by chemical relaxers or perms).

Hair texture refers to diameter (fine, medium, coarse); density is the number of hairs per square inch; porosity is the ability to absorb moisture.

Low-porosity hair resists moisture and needs heat or alkaline help; high-porosity hair absorbs and loses moisture quickly and needs protein and acid balancing.

Shampoo surfactants lift oil and soil; conditioner lowers pH, closes the cuticle, and deposits conditioning agents on the surface.

Scalp massage and brushing distribute sebum and stimulate circulation but must never be done over abrasions or contagious scalp conditions.

A strand test predicts how hair will respond to a chemical service and is required before relaxers, perms, and lighteners on questionable hair.

The four basic haircut forms are solid (blunt), graduated, layered, and increased-layered; each is defined by the relationship of lengths.

Elevation (projection) is the angle at which hair is held: 0 degrees builds weight, 45 degrees graduates, 90 degrees layers, and above 90 degrees removes weight.

Distribution is the direction hair is combed relative to its growth pattern; natural fall follows the head shape, while shifted distribution redirects it.

A guide (section) is the first cut strand that sets length; a stationary guide stays fixed, a traveling guide moves with each section.

Cutting against the growth pattern raises the hair for control; cutting with the grain follows the natural lie and can create unwanted weight lines.

Cross-checking by cutting in the opposite direction confirms balance and reveals uneven sections.

Texturizing techniques include point cutting, notching, slicing, and channel cutting; they reduce bulk without changing the outline.

Wet cutting gives the most control on straight hair; dry cutting reveals the true shape and is used for curly or wavy textures.

The hair color wheel is based on primary colors (red, yellow, blue); complementary colors neutralize unwanted tones (e.g., blue cancels orange, violet cancels yellow).

Level numbers run 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde); tone is described as warm, neutral, or cool.

Temporary color coats the cuticle; semipermanent color deposits without lifting and lasts several shampoos; permanent color lifts and deposits inside the cortex.

Permanent color requires an alkalizing agent (ammonia or MEA) plus an oxidizing developer (hydrogen peroxide) to swell the cuticle and develop dye.

Developer volumes: 10 volume (3%) deposits only, 20 volume (6%) lifts 1-2 levels, 30 volume (9%) lifts 2-3 levels, 40 volume (12%) lifts 3-4 levels.

A patch test (predisposition test) checks for allergic reaction 24-48 hours before color; a strand test checks processing time and result.

Relaxers use sodium hydroxide (lye) or guanidine/ammonium thioglycolate (no-lye) to break disulfide bonds; the relaxer is applied to new growth first.

A relaxer retouch is applied only to new growth; overlapping previously relaxed hair causes breakage and is a common exam error.

The nail plate is made of keratin and rests on the nail bed; the matrix at the base produces new cells, and the lunula is the visible portion of the matrix.

The eponychium (cuticle) is living tissue at the base of the nail and must be pushed back, never cut; the hyponychium seals the free edge.

Nail shapes include square, squoval, oval, round, and pointed; shape is chosen by the client's natural nail shape and lifestyle.

Sanitation sequence for tools: wash with soap and water, dry, then immerse in EPA-registered hospital disinfectant for the label contact time.

Abrasive files have a grit number: lower numbers are coarser, higher numbers are finer; file in one direction to avoid splitting the free edge.

Nail disorders: onychomycosis is a fungal infection, paronychia is inflammation of the tissue around the nail, and onychorrhexis is split or brittle nails.

A cosmetologist must not perform services on a client with a suspected contagious nail or skin condition and must refer to a physician.

Acetone removes artificial nails and polish; it is highly flammable and must be kept away from open flame and stored in a closed container.

Skin layers: epidermis (outer, avascular), dermis (nerves, blood vessels, glands), and subcutaneous layer (fat and connective tissue).

The six skin types are normal, dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and acne-prone; each dictates product selection.

Fitzpatrick scale types I-VI describe sun sensitivity and burning tendency; type I burns easily and never tans, type VI rarely burns.

Cleansing order for a facial: cleanse, exfoliate, extract (only if trained and permitted), massage, mask, moisturize, and protect.

Alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic) exfoliate the surface; beta hydroxy acid (salicylic) penetrates pores and suits oily and acne-prone skin.

Contraindications for facial services include open lesions, sunburn, recent chemical peels, active infection, and certain medications such as isotretinoin.

Massage movements include effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), and friction; they are directed toward the heart.

Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher is the most effective anti-aging step and is required after exfoliating or lightening treatments.

The integumentary system includes skin, hair, nails, and glands; it protects, regulates temperature, and senses the environment.

The skeletal system has 206 bones; the skull has 8 cranial bones and 14 facial bones, and the mandible is the only movable facial bone.

The three muscles of facial expression most used in cosmetology are the frontalis, orbicularis oculi, and orbicularis oris; the masseter and temporalis control chewing.

The two branches of the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve are the ophthalmic and maxillary; the seventh cranial (facial) nerve controls expression.

The heart has four chambers: right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium, and left ventricle; arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins toward it.

Matter has physical and chemical properties; a physical change does not create a new substance, while a chemical change does.

A solution is a uniform mixture of solute and solvent; a suspension has particles that settle, and an emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible liquids.

pH measures hydrogen ion concentration: below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, above 7 is basic, and each whole number is a tenfold change.

The Louisiana Cosmetology Board (LSBC) licenses cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists, and instructors; the board is the regulatory authority.

A cosmetology license requires a minimum number of training hours from a board-approved school, followed by a board examination; verify current hour requirements with the board.

A salon must display its license and the licenses of all practitioners in a visible area and must be inspected by the board.

Sanitation rules require a covered waste container, a closed container for soiled linens, and disinfected implements stored in a clean, closed area.

A licensee must not practice outside the scope of their license; for example, a manicurist may not perform hair or skin services.

Continuing education and license renewal are required on the board's cycle; practicing on an expired license is a violation.

A salon owner must post the required consumer notice and keep a current SDS file for all chemicals used.

A licensee must refer clients with suspected contagious conditions to a physician and must not treat them in the salon.