MS Barber cheat sheet

Cleaning (soap and water, scrubbing all debris) must always precede disinfection; disinfectant cannot penetrate hair, skin, or product residue.

Disinfectant contact time is set by the EPA-registered label - many hospital-grade products require full immersion for about 10 minutes.

Four classes of potentially infectious organisms: bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.

Single-use (porous) items - razor blades, neck strips, cotton, wooden sticks - are discarded after one client and are never disinfected and reused.

Handwashing rule: soap plus warm running water for at least 20 seconds, before and after every client, and after restroom, eating, or handling waste.

Blood exposure procedure: stop the service, glove, cleanse the wound, apply antiseptic and a bandage, then disinfect the surface with an EPA-registered tuberculocidal product or 1:10 bleach solution.

Sterilization (autoclave or dry heat) destroys all microbial life including spores; disinfection kills most pathogens but not spores.

Safety data sheets (SDS) must be on file for every chemical in the shop; they list hazards, first aid, storage, and disposal.

Use GFCI-protected outlets near water, never immerse cords or clippers, and inspect for frayed wiring before each use.

Elevation rule: 0° = blunt/one-length, 45° = graduated, 90° = uniformly layered, 180° = long-layered.

Tapering rule: cut length increases progressively from the hairline (nape, sideburns, temples) toward the crown and apex, which hold the longest hair.

Guard formula: each standard clipper guard number adds 1/8 inch - #1 = 1/8 in, #2 = 1/4 in, #3 = 3/8 in, #4 = 1/2 in.

With detachable clipper blades, higher-numbered blades leave hair longer than lower-numbered blades.

Stationary guideline = a section that does not move and all other hair is cut to it; movable guideline = a section that travels with each cut.

Cross-check by parting hair perpendicular to the original section; any strand longer than the guideline is corrected.

Texturizing tools (thinning shears, razor, notching) remove bulk and weight without shortening the perimeter length.

Curl size is set by tool diameter: a small iron or rod barrel yields a tight curl, a large barrel yields a loose wave.

Blow-dry rule: direct airflow in the direction the finished style should lay, use a concentrator nozzle, and finish with a cool shot to set the shape.

Shaving sequence: soften with a hot towel and lather, shave with the grain, re-lather, then go across or against the grain only if the skin tolerates it.

Hold the razor at a shallow angle (about 30°) to the skin and stretch the skin taut in the direction opposite the stroke.

Freehand stroke: fingers of the free hand stretch the skin; backhand stroke: the palm turns outward and the back of the hand leads the stroke.

A razor blade is single-use - remove it after each client, dispose of it in a sharps container, and disinfect the razor holder.

Styptic powder or alum stops bleeding from nicks by constricting small vessels; apply with a clean, disposable applicator.

Beard neckline placement: one to two finger widths above the Adam's apple, following the natural curve where head meets neck; cheek line follows the natural growth pattern.

Pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps) follows close shaving of tightly curled hair; it is managed by shaving with the grain and avoiding excessive tension.

Trim the mustache from the center outward over a comb with the client's lips closed to protect the mouth.

Developer volumes: 10 volume = 3%, 20 volume = 6%, 30 volume = 9%, 40 volume = 12% hydrogen peroxide.

Lifting capacity: 20 volume lifts about 1–2 levels, 30 volume about 2–3 levels, 40 volume about 3–4 levels.

Level system runs 1 (black) through 10 (lightest blonde); each level represents one step of lightness.

Complementary color neutralizes unwanted tone: blue cancels orange, green cancels red, violet cancels yellow.

On-scalp lighteners are mixed with no more than 20 volume developer to protect the scalp.

Chemical relaxers break disulfide bonds: sodium hydroxide (lye) products run about pH 13; ammonium thioglycolate products run about pH 9–10.

Relaxer retouch applies product to new growth only, with a protective base, followed by thorough neutralizing until normal pH is restored.

Permanent wave: waving lotion reduces disulfide bonds while hair is wound on rods, and the neutralizer (hydrogen peroxide or sodium bromate) rebuilds the bonds in the new shape.

Patch test 24–48 hours before any aniline-derivative color; a strand test determines processing time and predictable result.

Scalp massage manipulations: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), and friction or vibration.

Contraindications for scalp or facial treatment: open wounds, contagious conditions (tinea, pediculosis, scabies, impetigo), and inflamed or undiagnosed lesions.

Skin types are normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive; mask and product selection (clay, cream, gel) is matched to the type.

Facial service sequence: cleanse, analyze the skin, exfoliate, steam and extract when appropriate, massage, apply mask, then moisturize and protect.

Pityriasis (dandruff) is flaking of the scalp; seborrheic dermatitis is the more inflammatory form with redness and oiliness.

Hair analysis covers porosity (water absorption), elasticity (stretch and return), density (strands per square inch), and texture (strand diameter).

Facial massage follows the direction of the muscle fibers and drains toward lymph nodes; heavy pressure over bony areas is avoided.

Steam and hot towels soften sebum before extraction; high-frequency current is applied for its bactericidal effect.

Scope of practice: a barber cleanses and grooms the surface of hair and skin; diagnosing, prescribing, or treating disease falls outside the license.

Licensing categories typically include practitioner, shop, and instructor licenses issued by the state barber or cosmetology board, and each must be posted visibly.

Pre-licensure requirements are set per state - commonly a fixed number of clock hours (roughly 1,000–1,500) plus written and practical examinations.

Continuing education hours and renewal cycles are determined by the state board, not the training school.

Sanitation or infection-control violations found on inspection can bring fines, probation, suspension, or license revocation.

Advertising must be truthful; claiming to cure or treat disease in advertising is prohibited.

Client records - chemical service history, patch test results, and service dates - are retained per state rule and kept confidential.

A licensed shop may be inspected by the board or health authority without advance notice during business hours.

Ownership structures: sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and LLC, each differing in liability exposure and taxation.

Compensation models: salary, commission (percentage of service revenue), and booth rental (fixed weekly rent paid by an independent contractor).

Booth renters pay self-employment tax and carry their own liability insurance; employees fall under the employer's payroll taxes and coverage.

Cost per service = (product cost ÷ services per container) + supplies used + allocated time cost.

Retail pricing commonly uses keystone (double wholesale) or a stated mark-up; inventory is tracked to control shrinkage.

Consultation order: ask, listen, analyze, propose, confirm, then perform - noting allergies and prior chemical services.

Refuse service for contagious conditions, infestations, or open infected skin, and refer the client to a physician.

Complaint handling: listen fully, acknowledge the concern, apologize for the experience, offer a specific remedy, and document the outcome.

Hair shaft layers: cuticle (outer protective scales), cortex (bulk, pigment, disulfide bonds), and medulla (central core, sometimes absent in fine hair).

Growth cycle: anagen (active, 2–6 years), catagen (transitional, 2–3 weeks), telogen (resting and shedding, 3–4 months).

Hair is mostly keratin protein; its elements are carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur, with sulfur forming the disulfide bonds.

Skin layers: epidermis (outer), dermis (follicles, glands, nerves, vessels), and subcutaneous layer (fat).

Cranial bones: frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital. Facial bones: zygomatic, maxilla, mandible, nasal.

Fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve is the chief sensory and motor nerve of the face; seventh cranial (facial) nerve supplies the muscles of facial expression.

The common carotid artery divides into internal and external carotid branches; the superficial temporal and facial arteries supply the head and face.

Sebaceous glands secrete sebum into the follicle; sudoriferous glands (eccrine and apocrine) secrete sweat.

Contagious disorders - tinea capitis/barbae, pediculosis, scabies, impetigo - require refusing service and referring for medical care; noncontagious examples include canities, alopecia, and trichoptilosis.