Hair and Scalp Care, Shampooing, and Treatments
Hair and Scalp Care, Shampooing, and Treatments
This domain tests hair and scalp analysis before service: recognizing normal variation, selecting shampoo and conditioner, and knowing when to stop and refer.
Core rules
- Assess the scalp for redness, lesions, flakes, parasites, and tenderness; assess hair for porosity, elasticity, density, and texture.
- Shampoo is a surfactant system; pH and surfactant strength determine gentleness. Moisturizing or sulfate-free formulas suit dry, chemically treated hair; clarifying shampoos are occasional, not daily.
- Water temperature should be comfortable, not hot; hot water increases irritation and color fading.
- Massage is contraindicated over inflamed, broken, or infected skin.
- Conditioners are applied midshaft to ends; scalp application can weigh hair down and clog follicles.
Worked example
A client has a tight, flaky scalp with no broken skin and dry ends. Choose a mild moisturizing shampoo, use lukewarm water, shampoo the scalp gently, condition midshaft to ends, and avoid a high-heat dryer. If the flaking is greasy-yellow or the scalp is inflamed, do not treat; refer.
Traps
Diagnosing medical conditions; using a strong clarifying shampoo on a client with a fresh relaxer; overmassaging a scalp with lesions; and assuming all flakes are dry scalp, when seborrheic dermatitis is oily.