MATSEC SEC Hairdressing and Beauty cheat sheet

Disinfection destroys most pathogenic micro-organisms on tools; sterilisation (autoclave, 121 °C at 15 psi for 15–20 minutes) also destroys bacterial spores and is reserved for metal implements that may contact blood.

Quaternary ammonium disinfectant (for example Barbicide) requires full immersion for the label contact time, typically 10 minutes, in correctly diluted solution that is changed daily.

Blood or body-fluid spill procedure: wear gloves, absorb with disposable paper, clean with detergent, disinfect with 10,000 ppm available chlorine (freshly made 1:10 bleach), then double-bag as clinical waste.

Sharps such as razor blades and lancets go straight into a rigid sharps container, never into general waste or a soft bag.

Hand hygiene: soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, or alcohol hand rub when hands are not visibly soiled, before and after every client and after glove removal.

Refuse treatment and refer for tinea capitis or corporis, impetigo, active herpes simplex, pediculosis, scabies, conjunctivitis and infected nails such as paronychia or onychomycosis.

Electrical safety: equipment PAT tested (annual testing is common practice), RCD protection on socket circuits, no trailing flexes near basins, double-insulated class II dryers.

Fire: CO2 extinguisher for electrical equipment, foam or water for solid combustibles, never water on live electrical equipment; flammable solvents are stored in a closed metal cabinet away from ignition sources.

A Safety Data Sheet is held for every chemical product, and colouring or mixing areas need extract ventilation because ammonia and peroxide vapours irritate the respiratory tract.

A consultation record holds personal details, medical and allergy history, hair and skin analysis, patch and strand test results, products and timings, the agreed service, price, signed consent and the date.

Under data protection rules client records are stored securely, accessed only by staff who need them, and disclosed only with client consent or a legal obligation.

Hair analysis covers texture, density, porosity, elasticity, condition, scalp condition, growth pattern (natural fall, cowlicks, whorls) and previous chemical history.

Skin analysis covers Fitzpatrick type, oiliness, hydration, sensitivity, vascularity and lesions; any suspicious or changing mole is not treated and the client is referred to a doctor.

Contraindications requiring referral or postponement: pregnancy (certain essential oils, amine-based colour), epilepsy, uncontrolled diabetes, anticoagulant therapy before waxing, isotretinoin use, active infection, recent chemical peel or facial surgery.

Open questions gather information ("what do you dislike about your hair?"); closed questions confirm facts; paraphrasing the client's answer back verifies understanding.

Patch test records must show date, product and result; a positive reaction (redness, swelling, itching) means the service is refused, not simply delayed.

Aftercare is given verbally and in writing: for colour, no shampoo for 48 hours, avoid chlorine, sun and heat styling, use sulphate-free products; for waxing, no heat, sun, perfume or tight clothing for 24 hours.

Hair shaft layers: cuticle (overlapping scales, protection), cortex (keratin, melanin and disulphide bonds, where colour and texture change happens), medulla (central core, often absent in fine hair).

Follicle structures: bulb, dermal papilla (blood and nerve supply), sebaceous gland, arrector pili muscle, root sheaths.

Growth cycle: anagen 2–7 years (80–90% of scalp hairs), catagen 2–3 weeks, telogen about 3 months, then exogen shedding; waxing is only effective on anagen hair.

Bonds in the cortex: disulphide (strongest, broken by perms and relaxers), hydrogen (broken by water and reset on drying), salt (broken by pH change), peptide (broken only by chemical damage).

Hair composition is 80–90% keratin protein; the elements are carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulphur, and sulphur enables the disulphide bond.

Skin layers: epidermis (stratum corneum and basal layer containing melanocytes), dermis (collagen, elastin, vessels, nerves, glands), subcutaneous layer of fat.

Skin functions: protection, sensation, heat regulation, excretion, secretion, absorption and vitamin D synthesis.

Nail unit: matrix (growth), nail plate, nail bed, eponychium, lunula, hyponychium, lateral folds, free edge; fingernails grow about 0.1 mm per day and toenails about 1 mm per month.

The acid mantle sits at pH 4.5–5.5 on skin and hair; alkaline products swell and roughen the cuticle, acidic products close it and add shine.

Surfactant classes: anionic (SLS, SLES: strongest cleansing and lather), nonionic (mild, conditioning), cationic (conditioning, neutralises the negatively charged hair surface), amphoteric (mild, boosts foam and reduces irritation).

Hard water contains calcium and magnesium salts; it reduces lather, leaves a mineral film and makes hair feel rough, so a chelating or clarifying shampoo is used to remove the build-up.

Shampoo pH is typically 4.5–6.5; water temperature is 35–40 °C and is checked on the inner wrist before wetting the scalp.

Medicated shampoos: zinc pyrithione or ketoconazole for pityriasis capitis (Malassezia-related dandruff), coal tar or salicylic acid for psoriasis-type scaling; refer if the scalp is broken or weeping.

Scalp conditions needing referral: tinea capitis (contagious), psoriasis plaques, seborrhoeic dermatitis with open lesions, head lice, impetigo.

Conditioner types: surface conditioner (cuticle, pH balance, detangling), penetrating or deep conditioner (cortex), protein versus moisturising; protein reconstructors suit porous over-processed hair, moisturisers suit dry brittle hair.

Massage movements: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion); massage is avoided on a contagious scalp condition, open lesions or an inflamed scalp.

After shampooing, blot with a towel rather than rubbing, and detangle from the ends upward with a wide-tooth comb to reduce breakage.

Cutting angles: 0° one length, 45° graduation and stacking, 90° uniform layers, 135–180° long layers and increase of length.

Sectioning uses the four-section (hot cross bun) pattern; each subsection should be no thicker than the length of the scissor blade for accurate control.

Lines: horizontal builds weight and one-length shapes, vertical removes weight and creates layers, diagonal creates a sloping increase in length.

Point cutting softens and texturises ends, slithering slides along the section to reduce weight, notching creates a chunkier texture, thinning shears remove bulk without changing length.

Clipper work: guard numbers and blade grades set the cutting length; clipper-over-comb blends above the occipital bone, scissor-over-comb gives softer graduation.

Blow-drying: remove 80–90% of moisture before styling; the nozzle follows the cuticle from root to point to smooth it; a diffuser is used on curly hair with low heat and low speed.

Styling product function: mousse (volume, light hold), gel (strong hold, wet look), pomade or wax (texture and definition), serum (shine, anti-frizz), hairspray (finishing hold), salt spray (matte texture).

Curly hair is cut dry or with the natural curl pattern respected, because wet length shrinks significantly as it dries.

Scissor safety: blades stay closed when not cutting, scissors are carried point-down, hair is never cut past the first knuckle of the fingers holding it, and thinning shears are used palm-to-palm.

Colour depth runs from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde); tone or reflect is described by the colour wheel, and level plus tone makes up the shade number.

Colour wheel: primaries red, yellow, blue; secondaries orange (red plus yellow), green (yellow plus blue), violet (blue plus red); the opposite colour neutralises, so violet cancels yellow, blue cancels orange and green cancels red.

Developer: 3% or 10 vol deposits or tones only, 6% or 20 vol lifts 1–2 levels, 9% or 30 vol lifts 2–3 levels, 12% or 40 vol lifts 3–4 levels and is not applied to the scalp.

The tint-to-developer mixing ratio is set by the manufacturer, commonly 1:1, 1:1.5 or 1:2; the wrong ratio changes both lift and deposit.

Colour categories: temporary (surface only, one shampoo), semi-permanent (deposit only, 6–8 washes, no lift), quasi or demi-permanent (mild deposit), permanent (oxidative, lifts and deposits inside the cortex).

A patch test is done 48 hours before every colour service and recorded; a strand test predicts result and timing on resistant, previously coloured or unknown hair.

Metallic salts (some henna products and progressive colours) react with peroxide, so hair can overheat, discolour or break; permanent colour is refused when the history is unknown.

Perm and relax chemistry: ammonium thioglycolate at pH 9–9.5 (alkaline) or pH 5.5–6.5 (acid) breaks disulphide bonds; the neutraliser (hydrogen peroxide) reforms them in the new shape.

Chemical contraindications: open scalp lesions, positive patch test, relaxer and bleach on the same area too soon, and hair with poor elasticity that snaps in the wet stretch test instead of stretching.

Skin types: normal, dry, oily, combination, sensitive and mature; conditions such as dehydration, acne and couperose are managed differently from skin types.

Cleansing sequence: oil-based cleanser to dissolve makeup and sebum, then water-based cleanser; eye makeup is removed with a non-oily product on cotton pads.

Exfoliants: mechanical (scrub, gommage, brush) versus chemical (AHA glycolic or lactic on the surface, BHA salicylic inside the pore); avoid on broken skin, active acne, sunburn, recent waxing or retinoid use.

Extraction follows steaming or a warm compress and uses cotton-wrapped fingers or an extractor; it is not performed on inflammatory acne, couperose skin or moles.

Facial massage strokes are effleurage, petrissage, tapotement and vibration; they are contraindicated over inflamed acne, broken capillaries, recent peels or facial surgery.

Mask choice: clay for oily and congested skin, hydrating gel for dehydrated skin, cream for dry and mature skin, peel-off for temporary tightening, thermal for circulation.

The Fitzpatrick scale I–VI guides UV risk and treatment intensity; daily broad-spectrum SPF 30+ is the main aftercare message for every skin type.

Treatment contraindications: recent Botox (about 1–2 weeks), dermal fillers, chemical peels, active cold sores, sunburn, eczema or dermatitis in the treatment area.

Nail unit: matrix (growth, under the cuticle), nail plate, nail bed, eponychium, lunula, hyponychium, lateral folds and free edge.

File natural nails in one direction from corner to centre with a 180–240 grit file; a sawing motion causes delamination; gel and acrylic enhancements are shaped with 100–180 grit.

Nail shapes: square, squoval, oval, almond, stiletto and coffin or ballerina; shape is chosen to suit the hand and nail bed and to keep strength at the stress area.

Cuticle work: apply cuticle remover, push back gently with a hoof stick, and use nippers only on loose dead tissue or hangnails, never on living tissue.

Refer rather than treat: paronychia (red, swollen, pus), onychomycosis (thick, discoloured, crumbly), onycholysis, pitting with psoriasis, and a dark longitudinal streak (melanonychia).

Pedicure contraindications: diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, loss of sensation and anticoagulants, where work continues only with medical consent; no massage over varicose veins or phlebitis.

Hand and foot massage uses effleurage and kneading, moving distal to proximal toward the heart to encourage venous return.

Polish application: base coat, two thin colour coats, top coat; thin coats dry faster and last longer than one thick coat; acetone removes polish but dehydrates the plate, non-acetone is gentler.

Sanitation: single-use files, buffers and orange sticks; metal implements disinfected; the foot spa drained, cleaned and disinfected between clients; razors and blades are never used on the foot.

Warm (strip) wax is applied thinly in the direction of hair growth, covered with fabric, and removed quickly against the growth with the skin held taut; working temperature is around 40 °C.

Hot (non-strip) wax is applied thicker and removed without a strip once set; it is tested on the inner wrist, and a contaminated spatula is never re-dipped into the pot.

Waxing and sugaring contraindications: isotretinoin (6–12 months after stopping), topical retinoids (about 7 days), AHA or peel in the last 2 weeks, recent sun exposure, anticoagulants, diabetes, active infection, moles and varicose veins.

Waxing works on anagen hair; regrowth appears in 3–6 weeks and hair must be at least 5 mm long for warm wax to grip.

Depilatory creams use thioglycolate to dissolve keratin at the surface; they are patch tested 24–48 hours before use and never applied near the eyes or on broken skin.

Aftercare following hair removal: no sunbeds, sauna, swimming, perfumed products or tight clothing for 24 hours, and a soothing post-depilatory lotion is applied.

Colour correction: green cancels redness, peach or orange cancels blue-violet (dark circles), purple cancels yellow dullness, yellow cancels purple bruising.

Makeup hygiene: mascara replaced every 3 months, sponges washed after use, pencils sharpened, products never shared between clients, brushes cleaned and dried.

Cutting shears are 5–7 inches long; a bevel edge suits blunt cutting and a convex edge suits slide cutting; tension is adjusted so the blades close smoothly without pulling.

Thinning shears have one serrated blade and remove bulk; the tooth count determines how much hair is removed with each cut.

Sterilisation versus disinfection: an autoclave (steam at 121 °C and 15 psi for 15–20 minutes) sterilises metal; UV cabinets only disinfect exposed surfaces and do not penetrate debris.

Electrical equipment: plug, flex and casing are checked before every use, PAT test records are kept, dryers and clippers are never immersed in water, clipper blades are oiled and disinfected.

Straighteners and tongs operate at 180–230 °C; ceramic and tourmaline plates distribute heat evenly, and a thermal protection spray is applied before direct heat.

Chemical storage: original labelled containers, lids closed, cool dry place away from sunlight and food, Safety Data Sheet on file, expiry dates checked.

Brush types: round (blow-dry shaping), paddle (detangling and smoothing), vent (fast drying), radial (volume), tint brush (colour application), Denman-style (curl definition).

Combs: cutting comb (fine and wide teeth for control), tail comb (sectioning and weaving), wide-tooth comb (detangling curly hair), afro comb (lifting coily hair).