NC Barber cheat sheet

Disinfection kills most pathogenic organisms on nonporous surfaces but not necessarily bacterial spores; sterilization kills all microorganisms, including spores.

Implements that contact blood or body fluids require an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant with a tuberculocidal claim; the label contact time governs, commonly 10 minutes for quaternary ammonium solutions.

Disinfectants fail in the presence of organic matter: remove hair, skin, and product residue and wash implements with soap and water before immersion.

Wet sanitizer = closed container of disinfectant solution for immersed, pre-cleaned implements; dry sanitizer = clean, dry, closed cabinet for disinfected implements.

Electrical clippers and dryers are cleaned and wiped with a disinfectant spray or wipe; they are never immersed in liquid.

Single-use porous items (neck strips, cotton, wooden sticks, tissues, razor blades) are discarded after one client and never stored with clean tools.

Blood exposure sequence: stop the service, glove, apply disinfectant, absorb with disposable towels, double-bag the waste, then wash hands with soap and water.

Wash hands with soap and water before and after every client; hand sanitizer does not replace hand washing when hands are visibly soiled.

Do not serve a client with a known contagious condition, inflamed or broken skin, or active infection; refer the client to a physician.

Scalp hair grows about 0.5 inch (1.25 cm) per month; the cycle is anagen (growth), catagen (transition), and telogen (rest and shedding).

Elevation controls structure: 0 degrees = one-length/blunt, 45 degrees = graduated, 90 degrees = uniformly layered, 180 degrees = long-layered.

A stationary guide does not move and builds weight and length (blunt, graduated); a traveling guide moves with each section and produces layering.

Overdirection shifts hair away from its natural fall and increases length on the overdirection side.

Guard numbers: #1 = 1/8 inch (3 mm), #2 = 1/4 inch (6 mm), #3 = 3/8 inch (10 mm), #4 = 1/2 inch (13 mm).

On blunt cuts, establish the perimeter design line first, then cross-check opposite sections for balance.

Texturizing shears and razors reduce bulk and weight without shortening the perimeter line.

Rough-dry to about 80-90 percent dry, then direct airflow from scalp toward ends with the nozzle pointed down the hair shaft to smooth the cuticle.

Fine, lightened, or damaged hair tolerates lower thermal-iron temperatures than coarse, resistant hair; test on a strand first.

Soften the beard with a warm, wet towel and lather before shaving; hydrated hair cuts with less pull and less irritation.

The first pass follows the grain (direction of growth); an against-the-grain pass gives a closer shave but raises the risk of irritation and ingrown hairs.

Rest the razor at a shallow angle and use light, gliding strokes; pressure causes nicks and razor burn.

Standard razor strokes are the free-hand, back-hand, and reverse back-hand strokes, used to reach the neck, jaw, and upper lip safely.

Hone a straight razor on abrasive stones to restore the edge (coarse to fine); strop on leather to align and polish the edge before each use.

Do not shave over moles, warts, inflamed or broken skin, or areas with infection.

Apply astringent or freshener after shaving to remove residue and tighten pores; a styptic stops bleeding from nicks but is not a disinfectant.

For beard and mustache trims, comb hair into its natural growth direction, trim against the comb, and establish the outline before removing bulk.

pH scale: hair and scalp about 4.5-5.5; acid wave 6.5-7; alkaline thioglycolate wave 8-9.5; no-lye relaxer about 9.6-10; lye (sodium hydroxide) relaxer 12-14.

Relaxer service order: shampoo and prep, base the scalp, apply, smooth, rinse thoroughly, then neutralize with an acidic shampoo to stop processing and restore pH.

During a retouch, product goes on new growth only; overlap onto previously relaxed hair is limited to the last few minutes of processing.

Hydrogen peroxide volumes: 10 vol = 3%, 20 vol = 6%, 30 vol = 9%, 40 vol = 12%; 20 vol lifts about one level, 30 vol about two, 40 vol three to four.

Hair pigment is eumelanin (brown/black) and pheomelanin (red/yellow); natural levels run 1 (black) through 10 (lightest blonde).

Patch-test color 24-48 hours before a first application and strand-test to determine processing time.

A permanent wave is a two-step chemical process: a reducing agent breaks disulfide bonds and reshapes them on rods, then an oxidizer (neutralizer) rebuilds them.

Do not apply a relaxer or color over metallic dyes, scalp abrasions, or hair that fails an elasticity or strand test.

Hair layers, outside in: cuticle (protective scales), cortex (bulk, melanin, disulfide bonds), medulla (may be absent in fine hair).

Side bonds: disulfide (strongest; broken by relaxers and waves), salt (broken by pH change), and hydrogen (broken by water and heat).

Wet hair stretches about 50 percent of its length and returns to normal; hair that snaps or stays stretched has low elasticity and limits chemical services.

Porosity: resistant hair has a tight cuticle and resists moisture and color; porous hair absorbs and releases quickly and processes fast.

Scalp disorders not treated in the shop include tinea capitis (fungal), pediculosis (lice), and any inflamed or infected lesion; refer to a physician.

Dandruff (pityriasis) and seborrheic dermatitis can be managed with medicated shampoo; refer when severe or spreading.

Skin layers: epidermis (outer; the basal layer holds melanocytes), dermis (nerves, vessels, glands), and subcutaneous (fat).

Scalp massage manipulations: effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, friction, and vibration.

Massage manipulations: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion), friction (rubbing), and vibration (shaking).

Facial massage direction is upward and outward, following muscle and lymph flow; begin and end with light effleurage.

Contraindications to facial massage: fever, contagious skin disease, cystic or severe acne, recent peel, waxing or surgery, sunburn, and uncontrolled hypertension.

Never massage over pustules, broken skin, or moles; doing so spreads bacteria and can cause scarring.

Basic facial sequence: pre-cleanse, cleanse, exfoliate, steam and extraction (if indicated), massage, mask, tone, moisturize, sunscreen.

Skin types are normal, dry, oily, and combination (oily T-zone with normal-to-dry cheeks); the Fitzpatrick I-VI scale rates sun sensitivity.

Massage benefits include increased circulation, softened sebum, desquamation, and relaxation; a typical facial massage runs about 5-10 minutes.

Barbering in North Carolina is regulated by the NC Board of Barber Examiners under the North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 86A.

The Board licenses barbers, issues shop licenses, sets sanitation standards, approves schools, and administers written and practical examinations.

North Carolina requires 1,528 clock hours of barber curriculum at a licensed school before a candidate may take the licensing examination.

Licenses and shop permits must be current and displayed in the shop; practicing on an expired or lapsed license is a violation.

Board inspectors may enter and inspect a licensed shop during business hours; refusal to permit an inspection is grounds for discipline.

Grounds for discipline include unlicensed practice, unsanitary practices, intoxication or drug use on the job, and fraud in obtaining a license.

Sanitation rules require a wet sanitizer with an approved disinfectant, clean covered containers, and clean towels and linens for each client.

Barbers must not service contagious or infectious skin conditions and must refer affected clients to a physician.