NC Esthetician key terms

A process that uses chemical agents to destroy most disease-causing microorganisms on hard, nonporous surfaces and tools, but not necessarily bacterial spores.

The complete destruction of all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, usually achieved with an autoclave; required for tools that penetrate or may break the skin.

A lower-level cleaning process that uses soap or detergent and water to physically remove dirt, debris, and many microorganisms from surfaces and linens.

The federal agency that sets and enforces workplace safety rules, including the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard that affects how estheticians handle blood and body fluids.

A standardized document, usually with 16 sections, that explains a product's hazards, safe handling, first aid, and storage; employers must keep these available for chemicals in use.

Disease-causing microorganisms carried in blood or body fluids, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, which can be transmitted through needle sticks or broken skin.

An infection-control approach in which all blood and certain body fluids are treated as potentially infectious, so gloves and other barriers are used with every client.

An EPA-registered product formulated to kill a broad range of pathogens on surfaces and implements; in salons it is used at the label's specified dilution and contact time.

A device that uses steam under pressure to sterilize metal implements and other heat-tolerant items after they have been cleaned and dried.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency reviews and registers disinfectants and pesticides; estheticians should choose products carrying an EPA registration number.

Describes a disease that can be spread from one person to another by direct or indirect contact; contagious conditions are typically contraindications for skin services.

The outermost layer of skin, which has no blood vessels and is made mostly of keratinocytes; it provides the body's first barrier against water loss and infection.

The middle layer of skin, containing collagen, elastin, blood vessels, nerves, glands, and hair follicles; it gives skin strength, nourishment, and sensation.

The deepest skin layer, made largely of fat and connective tissue, which cushions the body, insulates it, and stores energy.

The outermost sublayer of the epidermis, composed of flattened, dead keratinized cells that continuously shed and help limit water loss.

A tough, fibrous protein produced by keratinocytes that makes skin, hair, and nails waterproof and resistant to wear and tear.

The pigment produced by melanocytes that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color and helps protect cells from ultraviolet radiation damage.

A gland usually attached to a hair follicle that secretes sebum, an oily substance that lubricates skin and hair and helps form the acid mantle.

The slightly acidic film on the skin's surface, roughly pH 4.5 to 5.5, formed by sebum and sweat; it helps suppress bacteria and maintain barrier function.

A scale from 0 to 14 that measures acidity or alkalinity, with 7 neutral; skin-friendly products are usually close to the skin's natural mildly acidic pH.

The main structural protein in the dermis, arranged in bundles that give skin firmness and support; production declines with age and sun exposure.

A flexible protein in the dermis that lets skin stretch and return to shape; damage from sun and aging reduces elasticity and contributes to sagging.

The natural shedding of dead cells from the stratum corneum; exfoliation treatments speed this process to leave skin smoother and brighter.

A tube-like pocket in the skin from which hair grows; it extends into the dermis and is connected to sebaceous glands and a tiny muscle.

A sweat gland in the skin that releases perspiration through a pore, helping regulate body temperature and contributing to the skin's surface film.

A six-point classification of skin phototypes based on color and how skin responds to ultraviolet light; it guides treatment selection and sun-protection advice.

A condition, medication, or circumstance that makes a treatment unsafe or inadvisable for a client; identifying these during consultation prevents harm.

A small test application of a product on a discreet area, such as behind the ear, checked after 24 to 48 hours to detect an allergic reaction.

A structured conversation and assessment before a service in which the esthetician reviews the client's history, skin, goals, and contraindications, then proposes a treatment plan.

Any mark, wound, or abnormal change in skin tissue; estheticians must recognize lesions and avoid treating suspicious or infectious ones.

The removal of comedones or milia from pores using gentle pressure or a comedone extractor after the skin has been properly cleansed and prepared.

The removal of dead cells from the skin's surface by mechanical or chemical means to improve texture and allow better penetration of products.

A client's voluntary agreement to a treatment after being told its purpose, steps, risks, benefits, alternatives, and costs in language they understand.

The set of procedures and services an esthetician is legally allowed to perform under state law and licensing; working outside it is unlawful.

The level and type of care that a reasonably competent professional with similar training would provide in the same situation.

Failure to provide the care a reasonably careful professional would provide in similar circumstances, resulting in harm to a client.

Professional negligence by a licensed practitioner that causes injury; it usually requires proving a duty, a breach, causation, and damages.

The ethical and legal duty to protect a client's private information, sharing it only with permission or when the law requires disclosure.

A written or electronic file documenting each visit, including intake answers, consent, products used, services performed, and any reactions or follow-up notes.