NE Cosmetology cheat sheet

Hair is composed mainly of keratin, a fibrous protein held together by disulfide, salt, hydrogen, and peptide bonds; disulfide bonds are the strongest and are broken only by chemical relaxers and perms.

The pH scale runs 0-14; hair and skin sit near pH 4.5-5.5 (acid mantle), shampoo is typically 4.5-7, and alkaline solutions swell and roughen the cuticle.

The three growth phases are anagen (active growth, roughly 2-7 years), catagen (transition, about 2-3 weeks), and telogen (resting/shedding, about 3 months); roughly 90% of scalp hair is in anagen at any time.

The hair shaft has three layers: medulla (innermost, may be absent in fine hair), cortex (bulk of the fiber, contains melanin and moisture), and cuticle (outer overlapping scales that control shine and porosity).

Porosity describes the cuticle's ability to absorb moisture: low porosity resists absorption and needs heat or alkalinity, high porosity absorbs and loses moisture quickly and needs protein and conditioning.

Texture refers to the diameter of the individual strand (fine, medium, coarse); density refers to the number of strands per square inch; elasticity is the ability to stretch and return, and healthy wet hair stretches about 50% of its length.

The three main types of side bonds are hydrogen bonds (broken by water and heat, allow temporary styling), salt bonds (broken by pH changes), and disulfide bonds (broken by thio or hydroxide relaxers).

Cosmetic products are classified as solutions (alcohol-based, evaporate), suspensions (solid particles dispersed in liquid, need shaking), emulsions (oil and water held by an emulsifier), and gels (thickened by gum).

The skin has three layers: epidermis (outermost, avascular), dermis (contains nerves, glands, and blood vessels), and subcutaneous tissue (fat and connective tissue); the barrier layer of the epidermis limits water loss.

Wet hair is stretched and shaped with tension; the three basic shaping forms are volume-based (base to ends of a subsection), graduated (base to ends with weight build-up), and uniform (equal subsection length).

The four basic haircutting sections are front, sides, crown, and nape; the four basic subsection elevations are 0 degrees (blunt), 45 degrees (graduated), 90 degrees (uniform), and 180 degrees (long-layered).

A blunt cut uses 0-degree elevation with no over-direction; a long-layered cut uses 180-degree elevation to create length and movement.

A relaxer's active ingredient is either sodium hydroxide (lye, pH around 12-14) or ammonium thioglycolate (no-lye, pH around 9-10); both break disulfide bonds and must be neutralized or shampooed out to rebuild them.

A relaxer retouch should be applied to new growth only, usually every 6-10 weeks, and the product should never be pulled through previously relaxed hair without a specific smoothing technique.

For a permanent wave, the two-step process is (1) a reducing agent such as ammonium thioglycolate breaks disulfide bonds, and (2) a neutralizer such as hydrogen peroxide or sodium bromate rebuilds them in the new shape.

A patch test for hair color is typically done 24-48 hours before the service, and a strand test verifies processing time, color result, and hair condition before full application.

The developer (hydrogen peroxide) strength controls lift: 10 volume (3%) for deposit only, 20 volume (6%) for 1-2 levels of lift, 30 volume (9%) for 2-3 levels, and 40 volume (12%) for 3-4 levels.

A thermal blow-dry should keep the dryer nozzle at least 6 inches from the hair and moving constantly, and a curling iron should be tested by touch to avoid scalp burns.

The nail plate is made of keratin and has three main parts: the free edge, the nail body, and the root; the nail bed is the skin beneath the plate.

The cuticle (eponychium) is the tissue overlapping the base of the nail, and the hyponychium is the seal beneath the free edge; the lunula is the visible white half-moon at the base.

The nail matrix is the living tissue that produces nail cells; damage to the matrix causes ridges, grooves, or permanent deformity of the nail plate.

A standard manicure sequence is soak and soften, shape with a file (one direction only), push cuticle with a pusher, apply base coat, color, top coat, and finish with massage; tools are disinfected between clients.

Nail disorders that should be referred rather than serviced include paronychia (bacterial infection of the nail fold), onychomycosis (fungal infection), and onycholysis (separation of the plate from the bed).

The skin's natural barrier is the acid mantle at pH 4.5-5.5; cleansing products should be matched to skin type (dry, oily, combination, sensitive) and toners restore pH after cleansing.

Facial massage movements are effleurage (light gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion), and friction; each should follow the direction of muscle and lymph flow toward the lymph nodes.

Sunscreen for a facial service should be broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and reapplied every 2 hours; UV exposure is the leading cause of premature skin aging.

A patch test is required before any product that contains a known allergen such as hair dye or lash adhesive; a 24-hour wait is typical before service.

Nebraska cosmetology licensure is administered by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under the Cosmetology, Electrology, Esthetics, Nail Technology, and Body Art Practice Act.

Nebraska requires 2,100 clock hours of training for a cosmetologist license, 300 hours for a nail technologist, and 600 hours for an esthetician; graduates must pass a written and practical exam.

Nebraska licenses must be renewed every 2 years and the licensee must complete 8 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle, including at least 2 hours of sanitation.

A Nebraska salon must display its establishment license and each licensee's individual license in a conspicuous place visible to the public.

Nebraska law requires that all implements that contact skin or hair be cleaned and disinfected with an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant after each client, and porous items such as nail files and orange wood sticks must be discarded or given to the client.

Blood and body fluid spills must be cleaned with gloves, absorbed with disposable material, and the surface disinfected with an EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectant; contaminated waste goes in a covered, lined container.

Hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is required before and after each client and after removing gloves; hand sanitizer is not a substitute when hands are visibly soiled.

Nebraska requires that a licensee report a change of name or address to DHHS within 30 days and that a salon report a change of ownership before operating under the new owner.

OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires an exposure control plan, Hepatitis B vaccination offered to at-risk employees, and the use of personal protective equipment such as gloves and safety glasses.