NH Esthetician key terms

An infection-control approach treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, requiring gloves and other barriers with every client regardless of known health status.

Using an EPA-registered hospital-grade product to destroy most harmful microorganisms on nonporous implements and surfaces after cleaning, without necessarily killing bacterial spores.

A process that destroys all microbial life, including bacterial spores, typically achieved with an autoclave using steam under pressure.

A microorganism present in blood that can cause disease, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV, spread through contact with infected blood or body fluids.

A specific event in which a worker's skin, eye, mucous membrane, or broken skin contacts blood or other potentially infectious material, requiring immediate washing and reporting.

The outermost, avascular layer of skin, composed of stratified squamous epithelium, whose basal layer continuously produces new cells that migrate outward and keratinize.

The outermost epidermal layer of flattened, keratin-filled dead cells that forms the skin's primary barrier against water loss and external irritants.

The predominant cell of the epidermis, produced in the basal layer, which migrates toward the surface while manufacturing keratin and eventually sheds.

A cell located in the epidermal basal layer that produces melanin pigment and transfers it to surrounding keratinocytes, determining skin and hair color and providing some UV protection.

The middle skin layer beneath the epidermis, containing collagen and elastin fibers, blood vessels, nerves, glands, and hair follicles, which supplies nutrients to the avascular epidermis.

An oil-producing gland usually attached to a hair follicle that secretes sebum, lubricating skin and hair and contributing to acne when the follicle becomes blocked.

The passive movement of water from inside the body through the epidermis to the environment, which increases when the barrier is damaged or depleted of lipids.

The skin's ability to retain moisture and block entry of irritants, allergens, and microbes, maintained largely by corneocytes and intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum.

A classification of a client's baseline skin behavior, commonly oily, dry, normal, or combination, based on oil production and hydration rather than on temporary reactions.

A temporary or treatable state of the skin such as dehydration, sensitivity, or acne, distinguished from a fixed skin type and used to select appropriate products and services.

A six-point classification of skin phototype based on color and tendency to burn or tan, used to estimate sun sensitivity and guide treatment intensity and waxing precautions.

A blocked hair follicle; open comedones (blackheads) have a dark oxidized surface, while closed comedones (whiteheads) remain covered by skin and may progress to inflammation.

An inflammatory follicular disorder involving excess sebum, abnormal keratinization, bacterial activity, and inflammation, presenting with comedones, papules, pustules, or cysts.

A condition, medication, or circumstance that makes a treatment unsafe or inadvisable for a client, requiring modification, postponement, or referral rather than proceeding.

A client's voluntary agreement to a service after being told its purpose, expected results, risks, alternatives, and aftercare, documented in the client record before treatment begins.

A confidential record completed before service that captures health history, medications, allergies, prior reactions, and skin concerns, forming the basis for treatment decisions and documentation.

The retained documentation of each visit, including intake data, observations, products used, treatment performed, consent, and outcomes, kept accurately and confidentially.

A small application of a product on a limited skin area, observed for a set period, to detect an allergic or irritant reaction before full use.

A substance that triggers an immune-mediated reaction in a sensitized person, causing signs such as redness, itching, swelling, or hives on contact.

The process by which repeated exposure to a substance causes the immune system to become reactive, so later contact produces an allergic response.

The removal of makeup, sebum, and environmental debris from the face using a suitable cleanser and gentle technique, the first step of most facial treatments.

The removal of dead cells from the skin surface by mechanical means such as scrubs or by chemical means such as acids and enzymes, improving texture and product penetration.

The controlled removal of comedones or follicular contents using gentle pressure or a comedone extractor, performed only on suitable skin with proper preparation and hygiene.

A resin-based wax applied warm and removed without a cloth strip, gripping hair as it cools and often used on sensitive or smaller areas such as the face and bikini line.

A thin, resin-based wax applied warm and removed with a cloth strip pressed over it, effective on larger areas and finer hair but more likely to adhere to live skin.

The repeating phases of hair development, including active growth, transition, and rest, which determine why hair must reach sufficient length and why waxing requires repeat visits.

The active growth phase of the hair cycle, when the hair is firmly anchored and most resistant to removal, so waxing during this phase can be less effective.

Hair removal using a paste of sugar, water, and lemon applied against hair growth and removed with the grain, water-soluble and often gentler on sensitive skin.

A service that curls and lifts natural lashes using a chemical solution and setting lotion, requiring a patch test and careful timing to avoid overprocessing.

A measure of acidity or alkalinity from 0 to 14, with 7 neutral; skin is slightly acidic near pH 5, and products far from that range can disrupt the barrier.

A molecule with water-loving and oil-loving ends that allows oil and water to mix, forming the basis of cleansers that lift sebum and debris from skin.

An ingredient such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid that attracts and holds water, helping to hydrate the stratum corneum when applied topically.

The legally permitted range of services and activities a licensed esthetician may perform, beyond which the practitioner must refer the client to another professional.

The professional and legal duty to protect client personal and health information from unauthorized disclosure, including secure storage of intake forms and treatment records.