Core Competencies: Cutting, Styling, Treatment and Chemical Services
Core Competencies are the technical units: hair and scalp treatment, hair cutting, hair styling, hair coloring, and chemical waving or relaxing. Items test cutting geometry, color and perm chemistry, and the safety checks that must happen before the first snip or application.
Cutting geometry
- Section, distribute, elevate, cut. Elevation decides the shape: 0° one-length, 45° graduated, 90° uniform layer, 180° long layer.
- Use a stationary guide for solid form and a mobile guide for layering; keep tension even and let the blade cut.
- Cross-check at 90° and 180° before finishing; dry the hair, because density changes the result.
Treatment and styling
- Analyse first. Open wounds, contagious scalp conditions or active dermatitis mean no service and a referral.
- Massage: effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, working from the nape upward.
- Blow-dry, roller set and thermal iron: heat protection, even section size, firm tension, cool shot to set.
Color and chemical waving
- Levels run 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde). Developer volume sets lift on virgin hair: 10 deposit, 20 about one level, 30 about two, 40 about three.
- Patch test 24–48 hours before color; strand test for porosity and timing; record the formula.
- Perm: wrap, saturate, test curl, rinse, blot, neutralize for the full time, no shampoo for 24–48 hours.
- Relaxer: protect the scalp, base, apply to new growth only, never overlap, neutralize and check with pH paper.
Example: natural level 4, target level 6. That is two levels of lift on virgin hair, so 30 volume with a permanent tint. 20 volume would land at level 5; 40 volume over-lifts, exposes warmth and raises scalp risk. Because two levels of lift reveals orange undertone, pick a cool target shade or tone afterwards. On previously colored hair the arithmetic changes - strand test first.
Traps: measuring elevation from the head instead of the hair; overlapping relaxer; skipping the test curl; treating 40 volume as faster rather than stronger; coloring an irritated scalp.