SC Esthetician flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Stratum basale
- The deepest epidermal layer, a single row of dividing keratinocytes on the basement membrane; it also houses melanocytes and Merkel cells for pigment and touch.
- Melanin function
- Melanin is pigment produced by melanocytes and transferred to keratinocytes; it absorbs ultraviolet radiation and gives skin, hair, and eyes their color.
- Acid mantle
- The slightly acidic film of sebum, sweat, and skin cells on the surface, pH about 4.5 to 5.5, which limits bacterial growth and supports barrier repair.
- Collagen and elastin
- Fibroblasts in the dermis produce collagen fibers for strength and elastin fibers for stretch and recoil; both decline with age and cumulative sun damage.
- Sebaceous gland
- An oil gland attached to a hair follicle that secretes sebum; it is largest and most numerous on the face, scalp, chest, and back, and absent on palms and soles.
- Disinfection
- A process using an EPA-registered product that destroys most pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses on hard, nonporous surfaces, but not bacterial spores.
- Sterilization
- The complete destruction of all microbial life, including bacterial spores, usually by autoclave; required for items that penetrate skin or contact blood.
- Standard precautions
- Treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious; wear gloves for contact, wash hands before and after, and use barriers and sharps containers consistently.
- Contact time
- The number of minutes a surface or implement must stay wet with disinfectant according to the manufacturer's label, commonly ten minutes, to achieve the stated kill claims.
- Single-use items
- Porous or disposable supplies such as cotton, tissues, wooden spatulas, sponges, and paper strips that are used once on one client and then discarded.
- Open comedo
- A plugged hair follicle with a widened opening; the dark color comes from oxidized sebum and melanin, not dirt, and it may be extracted after softening.
- Fitzpatrick scale
- A six-level classification of skin response to ultraviolet exposure, from type I (always burns, never tans) to type VI (deeply pigmented, rarely burns).
- Primary lesion
- A structural skin change appearing on previously normal skin, such as a macule, papule, pustule, vesicle, bulla, wheal, nodule, cyst, or tumor.
- Cold sore contraindication
- Active herpes simplex lesions are contagious; no facial, massage, or waxing service is performed near them, and the client is referred to a physician.
- ABCDE rule
- A referral guide for pigmented lesions: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter larger than 6 mm, and Evolving size, shape, or symptoms.
- Effleurage
- A light, gliding massage stroke performed with relaxed hands in an upward and outward direction; it warms tissue, aids relaxation, and links other movements.
- Petrissage
- A kneading or lifting massage movement that compresses soft tissue and muscle; it is deeper than effleurage and used only where there is adequate tissue.
- Extraction rule
- Only non-inflamed open and closed comedones are extracted, after warm steam softening; papules, pustules, and cysts are left alone to avoid spread and scarring.
- AHA versus BHA
- Alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic and lactic are water-soluble and exfoliate the surface; beta hydroxy acid, salicylic, is oil-soluble and penetrates follicles.
- Violet high frequency
- Alternating, or Tesla, current delivered through a violet glass electrode; it produces ozone and is used briefly over oily, acneic skin to reduce bacteria.
- Anagen phase
- The active growth phase of a hair, lasting roughly two to six years; the follicle is deepest and the hair responds best to waxing and light-based treatments.
- Wax application direction
- Wax is spread in the direction of hair growth and removed against the growth direction while the skin is held taut, which reduces breakage and discomfort.
- Sugaring paste
- A water-soluble mixture of sugar, water, and lemon applied against the hair growth and removed with the growth; it is gentle and cleans up with water.
- Green corrector
- A green-toned concealer or primer that neutralizes redness from acne, rosacea, or broken capillaries, because complementary colors cancel each other on the skin.
- Humectant
- An ingredient such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid that attracts and holds water in the upper skin layers, improving hydration and plumping the surface.
- Salicylic acid
- An oil-soluble beta hydroxy acid that penetrates sebaceous follicles, exfoliates dead cells, and reduces comedones; it is used on oily and acneic skin.
- SPF meaning
- Sun protection factor compares the time to sunburn with and without product, measuring UVB defense; it does not by itself indicate UVA protection.
- Galvanic current
- A direct electrical current with two modes: desincrustation, which softens sebum using the negative pole, and iontophoresis, which drives water-soluble products in.
- SC Board of Cosmetology
- The licensing body for estheticians, cosmetologists, nail technicians, instructors, and salons in South Carolina, administered through the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
- License availability
- A current license must be kept at the licensed workplace and made available for inspection by the Board or its agents; working without one is unlawful.
- Esthetician scope
- Licensed estheticians perform cleansing, facials, masks, makeup, hair removal, and superficial exfoliation; deep chemical peels, injectables, and laser resurfacing are medical procedures.
- Board disciplinary power
- The Board may deny, suspend, or revoke a license, impose fines, or require remediation for violations such as unsanitary practice, unlicensed work, or fraud.