TN Barber cheat sheet

Tennessee barbering is regulated by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners under the Department of Commerce and Insurance.

A valid Tennessee barber license is required to perform barbering services for compensation; a separate shop license is required for the business location.

Licensed shops are subject to inspection by board representatives during business hours; licenses and sanitation records must be available for review.

Unlicensed practice, allowing unlicensed persons to perform services, or obtaining a license by fraud are grounds for disciplinary action.

A shop must have hot and cold running water, hand-washing facilities, and adequate lighting and ventilation.

Chemicals and sanitizing agents must be stored in labeled containers and kept out of reach of clients and children.

Advertising and pricing must be accurate; false or misleading claims about services or credentials violate board rules.

Disinfection kills most pathogenic organisms on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores.

Use an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant with a tuberculocidal claim for implements contaminated with blood or saliva.

Implements must be cleaned of debris, fully immersed in disinfectant, and left for the manufacturer's stated contact time.

Porous items that cannot be disinfected, such as neck strips, must be discarded after a single use.

Hands must be washed with soap and water before and after each client and after removing gloves.

Blood or body-fluid spills: wear gloves, absorb, clean with soap and water, disinfect, and place waste in a biohazard bag.

Soiled towels and capes must be stored in a closed container and replaced with clean linens for each client.

Electrical equipment must be inspected for damaged cords; water and electrical outlets must not be combined.

Safety Data Sheets for all chemicals must be kept accessible to workers.

Elevation is the angle at which hair is held from the scalp; 0 degrees produces a blunt or one-length cut, 45 degrees graduation, 90 degrees uniform layers, and 180 degrees long layers.

The guide is the first section cut and sets the length that all other sections follow.

Tapering reduces length gradually toward the ears and neckline, blending short perimeter hair into longer top hair.

Clipper-over-comb and scissor-over-comb techniques blend transition areas without visible lines.

Cross-checking the cut from opposite directions reveals uneven sections before finishing.

Cut hair with tension and slight elevation; hair springs up when dry, so account for shrinkage.

A neck strip or fresh towel is placed under the cape to prevent cape contact with skin.

Texturizing shears remove bulk and create movement; they should not be used to shorten the overall length.

Growth patterns such as cowlicks require working with the natural direction rather than against it.

A straight razor is held at approximately 30 degrees to the skin, and skin is stretched taut ahead of the blade.

Shaving with the grain reduces irritation; against-grain strokes give a closer shave but increase razor-burn risk.

Warm, moist towels soften the beard and open follicles before lathering.

A beard neckline is typically set at the jawline or about one finger above the Adam's apple; cheek lines are squared or natural.

Pseudofolliculitis barbae, or razor bumps, is managed by avoiding close against-grain shaving and using sharp, clean blades.

Used blades must go into a rigid sharps container; never leave loose blades on a station or in a towel.

Aftershave products with alcohol can sting; alcohol-free balms are used for sensitive or irritated skin.

Moustache and beard lines are finished with trimmers and checked for symmetry from the client's front view.

Razor handles and clippers are disinfected after each client; blades are one-use or sterilized per rule.

Aniline hair color requires a patch test 24 to 48 hours before the first application or after a formulation change.

A strand test determines processing time, color result, and hair tolerance before the full service.

Developer volume: 10 volume (3 percent) deposits color, 20 volume (6 percent) lifts 1 to 2 levels, 30 volume (9 percent) lifts 2 to 3, and 40 volume (12 percent) lifts 3 to 4.

Law of color: primary colors are blue, red, and yellow; secondary colors are violet, green, and orange; opposites neutralize.

Sodium hydroxide relaxers have a pH near 12 to 14 and require scalp protection and careful timing.

Neutralizing shampoo lowers relaxer pH and removes alkaline residue; lather until it stays white or pink.

Permanent wave solution reduces disulfide bonds; the neutralizer reforms them to set the curl.

Do not apply color or relaxer to scalp with abrasions, open lesions, or active dermatitis.

Processing time increases with heat and with porous or previously damaged hair; never exceed manufacturer instructions.

Hair analysis evaluates texture, density, porosity, and elasticity before chemical or thermal services.

Porosity is the hair's ability to absorb moisture; highly porous hair accepts color quickly and may fade fast.

Wet hair with normal elasticity stretches about 50 percent and returns; hair that does not return is damaged.

Contagious scalp conditions such as tinea capitis, lice, or scabies require referral to a physician and no service.

Scalp massage manipulations include effleurage, petrissage, friction, and tapotement.

Shampoo is massaged into the scalp with fingertips, not nails, and rinsed thoroughly before conditioner.

Conditioner is applied to midshaft and ends, not the scalp, for oily scalp types.

Skin care basics: cleanse, exfoliate as tolerated, moisturize, and apply sunscreen.

Dandruff is treated with medicated shampoo; psoriasis plaques are not to be picked or abraded.

The skin has three main layers: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer.

The hair follicle contains the bulb, papilla, sebaceous gland, and arrector pili muscle.

The papilla supplies blood and nutrients to the hair bulb.

Skull bones include frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, zygomatic, maxilla, and mandible.

Muscles of the face and scalp include frontalis, temporalis, occipitalis, masseter, and sternocleidomastoid.

Cranial nerve VII, the facial nerve, controls muscles of facial expression; cranial nerve V, the trigeminal, carries facial sensation.

The external carotid artery supplies the face and scalp; the temporal artery is a palpable branch.

Cervical lymph nodes drain the head and neck and may swell with infection.

Hair growth cycles are anagen, catagen, and telogen.

Cutting shears are used only on hair; thinning shears have one serrated blade and remove bulk.

Clippers and trimmers require blade cleaning, disinfection, and oiling after each client.

Shears should be oiled at the pivot, sharpened professionally, and never dropped or used to cut anything but hair.

A hydraulic or reclining barber chair must be stable and adjusted to the client's height for ergonomic service.

Shop management includes inventory control, appointment scheduling, pricing, and employee records.

Chemicals must be stored in labeled, closed containers away from heat and out of reach of children.

Safety Data Sheets must be accessible for every chemical product in the shop.

A first-aid kit and emergency contact numbers should be available and checked regularly.

Client records should note services, products used, patch tests, and any adverse reactions.