Scientific Concepts
35%of exam
Infection ControlAnatomyChemistryElectricityBacteriology
Hair Care + Services
45%of exam
Skin Care + Services
10%of exam
Nail Care + Services
10%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- NIC Cosmetology Theory
- Sponsor
- NIC + State Boards
- Questions
- 110 (100 scored)
- Time
- 90 minutes
- Pass
- 75% (state varies)
- Fee
- $50-$150
- Delivery
- CBT via PSI
- Hours
- 1,000-2,100 school
Hair pH Range
Hair sits 4.5 to 5.5
Below 7: acidicAbove 7: alkalineAcidic: smooth
Sanitize vs Disinfect vs Sterilize
Sanitize
- Cleans surface
- Soap and water
- Lowest level
Sterilize
- Kills all microbes
- Autoclave only
- Highest level
Disinfect lives between
Disinfection Picker
- Penetrates skin→Autoclave(Sterilize)
- Multi-use tool→EPA disinfectant(10 min)
- Touched blood→Tuberculocidal(Or discard)
- Porous file→Single-use(Throw away)
- Pedicure tub→Disinfect 10 min(After client)
- Linens→Hot wash launder(Per client)
- Skin spill→Stop, glove, clean(OSHA)
Infection Control Levels
- Sanitation
- Cleaning, lowest level
- Disinfection
- Kills most pathogensEPA
- Sterilization
- Kills all microorganisms
- Autoclave
- Steam, 250-270 F
- Wet sanitizer
- Submerge disinfectant jar
- Contact time
- Usually 10 minutes
- Single-use
- Discard after client
Pathogens + Safety
- Bacteria
- One-celled microorganisms
- Cocci
- Round bacteria
- Bacilli
- Rod-shaped bacteria
- Spirilla
- Spiral bacteria
- Virus
- Submicroscopic, needs host
- HBV / HCV / HIV
- Bloodborne pathogens
- Universal Precautions
- Treat all infectious
- SDS
- Safety Data Sheet
Anatomy + Physiology
- Integumentary
- Skin, hair, nails
- Epidermis
- Outer skin layer
- Dermis
- Middle skin layer
- Subcutaneous
- Fat, deepest layer
- Sebaceous gland
- Produces sebum oil
- Sudoriferous gland
- Produces sweat
- Melanin
- Pigment, UV defense
- Sternocleidomastoid
- Side neck muscle
Chemistry Basics
- pH scale
- 0-14, 7 neutral
- Hair pH
- 4.5-5.5 acidic
- Alkaline
- Above 7, swells cuticle
- Oxidation
- Adds oxygen, lifts
- Reduction
- Adds hydrogen, softens
- Emulsion
- Oil + water blend
- Surfactant
- Allows water mixing
- Keratin
- Hair, nail protein
Electricity + Light
- Galvanic
- Direct current, facials
- Anaphoresis
- Positive pole, products
- Cataphoresis
- Negative pole, soften
- High-frequency
- Tesla, antiseptic
- UV-A
- Cures gel polish
- UV-C
- Germicidal lamp
- Infrared
- Heat, deep penetration
ABCs of Color
Base + Tone + Lift
Base: levelTone: warm/coolLift: volume
Tinea vs Lice vs Dandruff
Tinea capitis
- Ring lesions
- Fungal infection
- Refer doctor
Pediculosis
- Live lice
- Nits on shaft
- Refer doctor
Dandruff is flakes
Color Formula Picker
- Cover gray, no lift→10 vol(Deposit)
- Lift 1-2 levels→20 vol(Standard)
- Lift 2-3 levels→30 vol(Highlights)
- Lift 3-4 levels→40 vol(High-lift only)
- Pre-lighten dark→Lightener(Then tone)
- Cancel brassy→Violet toner(Cool result)
- Refresh ends→Demi gloss(No ammonia)
Hair Structure
- Cuticle
- Outer scale layer
- Cortex
- Middle, holds pigment
- Medulla
- Innermost core
- Anagen
- Growth phase
- Catagen
- Transition phase
- Telogen
- Resting, shedding phase
- Porosity
- Absorbs moisture, chemicals
- Elasticity
- Stretch and return
4 Ps of Consultation
Picture, Plan, Patch, Proceed
Picture: goalPlan: formulaPatch: 24-48 hrProceed: service
Lightener vs Toner
Lightener
- Removes pigment
- Adds lift
- Bleach product
Toner
- Adds tone
- No lift
- Cancels brass
Lift first, then tone
Chemical Texture Picker
- Curl resistant hair→Alkaline thio(Cold wave)
- Color-treated hair→Acid wave(Gentler)
- Coarse curly→Sodium hydroxide(Lye relaxer)
- Fine, sensitive scalp→No-lye relaxer(Thio base)
- Frizz reduction→Keratin smoothing(Ventilate)
- Lash perm needed→Refer specialist(Scope check)
Haircutting Basics
- Blunt cut
- One length, zero elevation
- Graduation
- Stacked, 1-89 degrees
- Layered cut
- 90+ degree elevation
- Slithering
- Shear thinning technique
- Slicing
- Open shears, texture
- Razor cut
- Softer, tapered ends
- Apex
- Highest point head
- Guideline
- First section length
Growth Phases ACT
Anagen, Catagen, Telogen
Anagen: growCatagen: changeTelogen: shed
Single vs Double Process
Single-process
- Lift and deposit
- One application
- Permanent color
Double-process
- Pre-lighten step
- Then tone
- Blonde transformations
One step vs two
Haircolor + Lightening
- Level
- Lightness, 1 dark to 10
- Tone
- Warm, cool, neutral
- Primary colors
- Red, yellow, blue
- Complementary
- Opposite, neutralizes tone
- Single-process
- Color in one application
- Double-process
- Lighten then tone
- 10 vol
- Deposit only
- 20 vol
- Lifts 1-2 levels
- 30 vol
- Lifts 2-3 levels
- 40 vol
- High lift, 3-4 levels
Slithering vs Slicing
Slithering
- Closed shears
- Sliding cut
- Removes weight
Slicing
- Open shears
- Long stroke
- Adds texture
Closed vs open shears
Chemical Texture
- Cold wave
- Thio, alkaline perm
- Acid wave
- GMTG, low pH
- Disulfide bond
- Strongest side bond
- Neutralizer
- Re-forms disulfide bonds
- Sodium hydroxide
- Lye relaxer, strongest
- Thio relaxer
- No-lye, ammonium thio
- Keratin smoothing
- Reduces frizz, formaldehyde
- Pre-neutralizing rinse
- Stops relaxer action
Razor vs Shear
Razor cut
- Soft, tapered ends
- Wet hair only
- Removes weight
Shear cut
- Blunt, clean ends
- Wet or dry
- Precise lines
Soft vs blunt
Scalp + Hair Disorders
- Tinea capitis
- Scalp ringworm, fungal
- Pediculosis capitis
- Head lice infestation
- Dandruff
- Pityriasis, flaky scalp
- Alopecia
- Hair loss
- Trichoptilosis
- Split ends
- Canities
- Gray hair
- Hypertrichosis
- Excessive hair growth
- Folliculitis
- Inflamed hair follicle
Patch Test vs Strand Test
Patch test
- Allergy check
- Behind ear
- 24-48 hours
Strand test
- Color result check
- Tests hair
- Same day
Skin vs hair test
RICE Emergency
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
Rest: stopIce: packCompression: wrapElevation: raise
Skin + Facials
- Fitzpatrick I
- Always burns, never tans
- Fitzpatrick VI
- Never burns, deeply pigmented
- Comedo
- Clogged follicle, blackhead
- Milia
- Pearly keratin cysts
- Rosacea
- Chronic facial redness
- AHA
- Glycolic, lactic acids
- BHA
- Salicylic, oil soluble
- Desincrustation
- Softens, loosens sebum
Hair Removal
- Soft wax
- Strip wax, fine hair
- Hard wax
- No strip, sensitive
- Threading
- Twisted cotton thread
- Sugaring
- Paste, applied against growth
- Electrolysis
- Permanent, electric needle
- Laser
- Reduces, melanin target
- Accutane
- No wax, 6 months
- Retin-A area
- Avoid waxing zone
Hard Gel vs Acrylic vs Soft Gel
Hard gel
- Files off
- Light cured
- No soak removal
Acrylic
- Monomer plus powder
- Air cured
- File or soak
Soft gel soaks off
Nail Anatomy
- Nail plate
- Visible hardened keratin
- Nail bed
- Skin under plate
- Matrix
- Living growth tissue
- Lunula
- White half-moon
- Eponychium
- Living skin around base
- Cuticle
- Dead tissue on plate
- Hyponychium
- Under free edge
- Free edge
- Past fingertip
Nail Services
- Basic manicure
- Shape, cuticle, polish
- French manicure
- Pink base, white tip
- Paraffin
- Warm wax conditioning
- Acrylic
- Monomer plus polymer
- UV gel
- Light-cured resin
- Dip powder
- Resin and powder system
- Hard gel
- Files off, no soak
- Soft gel
- Soaks off acetone
Nail Disorders
- Onychomycosis
- Fungal nail infection
- Onycholysis
- Lifting from bed
- Onychorrhexis
- Brittle split nails
- Paronychia
- Bacterial fold infection
- Hangnail
- Agnail, torn cuticle
- Leukonychia
- White spots, trauma
- Pterygium
- Cuticle overgrowth
- Beau lines
- Horizontal ridges, illness
Common Traps
Sanitize vs disinfect
Sanitize cleans ≠ Disinfect kills pathogens
Strand vs patch test
Strand checks color ≠ Patch checks allergy
Lightener vs toner
Lightener removes pigment ≠ Toner cancels brass
Cuticle vs eponychium
Cuticle is dead ≠ Eponychium is living
Capes between clients
Never share unprotected ≠ Use neck strip barrier
Cosmetologist scope
No medical diagnosis ≠ Refer skin disease
Tinea vs alopecia
Tinea is fungal ≠ Alopecia is hair loss
Last Minute
- 1.Weights: 35 / 45 / 10 / 10
- 2.Sanitize, disinfect, sterilize order
- 3.Hair pH stays 4.5-5.5
- 4.Anagen, catagen, telogen sequence
- 5.Patch test 24-48 hours prior
- 6.Strand test predicts color result
- 7.20 vol lifts 1-2 levels
- 8.Complementary colors neutralize tone
- 9.Disulfide bonds, strongest side bond
- 10.Lye relaxer = sodium hydroxide
- 11.Refer all contagious skin conditions
- 12.Universal Precautions, treat all infectious
- 13.Single-use files, discard after client
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