Scientific Concepts
35%of exam
Infection ControlAnatomy + PhysiologyChemistryNC Board RulesSalon Rules
Hair Care and Services
45%of exam
Skin Care and Services
10%of exam
Skin TypesFacialsHair RemovalContraindications
Nail Care and Services
10%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- NC Cosmetology
- Items
- 110 (100 scored)
- Time
- 90 minutes
- Pass
- 75%
- Fee
- $49
- Admin
- Prov
- Format
- Multiple choice
- Hours
- 1,500 (1,200 apprentice)
Hair Layers Outside In
Cuticle -> Cortex -> Medulla
Cuticle: protectsCortex: color + strengthMedulla: core
Disinfection vs Sterilization
Disinfection
- Kills most pathogens
- Non-porous surfaces
- EPA-registered chemicals
Sterilization
- Kills all microbes
- Includes spores
- Autoclave
Most vs all
Infection Control Picker
- Visible soil on tool→Clean first
- Non-porous reusable tool→Disinfect(EPA-registered)
- Porous single-use item→Discard(One client)
- Blood on implement→Tuberculocidal disinfectant
- Highest level needed→Autoclave(Sterilize)
- Client fungal nail→Refuse service
Infection Control Levels
- Sanitation
- Lowers germ counts
- Cleaning
- Removes visible soil
- Disinfection
- Kills most pathogens
- Sterilization
- Kills all microbesHighest
- Autoclave
- Steam sterilizer
- Order
- Clean before disinfect
Infection Control Ladder
Clean -> Disinfect -> Sterilize
Clean: remove soilDisinfect: kill pathogensSterilize: kill all
Sanitation vs Disinfection
Sanitation
- Lowers germ counts
- Removes visible soil
- Not pathogen-killing
Disinfection
- Destroys most pathogens
- Chemical immersion
- After cleaning
Reduce vs kill
Disinfectants and Rules
- EPA-registered
- Salon disinfectant standard
- Hospital-grade
- Kills bacteria, fungi, viruses
- Contact time
- Full immersion, ~10 minutes
- Single-use
- Discard after one client
- Multi-use
- Clean then disinfect
- Blood spill
- Tuberculocidal disinfectant or bleach
pH Scale
Below 7 acid, above 7 alkaline
7: neutral waterAcid: tightens cuticleAlkaline: swells cuticle
Safety and First Aid
- OSHA
- Workplace safety rules
- EPA
- Registers disinfectants
- SDS
- Chemical safety sheet
- Universal Precautions
- Treat blood as infectious
- Chemical burn
- Flush with water
- Eye splash
- Rinse, seek help
Hair and Skin Structure
- Cuticle
- Outer protective scales
- Cortex
- Pigment, strength layer
- Medulla
- Innermost hair core
- Keratin
- Hair, nail protein
- Follicle
- Hair root pocket
- Epidermis
- Outer skin layer
- Dermis
- Living inner skin
- Melanin
- Skin, hair pigment
Chemistry and Electricity
- pH 7
- Neutral, pure water
- pH under 7
- Acidic (skin 4.5-5.5)
- pH over 7
- Alkaline, swells cuticle
- Oxidation
- Adds oxygen
- Reduction
- Removes oxygen
- Volt
- Electrical pressure
- Ampere
- Current flow rate
- Galvanic
- Direct current
NC Board and Licensing
- NC Board
- Cosmetic Art Examiners
- 1,500 hours
- Cosmetology school training
- 1,200 hours
- Apprentice cosmetologist route
- Minimum age
- 16 years old
- Passing score
- 75 percent
- Prov
- Administers written exam
NC Salon Rules
- Salon license
- Separate from practitioner
- Display licenses
- Visible to clients
- License renewal
- Every three years
- CE requirement
- 8 hours yearly
- Mobile permit
- Off-site services
- Unlicensed practice
- Misdemeanor offense
Developer Volumes
10 deposit, 20 standard, 30-40 lift
10: deposit20: 1-2 levels30: 2-3 levels40: 3-4 levels
Alkaline vs Acid Wave
Alkaline
- Ammonium thioglycolate
- pH 9.0-9.6
- Fast, room temp
Acid
- Glyceryl monothioglycolate
- pH 4.5-7.0
- Gentle, needs heat
Strong vs gentle
Developer Volume Picker
- Deposit only, no lift→10 volume
- Gray coverage, 1-2 lift→20 volume(Standard)
- Lighten 2-3 levels→30 volume
- High-lift blonde→40 volume(Most damage)
- No developer needed→Semi-permanent
- Blend gray, no lift→Demi-permanent
Hair Analysis
- Porosity
- Absorbs, releases moisture
- Elasticity
- Stretch and rebound
- Density
- Strands per inch
- Texture
- Strand diameter
- Strand test
- Predicts chemical result
- Patch test
- Allergy check, 24-48h
Color Wheel Neutralizing
Violet kills yellow, blue kills orange
Violet cancels yellowBlue cancels orangeGreen cancels red
Thio vs Hydroxide Relaxer
Thio
- Ammonium thioglycolate
- Breaks + reforms bonds
- Gentler, slower
Hydroxide
- Lye, lanthionization
- pH 12-14
- Stronger, faster
Reversible vs permanent
Cutting Elevation Picker
- One-length blunt bob→0 degrees
- Stacked graduated bob→45 degrees
- Even uniform layers→90 degrees
- Long layers, volume→180 degrees
- Consistent length zone→Stationary guide
- Carry length across→Traveling guide
Haircutting Elevation
- 0 degrees
- Blunt one-length cut
- 45 degrees
- Graduation, stacking
- 90 degrees
- Uniform layers
- 180 degrees
- Long layers
- Stationary guide
- Fixed guideline
- Traveling guide
- Moving guideline
Tint vs Toner
Tint
- Adds, changes color
- Oxidative developer
- Deposits pigment
Toner
- Neutralizes unwanted tone
- After lightening
- Cancels brass
Color vs correct
Hair Color Basics
- Level
- Lightness 1-10
- Tone
- Warmth or coolness
- 10 volume
- Deposit, no lift
- 20 volume
- 1-2 levels lift
- 30 volume
- 2-3 levels lift
- 40 volume
- 3-4 levels lift
- Toner
- Neutralizes brassiness
- Semi-permanent
- Coats, no developer
- Demi-permanent
- Low developer, no lift
Level vs Tone
Level
- Lightness 1-10
- Depth of color
- Drives developer choice
Tone
- Warm or cool
- Undertone quality
- Fixed by opposites
How light vs shade
Chemical Texture
- Alkaline wave
- Ammonium thioglycolate, fast
- Acid wave
- Glyceryl monothioglycolate, gentle
- Neutralizer
- Reforms bonds, oxidizer
- Thio relaxer
- Breaks, reforms bonds
- Hydroxide relaxer
- Lye, lanthionization
- Base cream
- Protects scalp, skin
- Disulfide bonds
- Give hair shape
Semi vs Demi Color
Semi-permanent
- No developer
- Coats cuticle
- 4-6 shampoos
Demi-permanent
- Low-volume developer
- Partial cortex
- Better gray blend
Coat vs penetrate
Skin Care Basics
- Normal skin
- Balanced oil, moisture
- Oily skin
- Excess sebum
- Dry skin
- Lacks oil
- Combination
- Oily T-zone
- Sensitive
- Easily irritated
- Contraindication
- Reason to refuse
- Wood's lamp
- UV skin analysis
Eponychium vs Cuticle
Eponychium
- Living skin
- Never cut
- Seals matrix
Cuticle
- Dead tissue
- Safely removed
- On nail plate
Living vs dead
Nail Anatomy
- Nail plate
- Visible hard keratin
- Matrix
- Where nail grows
- Eponychium
- Living cuticle skin
- Lunula
- White half-moon
- Free edge
- Extends past finger
- Nail bed
- Skin under plate
Nail Products and Disorders
- EMA
- Safe acrylic monomer
- MMA
- Banned rigid monomer
- UV gel
- Light-cured enhancement
- Onychomycosis
- Nail fungus; refuse
- Onycholysis
- Nail plate separation
- Pyogenic
- Bacterial infection; refuse
Common Traps
Clean vs disinfect
Cleaning removes soil ≠ Disinfect kills pathogens
Disinfect vs sterilize
Disinfect kills most ≠ Sterilize kills all
Level vs tone
Level is lightness ≠ Tone is warmth
Deposit vs lift
10 volume deposits ≠ 40 volume lifts
Thio vs hydroxide
Thio is reversible ≠ Hydroxide is permanent
Cut vs push cuticle
Never cut eponychium ≠ Push dead cuticle
EMA vs MMA
EMA is safe ≠ MMA is banned
Last Minute
- 1.Passing score is 75 percent
- 2.110 items; 100 scored
- 3.Hair Care is 45 percent
- 4.Clean before you disinfect
- 5.Disinfect kills most; sterilize kills all
- 6.EPA-registered disinfectant required
- 7.Single-use items discarded once
- 8.Patch test 24-48 hours ahead
- 9.10 volume deposits; 40 lifts
- 10.Level is lightness; tone is warmth
- 11.Alkaline wave fast; acid gentle
- 12.Hydroxide relaxer needs base cream
- 13.Never cut living eponychium
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