Free IL Cosmetology Exam Flashcards

An EPA-registered, hospital-level disinfectant that kills bacteria (bactericide), viruses (virucide), and fungi (fungicide). Illinois specifically requires it for non-disposable manicure implements after every client and for manicure tables, workstations, and facial chairs before and after every client. Any disinfectant works only at label strength and for the label's full contact time.

Items made for a single use are thrown away after that use: orangewood sticks, cotton, gauze, neck strips, tissues, sponges, wooden applicators and spatulas, emery boards and other porous files, buffer blocks, pumice stones, sanding bands, and disposable nail bits. Anything else that touches a client must be cleaned and disinfected after that client, or discarded if it cannot be.

Cleaning removes visible soil and some germs with soap, detergent, or wiping, and always comes first. Disinfection uses a chemical to destroy most bacteria, viruses, and fungi on cleaned, nonporous surfaces, but not bacterial spores. Sterilization (for example, an autoclave) destroys all microbial life, including spores. Disinfectants are for tools and surfaces, never for skin.

Illinois prohibits using or distributing nail products that contain methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.115). Nail-enhancement liquid must be a non-MMA formula, such as ethyl methacrylate (EMA). Because failing to follow the sanitary standards is unprofessional conduct, using MMA is a violation in itself, not just a product-quality issue.

After each client: drain, scrub with soap or detergent, rinse, disinfect with an EPA-registered disinfectant or 10% bleach, and wipe dry. End of each day: also remove and scrub the whirlpool screen and inlet, immerse the screen in disinfectant, and flush the system with low-sudsing soap for 5 minutes. Weekly: circulate a bleach solution for 5 to 10 minutes, leave it overnight (6 to 10 hours), then drain and flush before the first client. Keep daily and weekly logs; the last 90 days must be available on request.

A fresh neck strip or towel goes around the client's neck before draping, so a shared cape or hair cloth never touches the client's skin directly. Reusing a strip defeats the purpose of draping even if the cape itself is clean.

Illinois rule 1175.115 says no licensee may be required or permitted to massage skin or scalp that is inflamed or shows an infection or eruption. Skip massage on that area, decline or modify the service, and suggest the client see a physician if the condition looks like a disease. Extra disinfection does not make it safe to proceed.

A salon owner or manager may not knowingly let a worker with a serious communicable disease (as defined by Illinois public health rule) work on the premises, and a licensee may not work on a client who has one. This protects public health beyond routine implement disinfection.

Illinois requires new or cleaned-and-disinfected tools to be stored separately from all others, in clean drawers that are free of hair and hold only clean tools. A disinfected implement dropped back into a drawer with used tools is contaminated again and must be cleaned and disinfected before use.

Do not do it. Illinois rule 1175.120 names using hair dye meant for the scalp on eyebrows as unprofessional conduct, and FDA warns that permanent eyelash and eyebrow dyes have caused serious eye injuries, including blindness. Use only products labeled for brows or lashes (FDA permits silver nitrate brow and lash color in professional-use products) and protect the eye during application.

Licensees must wash hands with soap and water, or use an equally effective cleanser or waterless sanitizer, both before and after serving each client, not just once at the start of the shift. Clients' hands or feet must also be washed or sanitized before a manicure or pedicure begins.

Stop the service and put on gloves. Have the client apply pressure with clean gauze, then clean the wound, apply an antiseptic, and cover it with a bandage. Seal blood-contaminated single-use items in a bag (double-bag them) for disposal. Clean and disinfect the implements and workstation with an EPA-registered disinfectant labeled for bloodborne pathogens before resuming.

Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, the salon must keep an SDS for each hazardous chemical it uses and make it readily accessible to workers on every shift. Every SDS follows the same 16-section format, covering hazards, first aid, handling and storage, exposure controls and PPE, and disposal. Check it before mixing, storing, or cleaning up a product.

Illinois requires every manual or mechanical device to meet federal, State, and local product-registration and product-safety requirements, and licensees must be able to access documentation for any FDA-classified device they use. A device may be used only within the licensee's scope of practice and only in line with the manufacturer's intended use and client safety.

A licensed salon or shop must provide a safe, continuous supply of hot and cold running water from an approved plumbing source, and licensees need immediate access to it. A sink in the restroom does not count as the water source.

The head rest of any chair must be covered with a disposable cover changed after each use, or with a clean washable towel. Either way, each client gets a fresh barrier between their skin or hair and the chair surface.

Scalp analysis comes before choosing a treatment. A dry, tight, flaky scalp calls for moisturizing or emollient preparations. An oily scalp calls for products that cleanse and control excess sebum rather than heavy oils. Choosing by condition, not by habit, avoids making dryness or oiliness worse.

Elasticity is the hair's ability to stretch and return to its length without breaking, and it shows how strong the side bonds are. Wet hair with normal elasticity stretches up to about 50% of its length and springs back; dry hair stretches about 20%. Hair that snaps or does not return has low elasticity, so expect weak curl results and breakage. Condition it before any chemical service, or reconsider the service.

Slide your thumb and forefinger from the ends toward the scalp along a dry strand. A smooth feel means a compact cuticle and low porosity (resistant hair that absorbs chemicals slowly). Slight roughness means porous hair. A very rough, dry strand that breaks is highly porous and will absorb chemicals, and process, fastest.

Texture is the diameter of a single strand: coarse, medium, or fine. Density is how many strands grow per square inch of scalp: thin, medium, or thick. A client can have fine texture and high density at the same time. Fine hair is more fragile and usually processes faster, while coarse hair is often more resistant to chemicals.

Before a nail service, look for signs of infection or disease: redness, swelling, pain, pus, or a plate lifted from the nail bed with discoloration underneath (for example, a green-to-black stain). These are contraindications. Decline the service and refer the client to a physician. Covering the nail with polish or an enhancement can trap moisture and make it worse.

Before the first service, the client completes an intake (consultation) form covering health conditions, medications, allergies, skin sensitivities, and past chemical services, and signs a consent or release before chemical services. Review it at every visit. That is how you catch contraindications early and decide whether to proceed, modify the service, or recommend a physician.

Use appliances listed by a recognized testing laboratory such as UL, and inspect cords and plugs for damage before each use. Never overload an outlet with adapters or let a cord sit near water; use ground-fault (GFCI) protected outlets near sinks. Unplug by gripping the plug, not the cord. A damaged or sparking tool stays out of service until it is repaired or replaced.

Curly hair shrinks as it dries, so it is cut with extra length and light tension, often dry or with the curl pattern visible. A length that looks right when stretched wet ends up much shorter. Razors are generally avoided on curly hair because they rough up the cuticle and cause frizz. Straight hair shows every cutting line, so precise sections and even tension matter most.

Test a heated iron on tissue or a white towel before it touches hair; scorching means it is too hot. Use lower heat on fine, lightened, relaxed, or damaged hair, and use irons only on dry hair, because wet hair can steam, burn, and break. Keep a comb between the iron and the scalp to prevent burns.

Effleurage is a light, continuous stroking movement used to begin and end a facial or hand massage, and it is the most soothing movement. Tapotement (percussion), made of light tapping or slapping, is the most stimulating and is used sparingly. Petrissage (kneading) falls between the two, giving deeper stimulation to the muscle.

Each extension is bonded to one isolated natural lash and set slightly away from the eyelid, so adhesive never touches the skin. Gluing several lashes together or onto the lid causes irritation, pulling, and lash loss. Keep the client's eyes closed and the lower lashes covered with pads. Remove extensions with a professional remover, never by pulling.

A depilatory is a chemical, usually a strongly alkaline thioglycolate cream, that dissolves hair at the skin surface, so regrowth comes back quickly. An epilator removes hair from the follicle; waxing, sugaring, tweezing, and threading are all epilation, so results last longer. Because a depilatory is a chemical, patch test it before the first full application.

Wrap the hair on rods, then apply the waving lotion: thioglycolate breaks disulfide bonds (reduction) so the hair takes the rod's shape. When test curls confirm the pattern, rinse thoroughly and blot. Then apply the neutralizer: hydrogen peroxide re-forms the disulfide bonds (oxidation) and locks in the curl. Blotting excess water keeps the neutralizer from being diluted.

Partway through processing, unwind a rod about one and a half turns, ease the hair toward the scalp, and look for a firm S-pattern that matches the rod size. The test tells you when to stop. Under-processed hair gives a weak curl that relaxes, while over-processed hair is weakened and frizzy once dry.

For a base relaxer, apply a protective base cream to the scalp and hairline first. After applying and smoothing the relaxer, do periodic strand tests, smoothing a strand to see how much curl remains, to decide when to stop. Rinse thoroughly with warm water, use a neutralizing (acid-balanced) shampoo to remove the alkaline residue, then condition.

On virgin hair, start in the most resistant area and apply the relaxer about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the scalp, up to the porous ends. Work it into the scalp area and ends last, because scalp heat and damaged ends process fastest. A retouch goes on the new growth only, with a protective cream or conditioner on the previously relaxed hair. Overlapping over-relaxes that hair and breaks it.

Before a perm or relaxer, check the scalp for cuts, abrasions, irritation, or disease, and do not proceed if any are present, because the alkaline chemicals can burn compromised skin. Do not brush, scratch, or vigorously shampoo the scalp beforehand; that creates the very abrasions you are trying to avoid.

Thio products break disulfide bonds by reduction, and an oxidizing neutralizer rebuilds them. Hydroxide relaxers (pH above 13) break them by lanthionization, which removes the bonds permanently; their neutralizing shampoo only lowers the pH and rebuilds nothing. The chemistries are incompatible, so hydroxide-relaxed hair should not get a thio perm or thio relaxer. It will not hold a curl and can break.

Mechanical exfoliation removes dead surface cells physically, with scrubs, brushes, or microdermabrasion. Chemical exfoliation uses alpha or beta hydroxy acids or enzymes to loosen the bonds between dead cells. Alpha hydroxy acids make skin more sensitive to the sun, so pair them with sunscreen advice. Choose the method and strength for the client's skin, and never exfoliate broken skin.

Tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp, a fungal infection with red, scaly patches and broken hairs) and pediculosis capitis (head lice) are contagious. Do not perform the service. Explain the reason privately and refer the client to a physician (or a pharmacist for lice), then clean and disinfect everything the client touched.

For permanent and other oxidation (aniline-derivative) hair color, apply a small amount of the product behind the ear or inside the elbow 24 to 48 hours before the service, following the manufacturer's directions. Redness, swelling, burning, itching, or blisters is a positive result: do not use that product. Repeat the test before every application, because allergies can develop over time.

The alkalizing ingredient (ammonia or MEA) swells the cuticle so product can reach the cortex. Hydrogen peroxide developer supplies oxygen: it lightens natural melanin and, in permanent color, develops the dye molecules that stay trapped in the cortex. Higher volume means more lift and more damage. 10 volume (3%) gives minimal lift; 20 volume (6%) is the common standard for permanent color.

As lightener breaks down melanin, dark hair passes through warm stages: red-brown, red, orange, gold, yellow, then pale yellow. Lighten to the stage that suits the target shade, then tone. Never lighten to white. Hair taken that far loses its elasticity, turns mushy, and breaks.

For a virgin application going lighter, apply to the mid-shaft and ends first and the scalp area last, because body heat makes hair near the scalp process faster (hot roots). A retouch goes on the new growth only. Overlapping fresh color onto previously colored hair can cause breakage and darker, banded ends.

Apply the chosen formula to a small hidden section and process it before the full service. The result shows the actual color, the processing time needed, and whether the hair can withstand the chemical, so you can adjust the formula or timing first. It tests the result, not allergies, so it does not replace the patch test.

A tone is cancelled by its complement on the color wheel: violet neutralizes yellow, blue neutralizes orange, and green neutralizes red. Adding the complementary color through a toner or formula cancels the unwanted warmth. Layering on more of the target shade does not.

Remove old polish, shape with a file, soak to soften, then apply cuticle remover and gently push back the cuticle, nipping only loose dead tissue and never living skin. Next comes the hand and arm massage, then removing oils from the nail plate, then base coat, two color coats, and top coat. Massage comes before polish because lotion left on the plate makes polish lift.

A monomer liquid is picked up with a powder polymer on the brush to form a bead, which is shaped over a tip, form, or natural nail. It hardens by a chemical reaction (polymerization) into a durable overlay. UV/LED gels are different: they cure only under the matching light.

Liquid-and-powder (acrylic) and soak-off gels are removed by soaking in acetone until the product softens, then gently sliding it off. Hard gels do not dissolve in acetone and must be filed off carefully. Never pry, rip, or nip an enhancement off: that tears layers from the natural nail plate and can injure the nail bed.

An overlay adds strength to the client's own nail plate without adding length. An extension, built with a tip or sculpting form, adds length as well as strength. Choosing the product and application method starts with which of those two goals the client actually wants.

Do not wax skin that is sunburned, broken, inflamed, or irritated. Do not wax clients using drugs that thin the skin, such as oral isotretinoin or topical retinoids, because the wax can lift or tear the skin. Recent laser treatment, chemical peels, or cosmetic surgery in the area, and blood-thinning medication, are also red flags. Screen for them on the intake form.

Soft wax is spread thinly in the direction of hair growth, covered with a fabric or paper strip, and pulled off quickly against the growth with the strip kept close to the skin. Hard wax goes on thicker, hardens, and is lifted off by its own edge with no strip. It grips the hair more than the skin, so it is gentler on sensitive areas such as the face.

Wear gloves and use a fresh applicator for every dip: once a stick has touched skin, it never goes back into the pot. Illinois lists waxes among multi-use products that must be dispensed so the unused portion is not contaminated. Throw away used strips and applicators, and discard any wax that becomes contaminated.

Skin type (oily, dry, combination, or normal) is a fairly stable baseline for each client. A skin condition, such as sensitivity, dehydration, or a current breakout, can change from one appointment to the next. Choose products for the type, and adjust the day's service for the current condition.