Free OR Barber Exam Flashcards

Cuticle (overlapping outer scales), cortex (bulk of the fiber, holds melanin and controls strength and elasticity), and medulla (central core, often absent in fine hair). Damage or lifting of the cuticle raises porosity, so the hair absorbs product faster and looks dull.

Anagen is the active growing phase, catagen the brief transition, and telogen the resting phase that ends in shedding. Because each follicle cycles independently, shedding about 50 to 100 scalp hairs a day is normal (American Academy of Dermatology) and is not by itself hair loss.

Dandruff is non-contagious flaking, while tinea capitis is a contagious fungal infection (ringworm of the scalp) that often shows scaly patches and broken hairs. Oregon barbering is defined for cosmetic purposes only and not for medical diagnosis or treatment, so an infectious or inflamed scalp means declining the service and referring the client to a physician.

The epidermis is the outermost layer (its deepest layer is the stratum basale and its surface layer the stratum corneum); below it sit the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue. Oregon rules define epidermis as the outermost layer and exclude the dermis and muscle, which is why cosmetic services must stay above those deeper layers.

Melanocytes in the stratum basale produce melanin: eumelanin gives brown and black tones, pheomelanin red and yellow tones. Melanin absorbs UV radiation, so pigment quantity and type explain both natural hair color and how a client's skin reacts to sun exposure after a close shave.

The cranium includes the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital bones, while the mandible is the largest facial bone. The masseter and temporalis close the jaw, the seventh cranial (facial) nerve controls facial expression, and the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve carries facial sensation - the reason facial massage follows nerve and muscle direction.

Bacteria are single-celled organisms (staphylococci grow in clusters, streptococci in chains) that can multiply on tools, while viruses must invade a host cell to reproduce. Bloodborne viruses drive the strictest rules: CDC reports hepatitis B virus can stay infectious on surfaces for at least seven days, so every implement is disinfected before each client, not just visibly soiled ones.

The apex (highest point), parietal ridge, occipital bone and the four corners map the curved head so cutting lines stay consistent. Working from these points is what keeps a haircut balanced when the head shape is irregular, because the guide follows the head form rather than the mirror image.

Zero-degree elevation leaves a blunt, one-length line with maximum weight; 45 degrees builds graduation and a stacked weight line; 90 degrees and above creates uniform or increasing layers. Choosing elevation, not shear technique, is what decides whether the finished shape carries weight or removes it.

The oval is the classic reference shape, and other shapes (round, square, oblong, triangular, diamond, heart) are balanced by adding or removing width and height. The profile - straight, convex or concave - decides fringe length and the front silhouette, so consultation happens before the first section is taken.

Form (overall three-dimensional shape), texture (smooth, wavy, curly or cut-created activation), line and direction, plus balance and proportion between areas of the head. Naming the element being changed keeps a consultation concrete: a client asking for less bulk wants texture removed, not the form shortened.

A taper is a gradual shortening of length toward the nape and sides; a fade is a taper carried down to the skin so no length line remains; blending is the act of erasing the visible demarcation between two lengths. Clipper-over-comb and lever-play control these transitions, while arching and outlining finish the perimeter.

Shears create a blunt, precise line, while a razor slices the hair at an angle for tapered, softer ends and more visible movement. Razor cutting is done on wet hair - dry razor work tears the cuticle - and each client requires a fresh single-use blade.

Density (hairs per square inch), texture (diameter of the strand), porosity (how readily the cuticle absorbs moisture), elasticity, growth patterns such as cowlicks and whorls, and the condition of the scalp. This analysis sets product choice and cutting plan, and it is where a contagious or inflamed condition is caught and referred out.

Manipulations use the cushions of the fingertips, never the nails, working from the hairline back to stimulate circulation and lift debris before rinsing thoroughly. Massage is withheld when the scalp is abraded, inflamed or infected, because manipulation spreads organisms and worsens the condition.

A basic facial cleanses, steams or softens, massages, applies a treatment product and finishes with a protective moisturizer. ORS 690.005(2)(c) lets an Oregon barber massage the scalp, face and neck with creams, lotions and oils by hand or mechanical appliance, but expressly excludes galvanic and faradic appliances.

Freehand, backhand, reverse freehand and reverse backhand cover the shaving areas of the face and neck. The free hand stretches the skin taut ahead of the blade in every stroke, because slack skin is what turns a shave into a nick.

A hot towel and lather soften the beard and swell the hair so the blade cuts with less resistance, and the lather keeps the skin lubricated. The first pass follows the grain of the beard; going against the grain too early is what produces razor burn and ingrown hairs.

Guard numbers step up in eighth-of-an-inch increments on standard manufacturer charts: #1 leaves about 1/8 inch, #2 about 1/4 inch, #3 about 3/8 inch and #4 about 1/2 inch. The clipper lever fine-tunes between guards, so a smooth fade is built by combining lever positions with guard changes rather than jumping two guard sizes.

Honing grinds and sharpens a dull edge on a stone; stropping smooths and aligns an already sharp edge on leather immediately before the shave. Changeable-blade razors skip both: the blade is single use and, after contact with blood, must go into the sharps container OAR 817-010-0060(6) requires.

Cutting shears remove length and set the line; texturizing shears have one notched blade that removes bulk and blends without shortening the overall shape. Under Oregon rules both are sharp-edged, non-electrical tools and implements, so they must be cleaned and disinfected before use on each client.

Shampoo surfactants have a hydrophilic (water-loving) head and a lipophilic (oil-loving) tail, so they surround oil and debris and rinse them away. Conditioners then coat and smooth the cuticle to restore slip and reduce static, which is why a strongly cleansing shampoo leaves hair rough without one.

Shaving creams and lathers soften and lubricate the beard; after-shave and tonic products, often alcohol based, cool and constrict but can dry the skin. Styling aids differ by hold and finish - gel and pomade give firm control, cream and lotion give soft control - and every product must be used according to the manufacturer's intended use under OAR 817-015-0025.

pH runs 0 to 14 with 7 neutral, and each whole number is a tenfold change in acidity or alkalinity. Healthy hair and skin sit at roughly 4.5 to 5.5, so alkaline products swell and open the cuticle while acidic products tighten it - and water alone, aided by heat, breaks the hydrogen bonds that make thermal styling temporary.

OSHA sets the Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) and the Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) that requires safety data sheets; EPA registers disinfectants; FDA regulates cosmetic products and lists sterilizers; CDC issues infection-control guidance. OAR 817-060-0010 requires Oregon facilities to meet client-protection regulations in accordance with both OSHA standards.

Stop the service, glove up, control the bleeding, and treat the tool and the surface as contaminated. Oregon requires blood-contaminated surfaces to be disinfected with a high-level product per OAR 817-010-0101(4), and blood-contaminated waste to be bagged and then placed in a covered, lined container immediately after the service under OAR 817-010-0060(5).

Barbering is shampooing, styling, cutting, singeing and conditioning hair; applying tonics, dressings and rinses; massaging the scalp, face and neck with cosmetic preparations by hand or mechanical appliance; and shaving, trimming or cutting the beard or mustache. It is defined for cosmetic purposes only, and the mechanical appliances used may not be galvanic or faradic.

Hair design under ORS 690.005(10) adds permanent waving, relaxing, bleaching and coloring, so chemical hair services are outside the barbering field of practice. ORS 690.046(3) does provide that a person certified in barbering or hair design is also authorized to practice natural hair care.

A certificate authorizes a person to perform in a field of practice; a license authorizes operating a facility or a freelance business; a registration is issued to an independent contractor holding out to the public; a freelance license lets a practitioner work away from a licensed facility. Oregon issues no umbrella cosmetology credential - each field of practice is certified separately.

A facility is an establishment operated on a regular or irregular basis to provide services in one or more fields of practice. A temporary facility permit under ORS 690.055 covers a limited operation not exceeding 30 consecutive calendar days, and a licensed owner who works away from the address on file needs one.

To disinfect is to destroy harmful organisms including bacteria, viruses, germs and fungi. Under OAR 817-005-0005 a low-level disinfectant is EPA-registered with bactericidal, germicidal, fungicidal and limited virucidal activity, while a high-level disinfectant is EPA-registered and has demonstrated tuberculocidal activity.

Tools and implements are portable items used on the client, such as combs, brushes, shears and clippers; equipment is what runs the shop, such as chairs, cabinets, sinks and shampoo bowls; articles complement services, such as neck strips, towels and capes. "Soiled" means an item has been used and not yet cleaned or disinfected for the next client - the term that triggers the storage and laundering rules.

OAR 817-010-0068 requires every tool and implement to be disinfected or sterilized before use on each client: remove all hair and foreign material, clean thoroughly with soap or detergent and water, rinse with clear water, then disinfect or sterilize. Skipping the wash step invalidates the disinfection, because organic debris shields organisms from the solution.

Tools without sharp edges, such as combs, brushes and rollers, are fully immersed in a 1,000 ppm quaternary ammonium or other low-level disinfectant per manufacturer instructions; sharp-edged or pointed tools are fully immersed in a high-level disinfectant. Items that cannot be disinfected, such as nail files and orangewood sticks, are given to the client or discarded.

Under OAR 817-010-0069, electrical tools and implements are disinfected with a low-level disinfectant before each use - but clipper blades are the exception and must be completely saturated with a high-level disinfectant solution, spray or foam. In both cases all hair and foreign material is removed first.

An adequate, immediate supply of hot and cold running water plus wash basins must be on the premises, and a restroom sink does not count as the facility water source (the sole exception is a natural-hair-care-only facility). Hand soap and individual cloth or paper towels must be available; bar soap and common towels are prohibited.

Clean towels and linens are used for each client and stored in a clean area; soiled ones go into closable containers large and sturdy enough to hold them. Chemically soiled towels and linens must be stored in fire-retardant containers - airtight metal containers - because chemical residue is a fire risk, not just a laundry problem.

Chemical waste goes into a closed container at the end of each service and into a fire-retardant container at the end of the business day; service waste goes into covered containers. Disposable sharp items that touched blood go into a puncture-resistant, leak-proof sharps container labeled with the biohazard symbol, and sealable plastic bags must be on the premises whenever services are performed.

OAR 817-010-0040 requires a neck strip or towel around the client's neck so a common-use hair cloth or cape never touches the skin directly. Anything that contacts the skin and cannot be cleaned or disinfected must be discarded in a covered waste receptacle immediately after use.

Equipment surfaces, including back bars, must be cleanable non-porous material, and floors in work areas must be non-porous, clean and in good repair, with hair clippings never allowed to accumulate and disposed of in a covered container. Shampoo bowls and sinks stay free of hair and residue, and walls and ceilings must be free of mildew, spots and peeling paint.

New, cleaned and disinfected tools are stored separately from all others in clean, hair-free drawers. Pets and other animals are barred from the facility except ADA service animals and fish in aquariums, and any hairpiece being tried on requires a disposable cover over the part of the head it touches.

OAR 817-010-0008 requires thorough hand washing with soap and water or an approved alternative immediately before and after each client, single-use disposable gloves for any service routinely involving exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material, and goggles, a shield or a mask when spattering is likely. Reusable gloves are cleaned and disinfected after each use; disposable gloves are discarded immediately.

OAR 817-015-0075 leaves head-lice treatment to the discretion of the authorization holder, provided all Division 10 infection-control and facility rules are followed. That discretion is bounded by OAR 817-120-0005: services that are prohibited, unsafe or harmful can be charged as incompetence, negligence or unprofessional conduct under ORS 676.612(2)(j).

A facility license is required to operate a business providing services in a field of practice, is valid one year, and must be held by a natural person - ORS 690.055 requires the applicant to be at least 18. It is not transferable between people or locations - moving to a new address means a new application - and the holder must allow HLO inspections and investigations.

A freelance license (ORS 690.123) is what allows a certified practitioner to provide services outside or away from a licensed facility; an independent contractor registration is for a practitioner not under a facility holder's control who holds out to the public as a business. Both run one year and, if not renewed, become dormant rather than inactive or expired.

An hour-based school program is 746 hours and 465 practical operations in barbering, plus 20 hours of Oregon laws and rules and 20 hours of career development completed once regardless of how many fields of practice are taken. The school-administered practical examination score is valid five years, and safety, infection control and bloodborne pathogens training is built into every practical operation.

Both written examinations - barbering and Oregon laws and rules - are walk-in at the HLO office in Salem, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with 90 minutes allowed for each and 75% required to pass each. Candidates bring two original government-issued IDs (one with a photo) and may not bring notes, textbooks, or phones or other electronic devices into the exam area.

A failed written exam may be retaken the next business day up to the 10th failed attempt, after which the Board may require added hours and practical operations; all required exams must be passed within two years of the application date or the applicant reapplies and pays again. A practitioner certificate then runs two years, and renewal requires attesting to current bloodborne pathogens training.

Corrosives, flammables and oxidizers must be segregated so leakage or breakage cannot mix them, and flammables kept away from ignition sources. Containers of one gallon or less may share a cabinet only if reactive chemicals are separated - for example at least 12 inches apart or on different shelves - while highly reactive chemicals or containers over one gallon need separate, isolated storage.

Chemicals are mixed in a dispensing area with adequate ventilation away from open flame, and no open flame is allowed at the workstation during any phase of a chemical service. Practitioners may not use products banned by the FDA for cosmetic use, use products contrary to FDA-approved use, or use products identified as hazardous on the safety data sheet; formaldehyde-containing services must follow Oregon OSHA rule OAR 437-002-0360.