Free TX Cosmetology Exam Flashcards

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) regulates barbering and cosmetology in Texas. PSI administers the licensing exams for TDLR, but TDLR controls eligibility, licensing, inspections, and enforcement.

A candidate must complete a 1,000-hour Cosmetology Operator course at a licensed school. The school reports eligibility to TDLR/PSI during the licensing process.

After 900 of the required 1,000 hours, the school can notify TDLR that the student is eligible for the written licensing exam. The remaining hours still must be completed before practical exam eligibility.

Texas uses a 70% passing standard for barbering and cosmetology licensing exams. Treat 70% as the minimum, not the study target.

Both the written theory exam and the practical exam must be passed. Passing one part does not by itself authorize full cosmetology practice unless a valid temporary license applies.

A qualifying student who has met TDLR requirements and passes the practical exam may receive a temporary license at the PSI site. It allows work while TDLR sends the two-year license.

The operator scope includes hair services, facial and skin services, certain hair removal methods, nail services, scalp/face/hand/foot massage connected to cosmetology, eyelash extensions, and hair weaving when performed within Texas rules.

A Texas Cosmetology Operator cannot shave with a straight razor or a razor without a safety guard. Safety-razor face and neck shaving is the permitted operator version.

Cleaning removes visible debris and product residue. Disinfection uses an approved chemical process to destroy many pathogens on nonporous surfaces. Tools must be cleaned first so disinfectant can work.

Remove debris, wash or scrub, rinse and dry if needed, then fully disinfect according to the product label. Store clean tools away from used or contaminated tools.

Before servicing each client. Combs, shears, manicure implements, tweezers, facial tools, and similar reusable items cannot move from one client to the next without proper cleaning and disinfection.

Prepare fresh disinfectant daily, or sooner if it becomes diluted, contaminated, or visibly soiled. Always follow the disinfectant label and Texas health and safety rules.

Practitioners must clean their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer before providing services. Hand hygiene reduces transfer of organisms between client, tools, and products.

Do not perform a service when the area appears contagious or unsafe, such as head lice, ringworm, conjunctivitis, inflamed or infected skin or nails, broken tissue, open wounds, or similar conditions.

Discard them after one client. Examples include cotton, gauze, wooden applicators, tissues, certain wipes, gloves, fabric strips, and other items not designed for cleaning and disinfection.

Stop the service safely, clean visible blood or body fluid immediately, then clean and disinfect the nonporous instrument before it is used again.

A porous item contaminated with blood or body fluid must be discarded. Texas rules call for immediate double-bagging and disposal in a closed trash container or biohazard box.

Keep clean and disinfected implements in a clean, dry, debris-free place, separate from soiled tools. Storage can undo disinfection if clean items touch contaminated items.

Electrical equipment that cannot be immersed must be wiped clean and disinfected before use on each client. Never submerge equipment not designed for immersion.

Use clean towels for each client, remove soiled towels after use, and use a clean cape with a sanitized towel or neck strip. Launder towels according to Texas sanitation rules.

Drain water, remove debris, scrub visible residue, disinfect with an EPA-registered bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal product, then rinse, empty, and dry as required for the basin type.

Foot-spa logs document required cleaning and disinfection times, including whether a unit was used or not used. Inspectors can use those records to verify public health compliance.

Use a clean applicator and do not re-dip an applicator that has touched skin. Product handling should prevent cross-contamination of the remaining cream, mask, wax, or cosmetic.

Texas rules prohibit items such as MMA liquid monomer, razor-type callus shavers, formalin fumigants, unsafe or banned products, and procedures that contact or penetrate the dermis.

Cuticle, cortex, and medulla. The cuticle protects, the cortex supplies strength, elasticity, and pigment, and the medulla is the inner core that may be absent in fine hair.

Porosity tells how readily hair absorbs liquids and chemicals. Highly porous hair may process faster and lose moisture; resistant low-porosity hair may need adjusted timing or formulation.

Elasticity shows the hair's ability to stretch and return without breaking. Poor elasticity signals weakened cortex structure and higher risk during coloring, waving, relaxing, or heat styling.

Density is the number of hair strands per area of scalp. It affects section size, product quantity, cutting choices, and how much weight a finished style appears to have.

Texture is the diameter of individual strands: fine, medium, or coarse. It affects chemical timing, heat tolerance, product choice, and how strongly a shape or curl pattern holds.

A consultation records desired result, hair history, allergies, contraindications, formulas, and aftercare. It protects the client and helps the practitioner repeat or adjust future services.

Elevation controls weight and layering. Lower elevation keeps more weight; higher elevation removes more weight and creates layering or graduation depending on the cutting guide.

A guideline is the section used to establish length or shape. Stationary guidelines build weight; traveling guidelines move with the haircut for more uniform layering.

Draping protects clothing and skin from water, hair, color, and chemicals. In Texas sanitation practice, capes also need a clean barrier such as a towel or neck strip.

Shampooing removes soil, oil, and product buildup so the scalp and hair can be evaluated and the next service can work more predictably. Choose products based on hair and scalp condition.

Any wax, product, or single-use item that has contacted the client's skin must be discarded after use. Wax should not be reused, and applicators should not be left standing in wax.

pH shows whether a product is acidic, neutral, or alkaline. Hair and skin are slightly acidic; alkaline products swell and soften hair, while acidic products help tighten the cuticle.

Levels describe the lightness or darkness of hair, commonly from 1 black to 10 lightest blonde. Correct level identification is essential before formulating color or lightener.

Opposite colors neutralize unwanted tones. Blue reduces orange, violet reduces yellow, and green reduces red. The unwanted tone must be identified before choosing a corrective formula.

Hydrogen peroxide developer activates oxidative color or lightener. Lower volume is used for deposit or minimal lift; higher volume produces more lift but increases risk of damage.

A patch or predisposition test checks for sensitivity to a chemical product before service. A reaction is a contraindication and should stop the planned chemical application.

Temporary color coats the outside of the hair and shampoos out quickly. Permanent oxidative color changes pigment inside the cortex and requires developer for lasting results.

Permanent waving breaks and reforms disulfide bonds to create a new curl pattern. Wrapping, processing, rinsing, and neutralizing all affect the final shape and hair integrity.

Neutralizer rebuilds disulfide bonds in the new shape and stops the waving process. Skipping or rushing neutralization can leave weak curl, odor, or excessive damage.

Hydroxide relaxers permanently straighten by breaking disulfide bonds and converting them into lanthionine bonds. The process is strong, irreversible, and requires scalp protection and careful timing.

A strand test previews timing, color result, curl formation, or hair strength on a small section. It helps catch incompatibility or damage risk before applying product broadly.

Check for abrasions, irritation, infection, recent chemical services, and product buildup. Broken or inflamed skin is a contraindication because chemicals can burn or worsen the condition.

Open lesions, infection, severe inflammation, contagious conditions, recent aggressive exfoliation, or medication-related skin thinning can make service unsafe. Refer the client when the condition is outside cosmetology scope.

Extractions can expose the practitioner to body fluids and broken skin. Texas rules specifically require gloves for extractions, and the skin and tools must be handled to prevent contamination.

The eponychium is living tissue that protects the nail matrix area. The true cuticle is dead tissue on the nail plate; confusing them can injure the client and invite infection.

Metal nail tools must be cleaned and disinfected as required before the next client. Porous files or buffers are discarded when contaminated or not safely disinfectable.