Infection Control & Safety
This level of decontamination destroys all microbial life, including bacterial spores, and is required for tools that pierce the skin.
What is sterilization?
The scientific study of the structure, function, and diseases of muscles.
What is myology?
The blade on a clipper that remains stationary while the motor runs.
What is the still (or fixed) blade?
The standard direction to shave a client's face during the primary shaving pass.
What is with the grain (growth pattern)?
The measure of acidity or alkalinity of a water-based solution, ranging on a scale from 0 to 14.
What is the pH scale?
Standard disinfectants used in barbershops must be registered with this federal agency.
What is the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)?
The bone that forms the back and base of the cranium.
What is the occipital bone?
The two main types of grind used on straight razors.
What are concave (full hollow) and wedge grinds?
The total number of standard shaving areas/zones on the face.
What is 14?
The three layers of the hair shaft, from outermost to innermost.
What are the cuticle, cortex, and medulla?
The item that must be placed between a client’s skin and the neckband of a cape to maintain sanitary conditions.
What is a neck strip (or towel)?
The involuntary muscle attached to the base of the hair follicle that causes "goosebumps
What is the arrector pili muscle?
The metal piece on a shear that connects the blades and allows the tension to be adjusted.
What is the pivot screw (or tension screw)?
The angle at which a straight razor should be held relative to the skin surface during a shave.
What is approximately 30 degrees?
The chemical side bonds that are broken by heat or water and reform as the hair cools or dries.
What are hydrogen bonds?
A microscopic germ that lives in or on another organism (host) and draws its nourishment from that host without giving anything in return.
What is a parasite?
The main artery that supplies blood to the head, face, and neck.
What is the common carotid artery?
A leather or canvas strip used to smooth, polish, and align the edge of a conventional straight razor blade after honing.
What is a strop?
The two shaving strokes that move across the grain of the hair.
What are the cross-grain stroke and the freehand/backhand variation across grain?
The technical term for severe dandruff characterized by an accumulation of greasy or waxy scales mixed with sebum.
What is Pityriasis steatoides?
The process that removes all visible dirt and debris by washing with soap and water before immersing items in disinfectant.
What is sanitation
The chief sensory nerve of the face, also known as the 5th cranial nerve.
What is the trigeminal nerve (or trifacial nerve)?
The unit of measurement that indicates the width of a razor blade, typically measured in eighths or sixteenths of an inch.
What is the razor size (or blade width)?
Technical term for razor bumps caused by ingrown hairs curling back into the skin, common in curly hair types.
What is Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB)?
The phase of hair growth during which the follicle shrinks and detaches from the dermal papilla (transition phase).
What is the catagen phase