Glossary

allergy

sensitivity that may develop from contact with normally harmless substances

alopecia

hair loss baldness

antiseptic

a chemical product used to prevent the growth of bacteria

beaded hair

a hair disorder where beads or nodes form on the hair shaft. Breaks in the hair occur between the beads or nodes

braiding

the weaving, interlacing and twining of hair

colour remover

chemical product used to remove artificial colour from the hair

colour rinse

a temporary colour treatment used to add or darken hair

conditioning

the task of applying a chemical product to hair in order to restore its strength and condition

contraindication

any condition, especially any condition of disease, which renders some particular line of treatment improper or undesirable

disinfectant

a chemical product used to destroy or kill bacteria and a broad spectrum of viruses

disinfecting

destroying or killing bacteria and a broad spectrum of viruses (but does not kill bacteria spores)

elasticity

the ability of the hair to stretch and then to spring back to its original state

emollient

a product used to soften the skin

fingerwave

a loose wave made by dampening and shaping the hair without heat, using only fingers and comb

hair analysis

an examination of the general conditions of the hair: type, texture, density, breakage, oiliness, dryness, elasticity, porosity, quantity, colour, and chemical and medical history

hair density

describes the number of hair strands in a given area; i.e. thin, medium and thick

hair lightening

the process of removing natural pigment from the hair

hair texture

the thickness of the individual hair strands; i.e. coarse, medium and fine

hair type

a way to classify hair; i.e. straight, wavy, curly and super curly

patch test

a test conducted to determine the sensitivity of the skin to certain chemicals. This process is also referred to as the allergy test, skin test or predisposition test

porosity

the amount of moisture that an individual hair strand can absorb

sanitation

the use of safe practices to ensure hygienic conditions

sanitize

to remove dirt to aid in preventing the growth of microbes. Sanitizing does not kill germs or spores

scalp analysis

the process of examining the scalp to determine the presence of diseases, abrasions, cuts, dryness, oiliness and disorder

slithering/effilating

technique in which the shear is opened and closed rhythmically while moving upward from the ends. Slithering removes bulk and creates mobility

strand test

a test performed to determine the degree of development or processing of a specific chemical service on a small section of hair

test curl

the process used to determine the reaction of the hair to permanent wave solution in order to achieve a desired result

tint

to add or remove colour

tone

to alter the warmth or coolness of a colour

ultraviolet sanitizer

a cabinet used to keep implements sanitized by the action of ultraviolet rays

wet sanitizer

a receptacle containing a disinfectant solution used for sanitizing implements

Abbreviations