Cosmetology Test Chemical Texture Services 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What type of perm is recommended for clients with color-treated or previously chemically processed hair?
- Alkaline (cold wave) perm
- Acid-balanced perm (low pH perm) (Correct answer)
- Exothermic perm
- Sodium hydroxide perm
Correct answer: Acid-balanced perm (low pH perm)
Acid-balanced perms have a lower pH (between 4.5 and 7.0) and are gentler, making them more appropriate for sensitized or chemically treated hair.
Question 2: What is 'over-processing' in a chemical relaxer service?
- Applying too much base cream to the scalp
- Leaving the relaxer on beyond the recommended time, causing damage (Correct answer)
- Using a relaxer that is too mild for the hair texture
- Applying the relaxer too close to the scalp on a new growth application
Correct answer: Leaving the relaxer on beyond the recommended time, causing damage
Over-processing occurs when the relaxer is left on too long, breaking down too many bonds and causing breakage, elasticity loss, or hair dissolution.
Question 3: Which wrapping technique uses two rods on one section of hair, one wrapped on top of the other?
- Double-rod technique
- Piggyback wrap (Correct answer)
- Spiral wrap
- Curvature wrap
Correct answer: Piggyback wrap
The piggyback wrap uses two rods per section stacked vertically to accommodate very long hair and create a uniform wave.
Question 4: Why must a cosmetologist avoid overlapping relaxer onto previously relaxed hair?
- It causes the relaxer to become ineffective
- It can cause severe breakage of already-processed hair (Correct answer)
- It alters the pH of new growth areas
- It prevents the neutralizing shampoo from working
Correct answer: It can cause severe breakage of already-processed hair
Relaxer overlapping onto already-processed strands double-processes that hair, weakening it severely and causing breakage.
Question 5: What does the term 'elasticity test' evaluate before a chemical texture service?
- The hair's ability to absorb moisture
- The hair's ability to stretch and return to its original length (Correct answer)
- The porosity level of the cuticle layer
- The density of hair follicles per square inch
Correct answer: The hair's ability to stretch and return to its original length
The elasticity test checks whether the cortex bonds are intact by stretching a strand to see if it returns to its original length without breaking.
Question 6: An exothermic perm generates heat through a chemical reaction. This heat primarily serves to:
- Open the cuticle and speed up processing (Correct answer)
- Neutralize the waving solution faster
- Reduce the pH of the waving lotion
- Protect the scalp from chemical burns
Correct answer: Open the cuticle and speed up processing
The heat generated in exothermic perms helps swell and open the cuticle, accelerating penetration of the waving solution into the cortex.
Question 7: Which of the following is a sign of under-processed hair after a permanent wave?
- Hair is frizzy and overly curly
- Wave pattern drops out quickly after rinsing (Correct answer)
- Hair feels gummy when stretched
- Scalp shows signs of chemical burns
Correct answer: Wave pattern drops out quickly after rinsing
Under-processed hair did not break and reform enough bonds, so the wave pattern is weak and relaxes almost immediately after rinsing.
Cosmetology Test Chemical Texture Services 3
What type of perm is recommended for clients with color-treated or previously chemically processed hair?