Cosmetology Test Haircolor and Lightening 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client with previously relaxed hair wants a haircolor service. What precaution should the cosmetologist take?
- Apply color immediately after a fresh relaxer
- Avoid coloring chemically relaxed hair entirely
- Perform a strand test and use a lower-volume developer (Correct answer)
- Use 40-volume developer to compensate for resistant hair
Correct answer: Perform a strand test and use a lower-volume developer
Chemically relaxed hair is already compromised, so a strand test and lower-volume developer help prevent breakage and over-processing.
Question 2: What does 'contributing pigment' refer to in haircoloring?
- The artificial pigment deposited by the haircolor formula
- The underlying warm tones revealed as hair is lightened (Correct answer)
- The melanin concentration in the cortex before coloring
- The pigment added to developer to control lift
Correct answer: The underlying warm tones revealed as hair is lightened
Contributing pigment (also called undertone) refers to the warm residual tones—red, orange, yellow—that are exposed as the hair's natural melanin is lightened.
Question 3: Which mixing ratio is standard for most permanent haircolor with 20-volume cream developer?
- 1:1 (color to developer) (Correct answer)
- 1:2 (color to developer)
- 2:1 (color to developer)
- 1:3 (color to developer)
Correct answer: 1:1 (color to developer)
Most permanent haircolor manufacturers specify a 1:1 ratio of color to developer, though always check the manufacturer's instructions.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a filler in haircoloring?
- To fill in damage on the cuticle before lightening
- To pre-pigment porous or previously lightened hair before coloring (Correct answer)
- To seal the cuticle after color is applied
- To neutralize warm tones before applying ash shades
Correct answer: To pre-pigment porous or previously lightened hair before coloring
A filler deposits missing warm tones into overly porous or lightened hair so that the final color formula deposits evenly and lasts longer.
Question 5: A client has a green cast in her blonde hair from swimming in a chlorinated pool. What is the likely cause?
- Chlorine bleaches the hair and reveals undertones
- Copper mineral deposits oxidize and bind to the hair shaft (Correct answer)
- The pool dye reacts with blonde hair's low melanin
- Alkaline pool water raises the cuticle and traps green pigment
Correct answer: Copper mineral deposits oxidize and bind to the hair shaft
Copper oxidizes to form green compounds (like copper chlorophyll) that bind to the porous hair shaft, causing the characteristic green tint.
Question 6: Which product should be used to correct brassiness in lightened hair without lifting the hair further?
- High-lift tint with ash pigments
- Purple or blue toning shampoo (Correct answer)
- Bleach powder with 10-volume developer
- Pre-softener followed by demi-permanent color
Correct answer: Purple or blue toning shampoo
Purple or blue toning shampoos deposit violet or blue pigments that neutralize yellow and orange brassy tones through color wheel opposition.
Question 7: During a double-process blonde service, what is the correct order of steps?
- Tone, then bleach, then shampoo
- Bleach, shampoo and condition, then tone (Correct answer)
- Pre-soften, then bleach and tone simultaneously
- Tone, then apply bleach to roots only
Correct answer: Bleach, shampoo and condition, then tone
In a double-process service, bleach lifts the hair first; after shampooing and conditioning to remove bleach residue, a toner is applied to achieve the desired blonde shade.
Cosmetology Test Haircolor and Lightening 3
A client with previously relaxed hair wants a haircolor service.
What precaution should the cosmetologist take?