NYS COSMETOLOGY STUDY EXAM GUIDE 2025/2026
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔astringents - ✔✔can be used on cotton ball and blotted on scalp to remove excess
oils or buildup
✔✔Trichology - ✔✔Study of hair
✔✔non-pigmented hair - ✔✔grey hair/cantities
✔✔purpose of hair - ✔✔protect and adorn
✔✔Texture - ✔✔fine, medium, course and feel of hair per strand
✔✔Density - ✔✔thickness of hair, numbers of per square inch
✔✔Porosity - ✔✔ability of hair to absorb moisture
✔✔elasticity - ✔✔ability of hair to stretch and return
✔✔tenacity - ✔✔overall toughness of hair to stand up to chemical procedures; comes
from cortex
✔✔cuticle - ✔✔hairs gateway and opens & closes porosity; acts as a protective outer
layer
✔✔cortex - ✔✔90% of hairs strength; elasticity; pigment; bonds; 2nd layer
✔✔medulla - ✔✔pith or marrow innermost layer absent in very fine hair; innermost layer
✔✔follicle - ✔✔sets direction of hair shaft; tube like pocket encases the hair root
✔✔papilla/dermal papilla - ✔✔blood vessels cone shaped elevation; if destroyed, hair
will not be able to grow back
✔✔Pityriasis - ✔✔dandruff (fungus malassezia causes dandruff)
✔✔Pityriasis steatoides - ✔✔oily dandruff
✔✔pediculosis capitis - ✔✔head lice; parasite infects hair and scalp
✔✔Bulb - ✔✔fits over papilla; club shaped hair
, ✔✔anagen - ✔✔growth phase of hair growth
✔✔catagen - ✔✔transitional phase of hair growth
✔✔telogen - ✔✔resting phase of hair growth
✔✔albino - ✔✔absence of pigment melanin in hair
✔✔arrector pili - ✔✔muscle pushes out old and in new hair; causes goose flesh bumps
to warm us up by holding body heat in
✔✔sebaceous glands - ✔✔secretes sebum (oil) gives shine to hair
✔✔Thermal irons are tested on ____________ - ✔✔tissue paper
✔✔Heat spray used as _______________ against thermal heat - ✔✔protectant
✔✔hair must be completely _____________ before using a thermal iron - ✔✔dry
✔✔Hair dryers must be used in a ___________________ motion - ✔✔back and forth
✔✔Air flow should be directed _______________ from scalp - ✔✔away
✔✔to protect scalp us a __________________ behind the thermal iron - ✔✔hard
rubber comb
✔✔Naturally _________ hair works best when finger waving - ✔✔wavy
✔✔finger waving lotion should be ______________ to hair - ✔✔harmless
✔✔fingerwaving should start on ______________ side of part - ✔✔heavy
✔✔to emphasize a ridge in a finger wave, press _____________________ against
head - ✔✔press index and middle finger
✔✔remove tangles starting at - ✔✔nape
✔✔three parts of a pin curl are - ✔✔base, stem, and curl; base is immovable part of pin
curl because it is attached to head
✔✔3 bases of pin curls - ✔✔no stem is on it's base, half stem is half on and half off, a
full stem sits completely off base
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔astringents - ✔✔can be used on cotton ball and blotted on scalp to remove excess
oils or buildup
✔✔Trichology - ✔✔Study of hair
✔✔non-pigmented hair - ✔✔grey hair/cantities
✔✔purpose of hair - ✔✔protect and adorn
✔✔Texture - ✔✔fine, medium, course and feel of hair per strand
✔✔Density - ✔✔thickness of hair, numbers of per square inch
✔✔Porosity - ✔✔ability of hair to absorb moisture
✔✔elasticity - ✔✔ability of hair to stretch and return
✔✔tenacity - ✔✔overall toughness of hair to stand up to chemical procedures; comes
from cortex
✔✔cuticle - ✔✔hairs gateway and opens & closes porosity; acts as a protective outer
layer
✔✔cortex - ✔✔90% of hairs strength; elasticity; pigment; bonds; 2nd layer
✔✔medulla - ✔✔pith or marrow innermost layer absent in very fine hair; innermost layer
✔✔follicle - ✔✔sets direction of hair shaft; tube like pocket encases the hair root
✔✔papilla/dermal papilla - ✔✔blood vessels cone shaped elevation; if destroyed, hair
will not be able to grow back
✔✔Pityriasis - ✔✔dandruff (fungus malassezia causes dandruff)
✔✔Pityriasis steatoides - ✔✔oily dandruff
✔✔pediculosis capitis - ✔✔head lice; parasite infects hair and scalp
✔✔Bulb - ✔✔fits over papilla; club shaped hair
, ✔✔anagen - ✔✔growth phase of hair growth
✔✔catagen - ✔✔transitional phase of hair growth
✔✔telogen - ✔✔resting phase of hair growth
✔✔albino - ✔✔absence of pigment melanin in hair
✔✔arrector pili - ✔✔muscle pushes out old and in new hair; causes goose flesh bumps
to warm us up by holding body heat in
✔✔sebaceous glands - ✔✔secretes sebum (oil) gives shine to hair
✔✔Thermal irons are tested on ____________ - ✔✔tissue paper
✔✔Heat spray used as _______________ against thermal heat - ✔✔protectant
✔✔hair must be completely _____________ before using a thermal iron - ✔✔dry
✔✔Hair dryers must be used in a ___________________ motion - ✔✔back and forth
✔✔Air flow should be directed _______________ from scalp - ✔✔away
✔✔to protect scalp us a __________________ behind the thermal iron - ✔✔hard
rubber comb
✔✔Naturally _________ hair works best when finger waving - ✔✔wavy
✔✔finger waving lotion should be ______________ to hair - ✔✔harmless
✔✔fingerwaving should start on ______________ side of part - ✔✔heavy
✔✔to emphasize a ridge in a finger wave, press _____________________ against
head - ✔✔press index and middle finger
✔✔remove tangles starting at - ✔✔nape
✔✔three parts of a pin curl are - ✔✔base, stem, and curl; base is immovable part of pin
curl because it is attached to head
✔✔3 bases of pin curls - ✔✔no stem is on it's base, half stem is half on and half off, a
full stem sits completely off base
