Permanent Waving and Chemical Relaxing — practice questions

17% of the exam ≈22 real questions 27 free questions here

34% of the clinical exam, about 22 questions. Two chemistries that must never meet: thio, which breaks disulfide bonds by reduction and rebuilds them with a neutralizer, and hydroxide, which destroys them permanently through lanthionization. Rod size and wrapping, base and no-base relaxers, strand and test curls, and the contraindications that separate a service from a chemical haircut.

Where people lose points

• Thio and hydroxide are not interchangeable and never layer. Hair relaxed with hydroxide can never take a thio perm, and hair permed with thio must not receive a hydroxide relaxer. The exam tests this as a client-history question, not a chemistry question — the client tells you what she had done last year and you have to refuse.
• A perm neutralizer is an oxidizer that rebuilds the disulfide bonds. A hydroxide relaxer's "neutralizing shampoo" does not rebuild anything — lanthionization is irreversible — it only restores pH. Same word, completely different job.
• Rod diameter determines curl size, and it is the diameter, not the length. The smaller the rod, the tighter the curl. Rod length only has to span the section.
• Under-processing and over-processing look different. An under-processed perm gives a limp, loose curl that relaxes within days. An over-processed one has broken bonds that cannot be rebuilt — the hair is weak and frizzy, and re-perming it makes it worse, which is why the correct answer is almost never "perm it again".
• Porosity drives processing time. Porous hair absorbs faster and processes faster, so it needs the milder solution and the shorter timing — the reverse of the instinct that damaged hair needs more product to work.

Questions and answers, explained

All 10 questions above, with the correct answer and why it is correct. Everything here is on permanent waving and chemical relaxing.

1. Which side bond does a permanent wave solution break?

   • AThe hydrogen bond, which water alone can break and reform
   • BThe disulfide bondCorrect
   • CThe salt bond
   • DThe peptide bond

   Why: Waving lotion reduces disulfide bonds, the strong sulfur-to-sulfur links that hold the hair's shape. Hydrogen and salt bonds are physical side bonds broken by water or changes in pH, which is why a wet set is temporary. Peptide bonds hold the amino acid chain itself together and breaking them would destroy the hair.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; side bonds

2. What is the active ingredient in an alkaline or cold wave?

   • AAmmonium thioglycolateCorrect
   • BSodium hydroxide, the same base used in relaxers
   • CHydrogen peroxide
   • DGlyceryl monothioglycolate

   Why: Ammonium thioglycolate, with a pH around 9.0 to 9.6, is the reducing agent in an alkaline wave and works at room temperature. Glyceryl monothioglycolate is the acid-balanced wave's active ingredient. Sodium hydroxide belongs to relaxers and hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer, so neither can break a bond.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; alkaline waves

3. How does high porosity affect the choice of waving lotion?

   • APorous hair needs the strongest available alkaline solution
   • BPorous hair needs a milder solution and a shorter timeCorrect
   • CPorosity has no effect on which solution should be selected
   • DPorous hair should be permed only after a lightening service

   Why: Porous hair absorbs quickly and processes faster, so it takes a gentler solution and closer watching. Reaching for the strongest lotion is the instinct that over-processes damaged hair. Ignoring porosity removes the main variable that decides timing, and lightening beforehand would only raise porosity further.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; porosity

4. What is placed around the client's hairline before waving lotion is applied?

   • AA neck strip folded twice for extra thickness
   • BA cotton coil, replaced when it becomes saturatedCorrect
   • CNothing, provided the client is draped properly
   • DA thin layer of petroleum jelly across the forehead

   Why: A cotton coil catches lotion running toward the face and is changed as soon as it becomes saturated, because saturated cotton holds chemical against the skin rather than away from it. A neck strip is absorbent but not positioned for this purpose. Draping alone does not protect the face, and petroleum jelly is not the standard barrier for a waving service.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; client protection

5. Which finding during analysis means a permanent wave should not be performed?

   • AThe hair is fine in texture and low in density
   • BThe hair has been colored with a demi-permanent product
   • CThe scalp shows open sores or abrasionsCorrect
   • DThe client has never had a chemical service before

   Why: Broken skin and an alkaline chemical must not meet, so the service waits until the scalp has healed. Fine hair and demi-permanent color both call for adjustments to solution strength and timing rather than refusal, and a first-time client is simply a candidate who needs a careful consultation and a test curl.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; contraindications

6. Why is elasticity tested before a permanent wave?

   • ATo determine which rod diameter the client should have
   • BTo confirm the hair can withstand the chemical processCorrect
   • CTo measure how many strands grow per square inch
   • DTo identify whether the client has a scalp disorder

   Why: Elasticity shows whether the hair can stretch and return, which is a direct measure of the internal structure a perm depends on. Hair that stretches and does not recover will not hold a curl and may break. Rod size is a design decision, density counts strands, and scalp disorders are found by examining the scalp itself.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; elasticity

7. What should a client be told about washing her hair after a permanent wave?

   • ATo shampoo that same evening to remove any residue
   • BTo wait the period the manufacturer specifies, commonly 24 to 48 hoursCorrect
   • CTo avoid washing her hair for at least two full weeks
   • DThat washing has no effect on a completed wave

   Why: The rebuilt bonds continue to stabilize after the service, so manufacturers specify a waiting period — most commonly 24 to 48 hours — before the first shampoo. Washing the same evening can loosen the new curl. Two weeks is far longer than any product requires, and treating washing as irrelevant contradicts why the waiting period exists.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; aftercare

8. Most of the processing in an alkaline permanent wave occurs during which period?

   • AEvenly spread across the entire processing time
   • BOnly after the hair has been rinsed and blotted
   • CThe first five to ten minutesCorrect
   • DThe final five minutes before the neutralizer

   Why: The reaction is fastest at the start, which is why a test curl is taken early rather than at the end of the stated time and why leaving a wave unattended is risky. Processing does not accelerate toward the end, and nothing continues once the lotion is rinsed away — that is the point of rinsing.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; processing curve

9. What is the consequence of overlapping relaxer onto previously relaxed hair?

   • AA smoother, straighter result along the full length
   • BNo effect, because those bonds are already converted
   • CSevere breakage at the overlapped pointCorrect
   • DA slight loss of shine that conditioning will correct

   Why: Already-relaxed hair has no disulfide bonds left to convert, but it is still protein that a caustic chemical will degrade. A second exposure weakens it until it snaps, usually right at the line where the applications met. It is the single most common cause of relaxer breakage and no conditioner reverses it.

   Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; overlapping

10. What is the smoothing step during a relaxer service?

    • ACombing the relaxer through with a fine metal comb
    • BRinsing the relaxer with warm water while it is still processing
    • CWorking the product through with gentle pressure to straighten the strandCorrect
    • DBlow-drying the hair straight after the neutralizing shampoo

    Why: Smoothing works the relaxer through the strand with the back of a comb or the fingers, using gentle pressure to straighten the hair while the bonds are open. A metal comb is not used, rinsing mid-process would end the service early, and blow-drying afterwards is styling rather than part of the chemical service.

    Reference Clinical domain: permanent waving and chemical relaxing; smoothing

Topics inside this domain

• What a Florida cosmetology license covers
• Patch tests and strand tests
• Perm rods, wrapping and processing
• Hydroxide relaxers versus thio relaxers
• Gray coverage and resistant hair

Drill other domains

• General Safety and Sanitation Procedures (17%)
• Client Services (12%)
• Facials, Makeup and Hair Removal (8%)
• Manicuring and Pedicuring (8%)
• Professional, Legal and Ethical Practice; Laws and Rules (5%)
• Hair Coloring and Lightening (19.5%)

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