California Cosmetology Written ExamChemical Texture ServicesMedium
Before a chemical texture service, a cosmetologist stretches a strand of wet hair and observes how far it stretches before breaking and whether it returns to its original length. Which hair quality is being evaluated?
- AElasticity
- BDensity
- CPorosity
- DTexture
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Elasticity
Elasticity refers to the hair's ability to stretch and return to its original length without breaking; wet, healthy hair should stretch about 40-50% and return, while damaged hair stretches little or breaks easily.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Density refers to the number of hairs per square inch, unrelated to stretching.
- C. Porosity measures the hair's ability to absorb moisture/chemicals, tested by feel/appearance of cuticle.
- D. Texture refers to strand diameter (coarse, medium, fine), not stretch behavior.
Elasticity Test
A hair analysis test that stretches a wet strand to check its ability to stretch and return to original length without breaking.
- Healthy wet hair stretches ~40-50% and returns
- Poor elasticity indicates weak, damaged internal structure
- Critical before chemical services to predict curl results
Memory trick: Stretch it like a rubber band to check its snap-back.