California Cosmetology Written ExamChemical Texture ServicesMedium
A client with previously relaxed hair wants a soft, natural-looking curl pattern rather than fully straight hair. A cosmetologist performs a curl reforming (soft curl perm) service. Which best describes this process?
- AA sodium hydroxide relaxer is applied first to fully straighten hair, then rods are removed immediately
- BCurl reforming uses only water and heat, with no chemical reducing agents involved
- CA thio-based waving lotion is applied to relaxed hair wrapped on large rods, followed by a neutralizer, to create a looser curl pattern
- DAn acid wave is applied to virgin hair only, since curl reforming cannot be done on chemically treated hair
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A thio-based waving lotion is applied to relaxed hair wrapped on large rods, followed by a neutralizer, to create a looser curl pattern
Curl reforming (soft curl perm) is performed on previously relaxed hair by wrapping it on large rods and applying a thio-based (ammonium thioglycolate) waving lotion to soften and reshape the existing bonds into a looser curl pattern, followed by neutralization to fix the new, softer curl.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. That describes a relaxer service, not curl reforming, which aims to create curl, not straighten.
- B. Curl reforming requires a chemical reducing agent (thio), not just water and heat.
- D. Curl reforming is specifically designed for previously relaxed hair, not just virgin hair.
Curl Reforming (Soft Curl Perm)
A chemical service that loosens tightly curled or previously relaxed hair into a softer curl pattern using thio waving lotion on large rods, followed by neutralization.
- Performed on previously relaxed (not virgin) hair
- Uses large rods for a looser curl pattern
- Neutralizer re-forms bonds in the new soft curl shape
Memory trick: Soft curl perm softens straight relaxed hair back into gentle ocean waves using big rods.