Hair Science is 1 of 13 topics on the Texas Class A Barber written exam — part of fadejunkie's 299-question practice bank. Below are 15 real Hair Science questions with real answers.
What's the average pH of hair and skin?
Hair and skin sit at an average pH of about 5.0, on the slightly acidic side of the scale, the benchmark for pH-balanced hair products.
In barbering, what does 'texture' actually measure on a single strand?
How coarse or fine that one strand is. Texture is a per-strand trait, not to be confused with density (how many strands grow per square inch).
Which stage of the hair growth cycle is hair actively being produced?
Anagen — the growth stage where the follicle is actively building new hair.
What happens to a follicle during catagen?
It shrinks and the bulb disappears, leaving a rounded club hair. Catagen is the short transition between active growth and rest.
What is the average rate of hair growth per month?
Healthy scalp hair grows about half an inch per month on average, though the rate varies by person, age, and body area.
Which hair layer holds strength, elasticity, and color?
The cortex is the middle layer of the hair shaft, and it's what gives hair its strength, elasticity, and natural color.
What pigment is missing from white hair?
White hair is the color of keratin with melanin completely absent — neither eumelanin nor pheomelanin is present.
Why does hair go gray?
Melanin production drops off — it doesn't vanish entirely, it just slows way down.
What makes hair 'porous'?
A raised, open cuticle layer that lets moisture and chemical products soak in fast.
Which hair texture resists chemical processes the most?
Coarse hair is the most resistant to chemical processing and usually needs longer processing time than fine or medium hair.
Hair with a high porosity level is usually the result of what?
Prior chemical over-processing is the usual cause — it raises and damages the cuticle, which lets hair absorb product quickly but also lose moisture and color fast.
What's the difference between terminal hair and vellus hair?
Terminal hair is the long, coarse hair on the scalp and body. Vellus hair is the short, fine 'peach fuzz' kind.
What does it mean when hair is described as 'resistant'?
The cuticle lies flat and tight, so the hair feels smooth and takes longer to absorb chemical services.
Which hair texture is more susceptible to damage from chemical services?
Fine hair. It has the least structural mass of any texture, so color and perm services damage it faster than coarse or medium hair.
What does hair elasticity actually tell you about a strand?
How strong the cortex is — elastic hair stretches under tension and springs back without snapping.
These are a sample. Try the Hair Science practice quiz or flip through the Hair Science flashcards for free. A one-time $15 lifetime pass unlocks full multi-topic study and the complete 299-question bank across all 13 tested topics.
Hair Science is one of 13 topics tested on the Texas barber written exam. See the Texas Barber State Board Exam Guide for the full exam process, or browse every topic on the Practice Question Hub or the Education Hub.
7 Hair Science questions below have a full standalone answer page: