Colorado Cosmetology Written Practice Exam

What temporary method of hair removal accelerates the shedding of the horny layer of the skin?

1. Depilatory

2. Waxing

3. Threading

4. Shaving

The correct answer is: Depilatory

The correct answer is based on the nature of depilatories, which are chemical products designed to break down the protein structure of the hair, allowing for easy removal from the skin's surface. They specifically target the hair shaft and can lead to the accelerated shedding of the outer layer of skin, known as the horny layer, as they also affect the skin's surface. This process can result in smoother skin temporarily by removing both hair and some dead skin cells. While waxing is also an effective method for hair removal, it physically pulls hair out from the root and does not necessarily speed up the shedding of the skin's outer layer in the same way depilatories do. Threading is a precise method that removes hair from the follicle, making it effective for shaping eyebrows and removing facial hair, but it does not influence the shedding of the skin's outer layer. Shaving, on the other hand, only cuts hair at the skin's surface and does not have a significant impact on the horny layer's shedding. Thus, among the options provided, the temporary method of hair removal that truly accelerates the shedding of the horny layer of the skin is the depilatory.