Prepare for the Esthetician practical exam with these skills test questions and answers. This covers facial procedures, waxing, makeup application, and sanitation.
Q: What do you do first when a client is dissatisfied?
Answer: apologize for the client’s displeasure
Q: What term refers to the functions and activities performed by body structures?
Answer: Physiology
Q: What do human cells need to grow and reproduce?
Answer: Ability to eliminate waste products
Q: What organ removes waste created by digestion?
Answer: liver
Q: What muscle surrounds the upper lip and elevates it, dilating the nostrils?
Answer: levator labii superioris
Q: What makes up the bulk of the brain?
Answer: cerebrum
Q: Where are the thalamus and hypothalamus found?
Answer: diencephalon
Q: What artery supplies blood to the forehead and upper eyelids?
Answer: frontal
Q: What parts of the body receive blood from the anterior tibial artery?
Answer: Lower leg and top of the foot
Q: What is the unit that measures the amount of an electric current (the number of electrons flowing through a conductor)?
Answer: ampere
Q: What color LED is used to reduce hyperpigmentation?
Answer: green
Q: What methods does the body use to maintain thermoregulation?
Answer: Perspiration, radiation, insulation (NOT absorption)
Q: What percentage of hair is composed of hard keratin?
Answer: 90%
Q: Which has more energy UVA or UVB radiation?
Answer: UVB
Q: What is the first thing you should do when setting up your supplies?
Answer: Wash your hands with soap and water
Q: What is the most stimulating form of massage?
Answer: Tapotement
Q: What are the methods of electrolysis?
Answer: Blend, galvanic, and thermolysis (NOT micro-current)
Q: What is the main method of depilation?
Answer: shaving
Q: What is an appropriate size for a wax strip for the underarm area?
Answer: 1-1/2″ x 5″
Q: What is the shortest length that you should trim hair before waxing?
Answer: 1/2 inch
Q: What should you do at the end of a waxing service ?
Answer: apply a cold compress with baking soda mixed in water to sensitive skin
Q: Don’t do this when waxing if a client has thin or uneven brows
Answer: Pluck stray hairs
Q: What type of brush is similar to the concealer brush, but is smaller with a more tapered, rounded edge?
Answer: lip brush
Q: What color makes freckles look darker when it is reflected onto the face?
Answer: Red
Q: What color eyes are neutral and can wear any color?
Answer: Brown
Q: How do light lip colors affect the appearance of the lips?
Answer: make them seem larger
Q: What face shape is long and narrow, with cheeks that are often hollowed under prominent cheekbones?
Answer: rectangles
Q: What facial feature necessitates the blending of a lighter shade of foundation onto the tip of the nose and between the eyes?
Answer: short nose
Q: What should you do to the eyebrows to create the illusion of a shorter face for a client with a long face?
Answer: Make them almost straight
Q: What are common uses of airbrush makeup?
Answer: Hair and nail art application, theatrical makeup, washable tattoos (not restorative makeup for the deceased)
Q: What should you look for when selecting a location for your business?
Answer: Location that is easy to get to
Q: How are weekly and monthly financial reports commonly used?
Answer: To gauge promotional efforts
Q: Does micro current travel through the entire body?
Answer: No
Q: In what layer of the dermis are collagen and elastin more widely spaced?
Answer: Papillary layer
Q: Is hair an appendage of the skin?
Answer: No
Q: Should you use a deep penetrating cream when preforming a massage?
Answer: No
Q: Which part of the body requires more strips when waxing due to hair density?
Answer: Back
Q: True of false, the pigments in a mascara must be inert
Answer: True
Q: When can eyeliner be applied
Answer: Before or after eyeshadow
Q: Can you add information to the intake form after the consultation has begun?
Answer: Yes
Q: What does a rise in blood sugar cause on a cellular layer?
Answer: Inflammation
Q: Should massage be preformed as a part of back facials or body treatments ?
Answer: No
Q: What massage movement should you use when transitioning from the underside of the chin to the right cheek?
Answer: Tapping
Q: What forms of hair removal are not commonly preformed in spas?
Answer: Laser and photo light forms
Q: Which are softer, synthetic or natural brush hairs?
Answer: Natural
Q: How often should you recommend a series of AHA treatments to clients?
Answer: every 3-4 months
Q: What type of color agent is zinc oxide?
Answer: Exempt color
Q: How long can a properly-maintained magnifying lamp last?
Answer: 10 years
Q: What’s an ingredient that should not be used on mature skin and rosacea?
Answer: Rosemary oil
Q: What are ingredients recommended for use in mature skin and rosacea?
Answer: Green tea, squalane oil, guarana
Q: What grade of acne is cystic acne?
Answer: IV
Q: What term refers to an abnormal condition of all or part of the body that makes the body incapable of carrying on normal function?
Answer: disease
Q: Where do steatomas usually appear?
Answer: Scalp, neck, and back
Q: What term refers to vitamin-containing substances that are converted to the actual vitamin once they are in the body?
Answer: precursors
Q: What class of medical devices are IPL machines
Answer: IV
Q: What is licorice used for?
Answer: Treating sensitive skin
Q: How should the vacuum be used on clients?
Answer: slow horizontal movements on moistened or damp skin
Q: What is an essential oil that can be used as an astringent
Answer: Orange
Q: What is the first thing you should do when preforming s facial after completing the pre service procedure?
Answer: Cleanse your hands and apply warm towels
Q: What parts of the body are usually bare for facials?
Answer: neck and shoulders
Q: What is the most abundant element found on earth?
Answer: Oxygen
Q: What are functions of potassium?
Answer: Maintaining blood pressure, heart and nervous system functions, cell nutrient transfers and reactions
Q: What color light is considered stimulating when using therapeutic lamps for color therapy ?
Answer: Red
Q: What is the most common type of bacteria?
Answer: Bacilli
Q: What career requires a knowledge of cosmetic chemistry, makeup snd camouflage techniques and business skills?
Answer: Medical aesthetician
Q: What is an example of an organic substance?
Answer: plastic
Q: How many times should you rinse the skin after removing a chemical exfoliant during a mini-procedure?
Answer: At least six times
Q: How long should a properly stored emulsion remain stable?
Answer: Three years
Q: What is a characteristic of a suspension?
Answer: Slightly miscible
Q: How much of your daily food intake should consist of fat?
Answer: About 26 percent
Q: What is the study of body structures that can be seen by the naked eye?
Answer: Gross anatomy
Q: What is the study of how tissues are structured and how they work; structures that can only be seen with a microscope?
Answer: Histology
Q: the science of the causes and effects of diseases
Answer: pathology
Q: What is protoplasm composed of?
Answer: Water, salt, nutrients
Q: What is the process of building larger molecules from smaller ones?
Answer: Anabolism
Q: What is the process of breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones?
Answer: catabolism
Q: How are groups of cells that perform similar functions?
Answer: Tissues
Q: Which tissue covers the body surface and lines the cavities of the body?
Answer: epithelial tissue
Q: Which tissue coordinates body functions and carries messages from brain and spinal cord?
Answer: Nerve
Q: Which tissue supports, protects, and holds the body together?
Answer: connective tissue
Q: Which tissue contacts when stimulated to produce motion?
Answer: Muscular tissue
Q: Which organ filters blood?
Answer: Spleen
Q: What are functions of the integumentary system?
Answer: SHAPES (sensation, heat regulation, absorption, protection, excretion, secretion)
Q: The upper level of the dermis that’s rich in blood vessels, tactile corpuscles, and papillae
Answer: Papillary layer
Q: Finger-like upward projections of the papillary dermis into the epidermis are called:
Answer: Papillae
Q: Mechanoreceptors (nerve endings) that are sensitive to internal and external factors
Answer: Meissener’s corpuscles
Q: The layer of the dermis that comes in to contact with the subcutaneous layer
Answer: Reticular dermis
Q: __________ protein fibers are strong and flexible, while ____________ fibers are soft and pliable
Answer: Collagen; elastin
Q: What causes skin to sag and wrinkle?
Answer: Deterioration of collagen and elastin
Q: Where are sudoriferous (sweat) glands located?
Answer: Reticular dermis
Q: Where are sebaceous glands located?
Answer: Reticular dermis
Q: Where are sensory nerve endings and receptors located?
Answer: In the reticular dermis
Q: Blood and lymphatic vessels, arrector pilli, and a major portion of each hair follicle are located here
Answer: Reticular dermis
Q: What are ductless glands?
Answer: endocrine glands, which release hormones in to the blood (ex thyroid gland)
Q: What are exocrine glands?
Answer: Glands that produce a secretion and release it outside the body (sweat and oil glands)
Q: What types of sudoriferous glands are found in the dermis?
Answer: Eccrine and apocrine glands
Q: What are the sweat glands that are located throughout the entire body and most abundantly on the palms of hands, forehead, and soles of the feet?
Answer: Eccrine glands
Q: Which glands preform thermoregulation, excrete waste products, and keep the skin acidic?
Answer: Eccrine
Q: Amount of sebum produced is influenced by male hormones present in both men and women called _________
Answer: androgens
Q: What forms the acid mantle?
Answer: Sebum and perspiration
Q: These glands secrete an odorless, milky substance that can develop into body odor because of bacterial activity. They also contain pheromones
Answer: Apocrine glands
Q: What are the sweat glands that are under the arms, in the genitals, and the nipples that become active during puberty?
Answer: Apocrine glands
Q: What are the function of pores?
Answer: Allow sweat and sebum to pass through surface of skin
Q: Which nerve endings pick up messages and respond to temperature, touch, pressure, and pain?
Answer: Sensory nerve endings
Q: What do arterioles transport to capillaries ?
Answer: Oxygenated blood
Q: What do venules do?
Answer: Transport deoxygenated blood
Q: Which nerve endings end in the blood vessels and cause them to constrict or dislate to regulate body temperature?
Answer: Motor nerve endings
Q: What is the connective tissue that is made up of loosely woven fibers that make the skin soft and pliable?
Answer: Areolar
Q: Which connective tissue stores fat cells?
Answer: adipose tissue
Q: The technical name for nail is…
Answer: Onyx
Q: How long does it take for a fingernail to replace itself?
Answer: 4-6 months
Q: What is trichology?
Answer: The study of hair and its diseases
Q: What part of the hair strand contains melanin?
Answer: Cortex
Q: fine silky hair is seen in babies
Answer: Lanugo
Q: Thin, short, fine, non pigmented hair
Answer: Vellus
Q: Long, thick pigmented hair such as scalp and eyebrow hair is referred to as:
Answer: terminal hair
Q: What is the hair that grows on the scalp called?
Answer: Capilli
Q: What is the hair that grows a beard called?
Answer: Barba
Q: What is eyelash hair called?
Answer: Cilia
Q: What is eyebrow hair called?
Answer: Supercilia
Q: 90% of hair is in what growth stage?
Answer: Anagen
Q: Which stage is the active growing stage of hair?
Answer: Anagen
Q: Which stage is a brief, transitional period where cell division of hair stops?
Answer: Cartagen
Q: At which growth stage is there no root sheath attached to the hair ? Hair falls out at this time
Answer: Telogen
Q: Excessive amounts of terminal hair found in women in areas of the body where men usually get hair, such as the face, is a condition called:
Answer: hirsutism
Q: And abnormal coverage of hair on areas of the body where normally only lanugo or baby fine hair appears is a condition known as:
Answer: Hypertrichosis
Q: What colors of hair does eumelanin create?
Answer: Brown/black
Q: What colors of hair does pheomelanin create?
Answer: Red/yellow
Q: Which type of muscle responds automatically to control various body functions?
Answer: non-striated, involuntary
Q: What creates movement based on intentional desire?
Answer: Voluntary, striated
Q: What connects muscle to bone?
Answer: tendons
Q: What connects bone to bone?
Answer: ligaments
Q: Which muscle extends from forehead to top of skull and raises the eyebrows and draws the scalp forward?
Answer: Frontalis
Q: Which muscle is located at the nape of the neck and draws the scalp back?
Answer: Occipitalis
Q: Which muscle is in front of the ear?
Answer: Auricularis anterior
Q: Which muscle is above the ear?
Answer: Auricularis superior
Q: Which muscle is behind the ear?
Answer: Auricularis posterior
Q: Which muscle is between the eyebrows and controls the eyebrows drawing them in a downward?
Answer: Corrugator
Q: Which muscle is above the eyelids and raises them?
Answer: Le actor palpebrae superioris
Q: Which muscle circles the eye socket and closes eyelid
Answer: orbicularis oculi
Q: Which muscle is between the eyebrows and draws brows down, wrinkles area between brows and upper part of nose
Answer: Procerus
Q: Which muscle goes across the nasal bridge and opens nostrils or wrinkles nose?
Answer: Nasalis
Q: Which muscle circles the mouth and is responsible for puckering and wrinkling the lips?
Answer: orbicularis oris
Q: Which muscle raises both nostrils and the upper lip as in expressing distaste?
Answer: Quadratus labii superioris
Q: Which muscle located below the lower lip draws lower lip down or to the side, expressing sarcasm?
Answer: Quadratus labii inferioris
Q: Which muscle on the tip of the chin pushes lower lip out and wrinkles chin as in expressing doubt?
Answer: Mentalis
Q: Which muscle located at the corners of the mouth draws mouth up and out as in grinning?
Answer: Risorius
Q: Muscle above corners of the mouth that raises the angle of the mouth to snarl
Answer: Caninus or levator anguli oris
Q: Which muscle located below corners of the mouth draws corners of mouth down as in expressing sadness
Answer: Triangularis or depressor anguli oris
Q: Which muscle draws mouth up and back and is located in the cheek area
Answer: Zygomaticus
Q: Muscle between jaws and teeth that compresses cheek to release air outward as in whistling
Answer: Buccinator
Q: Which muscle is located by the temple and helps open and close the jaw
Answer: Temporalis
Q: Which muscle aids in closing the jaw as in chewing ?
Answer: Masseter
Q: Muscle covers most of the anterior side of neck. Draws lower lip and corner of the mouth down and sideways partially opening the mouth as in surprise or fright
Answer: Platysma
Q: Largest cervical muscle that causes the head to move from side to side and up and down as in nodding yes or no
Answer: Sternocleidomastoid
Q: Muscle that draws head back and elevates shoulder blades
Answer: Trapezius
Q: Back muscle that aids in swinging the arm
Answer: Latissimus dorsi