Minutes after a product is applied, a client develops hives, swelling of the lips, and difficulty breathing. What should the esthetician do FIRST ?

Call emergency medical services immediately

Offer an antihistamine cream to calm the hives

Remove the product and continue more slowly

Apply a cool compress and keep observing

A client is lying on the facial bed and the esthetician is draping her before the service. Which practice is correct?

Cover the hair with a clean head wrap that is snug but not tight

Fold the ears under the head wrap so the hair lies smoothly

Tuck the drape tightly around the neck so no skin shows

Reuse the prior client’s head wrap if it shows no visible soil

A client with sensitive skin is scheduled for a deep cleansing with the rotary brush. Which technique is MOST appropriate?

A soft brush at low speed kept moist with cleanser

A firm brush at high speed on the dry skin surface

A firm brush at low speed held in one spot at a time

A soft brush at high speed with firm, steady pressure

An esthetician stores a bottle of acetone on the shelf directly above the paraffin and wax warmers. Why is this unsafe?

Flammable products must be kept away from heat sources

Acetone becomes stronger and more irritating when warm

Heat causes acetone to turn into a disinfectant

Acetone must be stored in the refrigerator

A client’s intake form shows she takes a prescription blood thinner. She has booked a facial with extractions. How should the esthetician adjust the service?

Avoid extractions because the skin may bruise or bleed easily

Perform extractions only after a longer steam to open follicles

Perform extractions but follow with a warm compress to soothe

Perform extractions with extra pressure to finish them quickly

Partway through a treatment, the facial steamer begins spitting hot droplets of water toward the client. What should the esthetician do now, and how can this be prevented?

Turn it away from the client and use only distilled water

Fill the reservoir above the fill line to stabilize the flow

Move it closer to the client so the droplets cool faster

Add a few drops of essential oil to the tap water reservoir

Esthetician

Free Esthetician Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the Esthetician, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Pathogens and Aseptic Technique, Anatomy, Hair, Chemistry, Electricity, Skin Structure and Disorders, Treatment Procedures, Makeup.

Question 1 · Pathogens and Aseptic Technique
A client arrives with a raised, painful boil filled with pus on her jawline. Which bacteria, which grow in grapelike clusters, are the MOST likely cause?
- A.Streptococci
- B.Staphylococci
- C.Diplococci
- D.Spirilla
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Staphylococci
Staphylococci are pus-forming cocci that grow in clusters and cause boils, abscesses, and pustules. Streptococci grow in chains and are associated with strep throat and blood poisoning, while diplococci grow in pairs and spirilla are spiral-shaped.
Question 2 · Pathogens and Aseptic Technique
Minutes after a product is applied, a client develops hives, swelling of the lips, and difficulty breathing. What should the esthetician do FIRST?
- A.Offer an antihistamine cream to calm the hives
- B.Remove the product and continue more slowly
- C.Apply a cool compress and keep observing
- D.Call emergency medical services immediately
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Call emergency medical services immediately
Swelling of the lips with difficulty breathing indicates anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate emergency medical help. Cool compresses, removing the product alone, or topical creams do not address a reaction affecting the airway.
Question 3 · Skin Structure and Disorders
A client with eczema has scratched the patches on her wrist, leaving raw, abraded areas. Which secondary lesion does this describe?
- A.Excoriation
- B.Fissure
- C.Crust
- D.Scar (cicatrix)
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Excoriation
An excoriation is a skin sore or abrasion produced by scratching or scraping. A fissure is a crack in the skin, a crust is dried serum or blood, and a scar is a mark left after a deeper wound has healed.
Question 4 · Treatment Procedures
A client is lying on the facial bed and the esthetician is draping her before the service. Which practice is correct?
- A.Fold the ears under the head wrap so the hair lies smoothly
- B.Tuck the drape tightly around the neck so no skin shows
- C.Cover the hair with a clean head wrap that is snug but not tight
- D.Reuse the prior client’s head wrap if it shows no visible soil
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Cover the hair with a clean head wrap that is snug but not tight
Draping protects the client’s hair and clothing, so a freshly laundered head wrap is secured snugly enough to stay in place without causing discomfort. Linens are never reused between clients, folding the ears under is uncomfortable, and a drape pulled tight around the neck restricts the client and the work area.
Question 5 · Anatomy, Hair, Chemistry, Electricity
A client with sensitive skin is scheduled for a deep cleansing with the rotary brush. Which technique is MOST appropriate?
- A.A firm brush at high speed on the dry skin surface
- B.A firm brush at low speed held in one spot at a time
- C.A soft brush at high speed with firm, steady pressure
- D.A soft brush at low speed kept moist with cleanser
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. A soft brush at low speed kept moist with cleanser
For sensitive skin the rotary brush should use a soft brush at a low speed, kept moist with cleanser and moved continuously so it does not abrade the skin. High speeds, firm bristles, dry skin, or lingering in one spot all increase friction and irritation.
Question 6 · Pathogens and Aseptic Technique
Which group of bacteria is rod-shaped and includes the organisms responsible for tetanus and tuberculosis?
- A.Bacilli
- B.Spirilla
- C.Cocci
- D.Diplococci
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Bacilli
Bacilli are short rod-shaped bacteria and are the most common type; they cause diseases such as tetanus, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. Cocci are round, spirilla are spiral or corkscrew-shaped, and diplococci are round bacteria growing in pairs.
Question 7 · Pathogens and Aseptic Technique
An esthetician stores a bottle of acetone on the shelf directly above the paraffin and wax warmers. Why is this unsafe?
- A.Flammable products must be kept away from heat sources
- B.Acetone becomes stronger and more irritating when warm
- C.Heat causes acetone to turn into a disinfectant
- D.Acetone must be stored in the refrigerator
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Flammable products must be kept away from heat sources
Acetone and other flammable products must be stored in a cool, well-ventilated area away from heat, sparks, and open flames to prevent fire. Refrigeration is not required, and warming does not change acetone into another type of product.
Question 8 · Skin Structure and Disorders
A client with deeply pigmented skin has a thick, raised scar that has grown beyond the borders of an old ear-piercing wound. Which secondary lesion does this describe?
- A.Ulcer
- B.Fissure
- C.Excoriation
- D.Keloid
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Keloid
A keloid is a thick scar resulting from excessive growth of fibrous tissue that extends beyond the original wound and occurs more often in darker skin types. A fissure is a crack, an ulcer is an open lesion, and an excoriation is an abrasion from scratching.
Question 9 · Treatment Procedures
A client’s intake form shows she takes a prescription blood thinner. She has booked a facial with extractions. How should the esthetician adjust the service?
- A.Perform extractions only after a longer steam to open follicles
- B.Avoid extractions because the skin may bruise or bleed easily
- C.Perform extractions but follow with a warm compress to soothe
- D.Perform extractions with extra pressure to finish them quickly
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Avoid extractions because the skin may bruise or bleed easily
Blood thinners (anticoagulants) make clients prone to bruising and bleeding, so extractions and other trauma-producing procedures are avoided. Added pressure, longer steaming, or warmth all increase the likelihood of bruising and bleeding.
Question 10 · Anatomy, Hair, Chemistry, Electricity
Partway through a treatment, the facial steamer begins spitting hot droplets of water toward the client. What should the esthetician do now, and how can this be prevented?
- A.Fill the reservoir above the fill line to stabilize the flow
- B.Move it closer to the client so the droplets cool faster
- C.Add a few drops of essential oil to the tap water reservoir
- D.Turn it away from the client and use only distilled water
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Turn it away from the client and use only distilled water
A spitting steamer can burn the client, so it is turned away immediately; using distilled water prevents the mineral buildup that commonly causes spitting. Moving it closer increases burn risk, oils added to the reservoir can damage the unit, and overfilling also causes spitting.

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