Free Cosmetology State Board Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What could the hair become if it is frequently shampooed with a very alkaline shampoo?

Thick
Curly
Dry (Correct answer)
Oily

Correct answer: Dry

If hair is frequently shampooed with a very alkaline shampoo, it could become dry. Alkaline products tend to open the hair cuticle, strip away natural oils, and disrupt the hair's natural pH balance, leading to dryness, frizz, and potential damage over time.

Question 2: What is required to tint hair that has been lightened back to its natural shade?

Soften the hair
Use a color rinse
Strip the hair shaft
Apply a filler (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Apply a filler

To tint hair that has been lightened back to its natural shade, it is essential to apply a filler. Lightened hair often lacks the underlying pigment necessary for natural-looking color, and a filler reintroduces these missing warm tones, ensuring an even and true-to-tone result without undesirable green or ash tones.

Question 3: What precautions should be taken during a relaxer treatment to safeguard a delicate scalp?

Use an astringent on the scalp.
Apply a protective base. (Correct answer)
Use a mild shampoo.
Apply a conditioner to hair.

Correct answer: Apply a protective base.

During a relaxer treatment, applying a protective base to the scalp is crucial to safeguard a delicate scalp. This base, typically a petroleum-based cream, creates a barrier that prevents the strong alkaline chemicals in the relaxer from directly irritating or burning the skin, ensuring client comfort and safety.

Question 4: What use does keratin serve?

It forms the base of all horny tissue. (Correct answer)
It gives flexibility to the nail.
It protects the skin from injury.
It nourishes the connective tissue.

Correct answer: It forms the base of all horny tissue.

Keratin is a fibrous protein that forms the base of all horny tissue in the body. It is the primary structural component of hair, skin, and nails, providing strength, resilience, and protection. Its unique structure makes these tissues durable and resistant to damage.

Question 5: Where do blood vessels and nerves reside?

Lunula
Cuticle
Nail bed (Correct answer)
Plate

Correct answer: Nail bed

Blood vessels and nerves reside in the nail bed, which is the living tissue underneath the nail plate. This area is rich in capillaries and nerve endings, providing nourishment to the growing nail plate and contributing to the nail's sensitivity. Damage to the nail bed can affect nail growth and health.

Question 6: What tendencies does the hair exhibit as it is being chemically waved?

To contract
To expand (Correct answer)
To circulate
To harden

Correct answer: To expand

As hair is being chemically waved, it tends to expand. The chemical solutions used in perming penetrate the hair shaft, causing the cuticle to swell and open. This expansion allows the perm solution to reach and break the disulfide bonds within the cortex, enabling the hair to be reshaped.

Question 7: Disulfide ties are shattered by:

Chemical wave solution (Correct answer)
Neutralizing solution
Shampooing process
Winding process

Correct answer: Chemical wave solution

Disulfide bonds, which are strong chemical side bonds in the hair, are broken by chemical wave solutions (also known as permanent waving solutions). These solutions contain reducing agents like ammonium thioglycolate that penetrate the hair cortex and chemically break these bonds. This allows the hair to be reshaped into a new curl pattern during the permanent waving process.

Question 8: What are tint removers made to get rid of?

Temporary colors
Conditioner build-up
Natural pigment
Artificial pigment (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Artificial pigment

Tint removers, or color removers, are specifically designed to remove artificial pigment that has been deposited into the hair during a coloring service. They work by shrinking the artificial color molecules, making them small enough to be rinsed out of the hair shaft. They do not remove the hair's natural pigment, which would require a bleaching or lightening process.

Question 9: When _________________, scalp manipulations should not be done.

Henna is to be applied
The hair has recently been brushed
Abrasions are present (Correct answer)
The hair has been tinted

Correct answer: Abrasions are present

Scalp manipulations, such as massages or vigorous brushing, should be avoided when abrasions, cuts, sores, or any signs of skin irritation are present on the scalp. Performing manipulations on an injured scalp can cause pain, worsen the condition, introduce infection, or further irritate the skin. Client safety and comfort are paramount in cosmetology practices.

Question 10: The following are dangerous substances that cosmetologists avoid using

Hair coloring
Flavour (Correct answer)
Relaxers
Perms

Correct answer: Flavour

Among the given options, 'Flavour' is not a substance typically used in cosmetology products in a way that would make it inherently dangerous for cosmetologists to avoid. Hair coloring, relaxers, and perms are all chemical services that, while requiring careful handling and safety precautions, are standard cosmetology procedures. 'Flavour' stands out as an irrelevant or non-dangerous substance in this context.

Question 11: The toxic trio's ingredients are as follows, with the exception of

Dibutyl phthalate
Toluene
Cyclohexane (Correct answer)
Formaldehyde

Correct answer: Cyclohexane

The 'toxic trio' refers to three chemicals commonly found in nail polishes that have raised health concerns: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Toluene, and Formaldehyde. These substances are associated with potential reproductive, developmental, and respiratory issues. Cyclohexane is not recognized as one of the ingredients in this specific 'toxic trio' in the context of nail products.

Question 12: Of these, which is not related to cosmetology?

Sugaring
Electrophoresis (Correct answer)
Intense Pulsed Light
Electrology

Correct answer: Electrophoresis

Electrophoresis is a laboratory technique used in biochemistry and molecular biology to separate molecules based on their size and electrical charge. In contrast, sugaring is a hair removal method, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a hair removal and skin treatment, and electrology (electrolysis) is a permanent hair removal method. These three are all recognized practices within the field of cosmetology or esthetics, making electrophoresis the unrelated term.

Question 13: Which of the following statements regarding toluene is false?

It is found in nail polishes
It has a pleasant smell (Correct answer)
It is similar to paint thinners
It is clear and insoluble in water

Correct answer: It has a pleasant smell

Toluene is a solvent commonly found in nail polishes and paint thinners, and it is known for its strong, pungent, and often unpleasant odor, not a pleasant one. It is indeed a clear liquid, insoluble in water, and chemically similar to paint thinners. Therefore, the statement that it has a pleasant smell is false.

Question 14: In __________, estheticians are known as beauticians.

North America (Correct answer)
Ireland
Australia
South America

Correct answer: North America

In North America, particularly in historical contexts and some current usage, the term 'beautician' was often used interchangeably with or as a broader category for professionals who provide various beauty services, including skin care. While 'esthetician' has become the more specific term for skin care specialists, 'beautician' still holds this association in certain North American contexts.

Question 15: A common usage for dibutyl phthalate is as a _______.

Coloring agent
Paint thinner
Plasticizer (Correct answer)
Sedative

Correct answer: Plasticizer

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is primarily used as a plasticizer, a substance added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. In cosmetology, it was historically used in nail polishes to prevent chipping and make them more pliable, though its use has decreased due to health concerns.

Question 16: Which one of these is not a cosmetology specialty?

Shampoo technician
Aesthetician
Hair coloring
Shoe making (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Shoe making

Cosmetology encompasses the art and science of beautifying the hair, skin, and nails. Specialties within this field include shampoo technicians, aestheticians (skin care specialists), and hair coloring. Shoe making, however, is a craft focused on footwear production and is entirely unrelated to personal grooming and beauty services, thus not a cosmetology specialty.

Free Cosmetology State Board Questions and Answers

What could the hair become if it is frequently shampooed with a very alkaline shampoo?