Alaska Cosmetology License Exam — All Questions

In a salon, which level of decontamination is required for multi-use (reusable) implements such as metal shears and combs that have not touched blood or body fluids?

• a.Cleaning with soap and water only, then air drying
• b.Cleaning to remove debris, followed by complete immersion in an EPA-registered disinfectant✓
• c.Sterilization in an autoclave before every client
• d.Wiping with a plain damp towel between clients

There are three levels of decontamination: sanitation (lowest, reduces germs), disinfection (kills most pathogens on hard nonporous surfaces), and sterilization (highest, destroys all microbial life). Multi-use implements must first be cleaned to remove visible debris and then fully immersed in an EPA-registered disinfectant for the manufacturer's stated contact time. Cleaning alone does not kill pathogens, and salons generally are not required to autoclave/sterilize implements that have not contacted blood.

What does an EPA registration on a salon disinfectant label indicate?

• a.The product has been approved by the FDA for use on human skin
• b.The product is a natural, chemical-free cleaner
• c.The product's manufacturer has demonstrated its effectiveness against specific pathogens to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency✓
• d.The product only needs to touch the surface briefly to work

Disinfectants used on hard, nonporous salon surfaces and implements must be EPA-registered. EPA registration means the manufacturer submitted efficacy data proving the product kills the pathogens named on the label (for example, bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal claims). The label also states the required contact (dwell) time, which must be followed for the product to work. The EPA regulates surface disinfectants; the FDA regulates products applied to the body.

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is of particular concern in salons primarily because it is a bacterium that:

• a.Is resistant to many common antibiotics and can spread through skin contact or shared implements✓
• b.Can only be transmitted through contaminated food
• c.Is a fungus that affects only the nails
• d.Is completely harmless to healthy adults

MRSA is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics that once treated it, making infections harder to cure. It can spread through direct skin contact or by sharing contaminated implements and towels. This is exactly why strict cleaning and disinfection of implements between every client is essential in the salon.

If a client is accidentally cut and blood appears during a service, the correct procedure is to:

• a.Continue the service and clean up afterward
• b.Reuse the implement after wiping it on a towel
• c.Blow on the wound to stop the bleeding
• d.Stop the service, put on gloves, clean and bandage the injury, and clean and disinfect any contaminated implements and surfaces (double-bagging contaminated waste)✓

A blood spill requires following Universal (Standard) Precautions, which treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious. Stop the service, put on gloves, stop the bleeding and cover the wound, then clean and disinfect any implements or surfaces that contacted blood, and dispose of contaminated single-use materials in a properly sealed (often double-bagged) container. Implements exposed to blood should be disinfected with a product effective against bloodborne pathogens (HIV and hepatitis B/C).

Which layer of the hair shaft contains the melanin (pigment) and makes up most of the hair's strength and elasticity?

• a.The cuticle
• b.The cortex✓
• c.The medulla
• d.The follicle

The hair shaft has three layers. The cuticle is the tough outer layer of overlapping scales that protects the strand. The cortex is the thick middle layer that contains melanin (natural pigment) and the bonds responsible for most of the hair's strength, elasticity, and its response to chemical services like color and perms. The medulla is the soft, often absent core. The follicle is the skin structure that surrounds the root, not a layer of the shaft.

During a haircut, the term 'elevation' refers to:

• a.The direction in which the hair naturally grows
• b.The amount of tension applied while combing
• c.The angle at which the hair is lifted or held from the head before cutting✓
• d.The height of the styling chair

Elevation (also called projection) is the angle at which a subsection of hair is lifted away from the head before it is cut. Zero elevation (held at 0 degrees, straight down) produces a blunt, one-length or heavier line; 90-degree elevation builds layers; and 180 degrees creates long, graduated layering. Controlling elevation, along with the cutting line/angle, is how a stylist creates weight, graduation, and layers.

The three phases of the hair growth cycle, in order, are:

• a.Anagen (growth), catagen (transition), telogen (rest)✓
• b.Telogen (growth), anagen (rest), catagen (transition)
• c.Catagen (growth), telogen (transition), anagen (rest)
• d.Anagen (rest), telogen (growth), catagen (shedding)

Hair grows in a repeating cycle of three phases. Anagen is the active growth phase, during which the hair is actively produced and can last several years. Catagen is the brief transition phase, when growth stops and the follicle begins to shrink. Telogen is the resting phase, at the end of which the hair sheds and a new anagen phase begins. Most scalp hair is in the anagen phase at any given time.

A client with very fine, thin hair wants more apparent volume. Which cutting approach generally helps create the illusion of fullness?

• a.Removing weight aggressively with heavy thinning throughout
• b.Using layering and blunt lines to build volume and a strong perimeter rather than over-thinning✓
• c.Cutting all hair at zero elevation only, keeping maximum length
• d.Slide-cutting every section to remove as much density as possible

Fine or thin hair already lacks density, so aggressively thinning or removing weight makes it look even sparser. A blunt perimeter keeps the appearance of density at the ends, while controlled layering can build height and volume. The goal is to preserve and shape existing density, not strip it away. Matching the cutting technique to the client's hair type is a core styling fundamental.

On the pH scale, a product with a pH of 9 is:

• a.Neutral, the same as pure water
• b.Acidic
• c.Alkaline, which tends to swell and open the hair cuticle✓
• d.So acidic it will dissolve the hair instantly

The pH scale runs from 0 to 14; 7 is neutral (pure water). Values below 7 are acidic, and values above 7 are alkaline (basic). A pH of 9 is alkaline. Alkaline products soften and swell the hair and raise the cuticle, which is why permanent color, lighteners, and alkaline (cold) waves are alkaline — they need the cuticle open to work. Acidic products (like many conditioners and toners) contract and smooth the cuticle. The scale is logarithmic, so each whole number is a tenfold change.

In permanent (oxidative) haircolor, what is the primary role of hydrogen peroxide (the developer)?

• a.It provides oxygen to develop the color molecules and lift natural pigment✓
• b.It neutralizes the color so it will not fade
• c.It acidifies the mixture to close the cuticle
• d.It removes the need for a patch test

Permanent haircolor is an oxidation process. Hydrogen peroxide acts as the oxidizing agent (developer): it releases oxygen that both lightens (lifts) the hair's natural melanin and triggers the small color precursor molecules to combine into larger colored molecules trapped inside the cortex. Higher developer volumes (for example 20 vs. 10 volume) provide more oxygen and more lift. The alkaline ammonia in the color swells the cuticle so the developer and dyes can enter.

Which statement correctly contrasts a thioglycolate (acid/true-acid or cold-wave 'thio') perm with a hydroxide chemical hair relaxer?

• a.Both use exactly the same chemistry and are interchangeable on any hair
• b.Thio perms are permanent while hydroxide relaxers wash out in one shampoo
• c.Hydroxide relaxers can be neutralized back with thioglycolate and reused as a perm
• d.Thio perms break and reform disulfide bonds and are neutralized/re-oxidized, while hydroxide relaxers break disulfide bonds by a different (non-reversible) reaction and are neutralized by rinsing and an acid-balanced shampoo, not re-oxidized✓

Ammonium thioglycolate (thio) waving breaks the hair's disulfide bonds by reduction; the hair is molded, then an oxidizing neutralizer rebuilds the bonds in the new shape. Hydroxide relaxers (sodium, potassium, lithium, or 'no-lye' guanidine hydroxide) straighten by a different, non-reversible chemical reaction (lanthionization) that permanently breaks disulfide bonds; they are stopped by thorough rinsing plus an acid-balanced neutralizing shampoo, not by an oxidizing neutralizer. Critically, thio and hydroxide chemistries are not compatible on the same hair and must never be layered without careful transition.

Before applying an oxidative (aniline-derivative) permanent haircolor, a predisposition test is performed to check for allergy. This test is known as the:

• a.Strand test
• b.Patch (predisposition) test✓
• c.Porosity test
• d.Elasticity test

A patch (predisposition) test is applied to the skin (behind the ear or inside the elbow) 24 to 48 hours before an aniline-derivative color service to detect an allergic reaction; a red, itchy, or swollen response is a positive reaction, and the service should not be performed. Do not confuse it with a strand test, which is done on a section of hair to preview the actual color result, timing, and the hair's condition — not to check for allergy.

The outermost layer of the skin, the one estheticians and cosmetologists work on most directly, is the:

• a.Epidermis✓
• b.Dermis
• c.Subcutaneous (adipose) layer
• d.Stratum papillare

The skin has three main layers. The epidermis is the thin outermost layer (its surface is the stratum corneum) and is where most surface skin-care and exfoliation work occurs. Beneath it is the dermis, the thicker living layer containing blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and sweat and oil glands. Deepest is the subcutaneous (adipose) layer of fatty tissue that provides insulation and contour.

A comedo (plural comedones), commonly seen in acne-prone skin, is best described as:

• a.A contagious viral wart
• b.A raised, fluid-filled blister
• c.A hair follicle impacted with keratinized cells and sebum (a blackhead is an open comedo; a whitehead is closed)✓
• d.An area of increased pigmentation from sun exposure

A comedo is a follicle that has become plugged with sebum (oil) and dead keratinized cells. When the plug is exposed to air at the surface it oxidizes and darkens, forming an open comedo, or blackhead. When it is covered by skin it stays light and forms a closed comedo, or whitehead. Comedones are a hallmark of acne and are a disorder of the sebaceous (oil) glands, not an infection or a pigmentation change.

During a basic facial, why is a cleansing step performed before applying treatment products or a mask?

• a.To immediately close the pores so nothing can penetrate
• b.To remove makeup, oil, and surface debris so the skin is clean and later products can work effectively✓
• c.Because products can only be applied to completely dry, unwashed skin
• d.To permanently remove the skin's acid mantle

Cleansing is the foundational first step of a facial. Removing makeup, excess oil, sweat, and environmental debris leaves a clean surface so that subsequent steps — exfoliation, massage, treatment products, and masks — can perform as intended and penetrate more effectively. Cleansing does not permanently strip the skin's protective acid mantle; a well-formulated cleanser respects it.

The visible part of the nail that rests on the nail bed is called the nail plate. What is the term for the crescent-shaped, lighter area at the base of the nail?

• a.The free edge
• b.The eponychium
• c.The hyponychium
• d.The lunula✓

The lunula is the whitish, half-moon shape at the base of the nail; it is the visible part of the matrix, where nail cells are produced. The free edge is the part of the nail plate that extends past the fingertip. The eponychium is the living skin (cuticle area) at the base overlapping the plate, and the hyponychium is the skin beneath the free edge. Knowing nail anatomy helps a nail technician work safely without injuring living tissue.

A nail technician should understand the difference between a nail disorder and a nail disease. Which of the following can generally be serviced in the salon?

• a.A nail with signs of active infection, swelling, pus, or inflammation
• b.A noninfectious cosmetic disorder such as ridges or discoloration with no signs of infection✓
• c.A nail with a suspected fungal infection (onychomycosis)
• d.An inflamed, infected area around the nail (paronychia)

A general safety rule: if a nail or skin shows signs of infection or inflammation — redness, swelling, pus, heat, or a suspected fungal or bacterial infection — the client should be referred to a physician and the service should not be performed. Noninfectious cosmetic disorders (such as harmless ridges, minor discoloration, or brittleness) with no signs of infection can usually be worked on and improved cosmetically. When in doubt, do not service and refer out.

To prevent the spread of infection between clients during manicures and pedicures, a nail technician must:

• a.Reuse disposable files and buffers on the next client if they look clean
• b.Rinse metal implements under water only between clients
• c.Discard single-use (porous) items after one client and clean then disinfect reusable implements in an EPA-registered disinfectant✓
• d.Disinfect the foot basin only at the end of the week

Porous, single-use items such as nail files, buffers, and wooden pushers cannot be properly disinfected and must be discarded after one client. Reusable, nonporous metal implements must be cleaned to remove debris and then immersed in an EPA-registered disinfectant for the required contact time. Pedicure foot basins/spas are a known source of infection and must be cleaned and disinfected after every client, following the manufacturer's and regulatory procedures.

Which bone forms the forehead and the upper part of the eye sockets?

• a.The frontal bone✓
• b.The mandible
• c.The zygomatic bone
• d.The occipital bone

The frontal bone forms the forehead and the upper portion of the eye sockets. The mandible is the lower jaw (the only movable bone of the skull), the zygomatic bones are the cheekbones, and the occipital bone forms the back and lower part of the skull. Knowing head and facial bones helps cosmetologists understand facial shape and the underlying structure during facials and massage.

Trichology is the scientific study of:

• a.The nails and their disorders
• b.The bones of the face and skull
• c.The hair and its diseases and care✓
• d.The muscles of the neck and shoulders

Trichology is the branch of science that deals with the hair, its structure, functions, and diseases (from the Greek 'trichos,' meaning hair). Understanding trichology helps cosmetologists analyze scalp and hair conditions, recognize when a condition should be referred to a physician, and choose appropriate services. The study of the nails is onychology, and the study of the skin is dermatology.

During a scalp or facial massage, the cosmetologist is stimulating muscles and nerves. Which is the largest of the muscles that the cosmetologist should be aware of covers the back of the neck and upper back and moves the head and shoulders?

• a.The orbicularis oculi
• b.The trapezius✓
• c.The frontalis
• d.The masseter

The trapezius is a large muscle covering the back of the neck and upper/middle back; it moves the shoulders and helps move the head. The orbicularis oculi is the ring muscle that closes the eye, the frontalis is the front portion of the epicranius that raises the eyebrows, and the masseter is a chewing muscle of the jaw. Awareness of these muscles guides safe, effective massage movements during scalp and facial services.

The seventh cranial nerve, which is the chief motor nerve of the face and is important during facial massage, is the:

• a.Trifacial (trigeminal) nerve
• b.Ulnar nerve
• c.Cervical nerve
• d.Facial nerve✓

The facial nerve is the seventh (7th) cranial nerve and is the chief motor nerve of the face; it controls the muscles of facial expression. The trifacial (trigeminal), the fifth cranial nerve, is the chief sensory nerve of the face and also serves the chewing muscles. The ulnar and cervical nerves serve the arm/hand and neck region respectively. Understanding facial nerves helps a cosmetologist locate motor points and perform beneficial massage.

An emulsion, such as a typical hair conditioner or hand cream, is best defined as:

• a.A mixture of two or more immiscible liquids (such as oil and water) united with the help of an emulsifier✓
• b.A pure element that cannot be broken down
• c.A single liquid dissolved completely into a gas
• d.A metal dissolved in another metal

An emulsion is a physical mixture of two or more immiscible (unblendable) substances, typically oil and water, held together by an emulsifier (surfactant) that keeps the droplets suspended. Common salon products are oil-in-water (O/W) or water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. This is a physical mixture, not a pure element or a true solution of a solid dissolving completely; understanding emulsions helps explain how creams, lotions, and conditioners are formulated and behave.

In facial and scalp treatments that use electrotherapy, galvanic current differs from faradic current in that galvanic current is:

• a.A rapidly alternating current used mainly to produce heat
• b.A high-frequency current used to sanitize the skin with sparks
• c.A constant, direct current used to produce chemical (and ionic) reactions such as iontophoresis✓
• d.The same as household outlet current with no modification

Galvanic current is a constant, direct current (flowing in one direction) used to create chemical changes in the skin and to drive water-soluble products into or out of the skin (iontophoresis: desincrustation and iontophoresis). Faradic current is an alternating, interrupted current used to cause muscle contractions (for toning). High-frequency (Tesla) current is a separate modality. Modalities in electrotherapy must be understood and used safely and only where permitted.

In the pH scale used throughout cosmetology chemistry, a change from pH 6 to pH 4 represents:

• a.The solution becoming more alkaline
• b.The solution becoming 100 times more acidic, because the scale is logarithmic✓
• c.Only a small, insignificant change of two units
• d.No change in acidity at all

The pH scale is logarithmic, so each whole-number step is a tenfold change in acidity or alkalinity. Moving from pH 6 to pH 4 is a drop of two units, which means the solution becomes 10 x 10 = 100 times more acidic. Lower numbers are more acidic and higher numbers are more alkaline. This logarithmic nature is why small pH numbers on product labels represent large real differences in how a product affects the hair and skin.

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS), formerly called an MSDS, is an important salon document because it:

• a.Lists the retail price of each professional product
• b.Records each client's service history
• c.Certifies that a product is organic
• d.Provides safety information about a product, including its ingredients, hazards, safe handling, storage, and emergency/first-aid measures✓

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is supplied by the product manufacturer and provides critical safety information: the product's hazardous ingredients, associated health and physical hazards, safe handling and storage, personal protective equipment, and first-aid and emergency procedures. Salons should keep SDS documents accessible for the professional products they use. This is a worker-safety and right-to-know requirement, not a pricing or client-record document.

'Salon ecology' and good professional practice most directly refer to:

• a.Only recycling paper in the break room
• b.The color scheme used to decorate the salon
• c.Maintaining a clean, safe, and healthy salon environment through proper cleaning, disinfection, ventilation, and safe handling of products✓
• d.The salon's social media marketing strategy

In cosmetology, salon ecology refers to keeping the salon environment clean, safe, and healthy for both clients and staff. This includes proper cleaning and disinfection of tools and surfaces, good ventilation to manage fumes and dust, safe storage and handling of chemicals, and following infection-control procedures. It is a core professional responsibility, distinct from decor or marketing choices.

Which of the following best reflects professional ethics for a cosmetologist?

• a.Being honest with clients, respecting confidentiality, and recommending only services and products the client genuinely needs✓
• b.Recommending the most expensive service regardless of the client's needs to maximize the ticket
• c.Sharing a client's personal information with other clients as conversation
• d.Guaranteeing medical cures for scalp or skin conditions

Professional ethics means acting with honesty and integrity: telling clients the truth about what a service can realistically achieve, keeping client information confidential, and recommending only the services and retail products the client actually needs rather than upselling for its own sake. Cosmetologists must also stay within their scope and never diagnose or promise to cure medical conditions, referring clients to a physician when appropriate.

Which authority is responsible for licensing and regulating cosmetologists in Alaska?

• a.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• b.The Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers✓
• c.The county health inspector, with no statewide authority
• d.The individual salon owner, who issues licenses to staff

Cosmetology practice in Alaska is regulated by the Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers, a board under the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Federal agencies like the FDA regulate cosmetic products, not practitioner licensing, and salon owners cannot issue state licenses.

In Alaska, which of the following best describes who must hold a license to practice cosmetology for pay?

• a.Only salon owners, not the individuals performing services
• b.No one, as long as the salon is registered
• c.Each individual who performs cosmetology services for compensation✓
• d.Only workers who use chemical products

State law requires every person who performs cosmetology services for compensation to hold the appropriate individual license issued by the Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers. Registering a salon does not license the workers, and the requirement is not limited to chemical services.

The Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers issues several categories of credentials. Which statement is most accurate?

• a.Distinct license types exist (for example hairdresser, barber, esthetician, manicurist, instructor, and shop/salon licenses), each with its own scope✓
• b.A single universal license covers every beauty service without distinction
• c.Only instructors need a license; practitioners do not
• d.Licenses are issued for life and never distinguish specialties

The board issues distinct credential types—commonly hairdresser, barber, esthetician, manicurist, instructor, and shop/salon licenses—and each defines a specific scope of practice. There is no single universal license, and practitioners as well as instructors must be credentialed.

What is the general rule in Alaska about displaying a cosmetology license at the place of work?

• a.Licenses may be kept at home and shown only if requested by a client
• b.Current licenses must be displayed or available at the licensee's work station or salon as the board requires✓
• c.Only the salon license must be posted; individual licenses are optional
• d.No display is ever required once the license is issued

Boards require the current license (and often the salon/shop license) to be displayed or readily available at the workplace so the public and inspectors can verify it. Keeping it only at home does not satisfy the rule.

A cosmetology license issued by the Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers is best described as:

• a.Permanent and never requiring renewal
• b.Valid only while employed at one specific salon
• c.A credential that must be periodically renewed to remain valid✓
• d.Automatically transferable to any other state without review

Cosmetology licenses are issued for a set term and must be periodically renewed to stay valid. They are not permanent, are not tied to one employer, and other states apply their own reciprocity or endorsement review.

Which of the following is a prohibited practice the Alaska Board of Barbers and Hairdressers can discipline a licensee for?

• a.Following the manufacturer's directions for a chemical service
• b.Displaying a valid, current license at the work station
• c.Referring a client to a dermatologist for a suspicious lesion
• d.Performing services beyond the scope of one's license or while unlicensed✓

Practicing outside your license scope, or practicing without a valid license, is a prohibited act the board can penalize. Following product directions, displaying a license, and referring medical concerns are all proper conduct.

Under Alaska board sanitation rules, how must multi-use implements such as combs and shears be handled between clients?

• a.Rinsed under warm water only
• b.Cleaned to remove debris, then disinfected with an EPA-registered disinfectant used per label✓
• c.Wiped on a clean towel and reused immediately
• d.Sprayed with plain rubbing alcohol for a few seconds

Board rules require reusable implements to be cleaned of hair and debris first, then fully immersed or treated with an EPA-registered disinfectant for the label's contact time. Rinsing, wiping, or a brief alcohol spray does not meet the disinfection standard.

How do Alaska sanitation rules treat single-use (porous, disposable) items like emery boards, wooden sticks, and neck strips?

• a.They must be discarded after one client and never reused✓
• b.They may be reused if wiped with alcohol
• c.They may be reused on the same day for any client
• d.They may be disinfected and reused indefinitely

Porous single-use items cannot be effectively disinfected, so board rules require them to be discarded after one use. Only hard, non-porous implements can be cleaned and disinfected for reuse.

If a client is accidentally cut and bleeds during a service, Alaska health and safety rules require the licensee to:

• a.Continue the service and clean up afterward
• b.Reuse the implement after a quick water rinse
• c.Stop, apply universal precautions with gloves, and clean then disinfect any contaminated implements and surfaces✓
• d.Send the client away without any first aid

Blood exposure triggers universal precautions: stop the service, glove up, control bleeding, and clean then disinfect any blood-contaminated implements and surfaces (single-use items are discarded, sharps go in a sharps container). Rinsing with water is not adequate.

Which practice at a work station would most likely violate Alaska board sanitation standards?

• a.Storing disinfected tools clean and dry in a covered container
• b.Using a fresh, laundered towel for each client
• c.Dispensing lotion with a clean spatula rather than fingers
• d.Storing disinfected implements together with soiled, used implements✓

Clean, disinfected implements must be stored separately from soiled tools to prevent cross-contamination; mixing them violates sanitation standards. The other options—dry covered storage, fresh towels, and spatula dispensing—are all compliant practices.