New Mexico Cosmetology License Exam — All Questions

Under New Mexico sanitation rules, how must reusable metal shears and combs be treated between clients?

• a.Rinsed under warm water only
• b.Wiped with a dry towel
• c.Cleaned to remove debris, then disinfected with an EPA-registered disinfectant per its label✓
• d.Left as-is unless they look dirty

Non-porous multiuse implements must first be cleaned of visible debris and then disinfected with an EPA-registered disinfectant used according to its directions before the next client. Rinsing or dry-wiping does not disinfect.

How should porous, single-use items such as emery boards and wax applicators be handled in a New Mexico salon?

• a.Discarded after one client because they cannot be properly disinfected✓
• b.Disinfected and reused on the next client
• c.Wiped with alcohol and returned to the drawer
• d.Reused as long as they are only used on the same body area

Porous single-use items absorb material and cannot be reliably disinfected, so they must be thrown away after one use. Reusing them - even after wiping - can transfer infection and is a common inspection violation.

If a client is accidentally cut and bleeds during a service, what does a New Mexico licensee do first?

• a.Keep working and clean up afterward
• b.Reuse the implement on the next client without cleaning
• c.Ignore it if the cut is small
• d.Stop, clean and disinfect the area, dress it, and disinfect or discard contaminated implements✓

The blood-exposure procedure is to stop the service, clean and disinfect the injured area, apply an appropriate dressing, and then disinfect reusable tools or discard contaminated single-use items. Continuing to work or reusing a contaminated tool risks spreading bloodborne infection.

What does New Mexico require for whirlpool foot spas and pedicure basins?

• a.They only need cleaning at the end of the week
• b.They must be drained, cleaned, and disinfected after each client✓
• c.They never need cleaning if only clean water is used
• d.They may be shared between two clients before cleaning

Standing water in foot spas has caused documented skin infections, so the basin must be drained, cleaned, and disinfected after every client, with periodic deeper cleaning of screens and filters. Weekly-only or shared use between clients is not acceptable.