DHA Aesthetician / Beauty Therapist exam questions

6 worked Aesthetician / Beauty Therapist practice questions

Original exam-style questions from the bank, spread across the blueprint domains. They are not real or recalled exam questions. Try each one, then open the answer for the rationale and reference. None of them appear in the free mock exam, so reading them will not spoil it.

1. Question 1 · Client safety, first aid and complications

   Minutes after a facial mask is applied, a client develops widespread hives, lip swelling and difficulty breathing. What should the therapist do?

   1. AApply a soothing mask and wait
   2. BGive her a glass of water and continue
   3. CSend her home to rest
   4. DRemove the product and call emergency services
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: D. Remove the product and call emergency services

   Lip swelling and difficulty breathing suggest anaphylaxis, a medical emergency needing an ambulance and, if available, the client's adrenaline auto-injector. The product should be removed but treatment must not be delayed.

   Reference: Resuscitation Council UK Emergency Treatment of Anaphylaxis 2021

2. Question 2 · Exfoliation, peels and electrical treatments

   Which client condition is a contraindication to galvanic and high-frequency treatments?

   1. AA cardiac pacemaker
   2. BDry, dehydrated skin
   3. COpen comedones
   4. DFine lines and wrinkles
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. A cardiac pacemaker

   Electrical currents can interfere with implanted electronic devices such as pacemakers, so these treatments are contraindicated. Dry skin and fine lines are common indications.

   Reference: Milady Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals, 12th ed.

3. Question 3 · Facial treatments and skincare products

   After the consultation and skin analysis, what is the first practical step of a basic facial?

   1. ACleansing the skin
   2. BApplying a mask
   3. CApplying moisturiser
   4. DApplying sunscreen
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. Cleansing the skin

   Cleansing removes makeup, oil and debris so the skin can be analysed and later products can work. Masks and moisturisers are applied later in the routine.

   Reference: Milady Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals, 12th ed.

4. Question 4 · Hair removal: waxing, threading and light-based methods

   A client with Fitzpatrick type VI skin wants laser hair removal. Which laser is usually the safest choice?

   1. ALong-pulsed Nd:YAG 1064 nm
   2. BAlexandrite 755 nm at high fluence
   3. CRuby 694 nm
   4. DIntense pulsed light at short wavelengths
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. Long-pulsed Nd:YAG 1064 nm

   The longer 1064 nm wavelength of the Nd:YAG laser is absorbed less by epidermal melanin, reducing burns and pigment changes in dark skin. Ruby and alexandrite lasers carry higher risk in dark skin types.

   Reference: Fitzpatrick's Dermatology, 9th ed.

5. Question 5 · Hygiene, infection control and sterilisation

   What is the correct use of an ultraviolet cabinet in a beauty salon?

   1. AStoring tools after they have been sterilised
   2. BSterilising tools that are visibly dirty
   3. CSterilising tools in under one minute
   4. DReplacing the need for cleaning
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. Storing tools after they have been sterilised

   UV cabinets do not reliably sterilise, as light cannot reach shaded surfaces; they are only suitable for storing already sterilised tools. Cleaning and proper sterilisation must come first.

   Reference: Milady Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals, 12th ed.

6. Question 6 · Skin anatomy, physiology and skin analysis

   A client says she rarely burns and tans easily to a moderate brown. Which Fitzpatrick type is she and what is the main risk with heat or aggressive treatments?

   1. AType I; severe blistering sunburn
   2. BType II; no pigment risk at all
   3. CType IV; post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
   4. DType VI; no risk from any treatment
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: C. Type IV; post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation

   Rarely burning and tanning easily describes Fitzpatrick type IV, and darker types have a greater risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after irritation or heat. No skin type is free of risk.

   Reference: Fitzpatrick's Dermatology, 9th ed.