Scientific Concepts
55%of exam
Skin Care Services
45%of exam
Practical + State Rules
0%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- NIC Esthetics Theory
- Items
- 110 total
- Scored
- 100 weighted
- Time
- 90 minutes
- Domains
- 55% / 45%
- Effective
- September 2025
- Revised
- March 2026
- Rules
- State board controls
Epidermis Layers
Come, Let's Get Skin Basics
CorneumLucidumGranulosumSpinosumBasale
Sanitation vs Disinfection
Sanitation
- Reduces microbes
- Lower level
- Clean surfaces
Disinfection
- Kills pathogens
- EPA product
- Contact time
Reduce vs destroy
Infection Picker
- Visible debris→Clean first
- Reusable implement→Disinfect(After cleaning)
- Single-use item→Discard(Never reuse)
- Skin antisepsis→Antiseptic(Living tissue)
- Blood possible→Gloves(Standard Precautions)
- Chemical hazard→SDS(Read label)
Microbiology
- Bacteria
- Single-cell microbes
- Virus
- Host-cell invader
- Fungi
- Molds/yeasts
- Parasite
- Host-dependent organism
- Pathogen
- Disease-causing agent
- Contamination
- Unwanted microbes
- Infection
- Pathogen invasion
- Transmission
- Spread pathway
Hair Growth
ACT through hair cycles
AnagenCatagenTelogen
Disinfection vs Sterilization
Disinfection
- Most pathogens
- Salon standard
- Nonporous tools
Sterilization
- All microbes
- Medical level
- Higher process
Most vs all
Infection Control
- Sanitation
- Reduces microbes
- Disinfection
- Destroys most pathogens
- Sterilization
- Destroys all microbes
- Antiseptic
- Skin-safe chemical
- EPA label
- Use directions
- Contact time
- Required wet time
- Clean first
- Remove visible debris
- Single-use
- Discard after service
Epidermis vs Dermis
Epidermis
- Outer barrier
- No blood vessels
- Basale cells
Dermis
- Support layer
- Nerves/vessels
- Collagen/elastin
Barrier vs support
Safety + SDS
- SDS
- Chemical hazard sheet
- Label
- Manufacturer directions
- Gloves
- Blood/chemical barrier
- PPE
- Exposure protection
- Spill
- Follow SDS
- Ventilation
- Reduce vapor exposure
- Patch test
- Sensitivity check
- Contraindication
- Service stop sign
Skin Anatomy
- Epidermis
- Outer skin layer
- Dermis
- Vessels/nerves/glands
- Hypodermis
- Subcutaneous fat
- Corneum
- Outer dead cells
- Lucidum
- Thick skin layer
- Granulosum
- Keratinization layer
- Spinosum
- Strength layer
- Basale
- Cell division layer
Cells + Glands
- Keratinocyte
- Makes keratin
- Melanocyte
- Makes melanin
- Fibroblast
- Makes collagen
- Langerhans
- Immune defense
- Sebaceous
- Oil gland
- Sudoriferous
- Sweat gland
- Collagen
- Firmness protein
- Elastin
- Stretch fiber
Conditions + Lesions
- Rosacea
- Chronic redness
- Eczema
- Inflamed dermatitis
- Comedone
- Follicle blockage
- Milia
- Keratin cysts
- Telangiectasia
- Visible capillaries
- Hyperpigmentation
- Excess pigment
- Hypopigmentation
- Reduced pigment
- Melanoma
- Dangerous cancer
Hair + Chemistry
- Anagen
- Active growth
- Catagen
- Transition phase
- Telogen
- Resting phase
- Hirsutism
- Excess terminal hair
- Hypertrichosis
- Excess hair growth
- Acid
- Below pH 7
- Alkaline
- Above pH 7
- Neutral
- pH 7
Facial Flow
Consult, cleanse, treat, protect
ConsultCleanseExfoliateMaskSPF
Type vs Condition
Skin type
- Oil baseline
- Generally stable
- Dry/oily/combo
Condition
- Temporary state
- Can change
- Dehydration/redness
Baseline vs current
Service Picker
- New client→Consultation(History first)
- Series treatment→Review each visit
- Open lesion→Defer service(Refer out)
- Oily congestion→Clay mask
- Dry/dehydrated→Cream mask
- Brow shaping→Wax/tweeze
- Makeup service→Disposables(Prevent contamination)
Consultation + Analysis
- Intake
- Client history
- Consent
- Service permission
- Release
- Physician clearance
- Fitzpatrick
- UV response scale
- Skin type
- Oil balance
- Skin condition
- Current state
- Charting
- Document findings
- Home care
- Aftercare plan
Contraindication vs Precaution
Contraindication
- Stop service
- Safety risk
- Refer if needed
Precaution
- Modify service
- Use judgment
- Document change
Stop vs adjust
Facial Protocol
- Drape
- Protect client
- Cleanse
- Remove debris
- Steam
- Soften sebum
- Exfoliate
- Remove buildup
- Massage
- Manipulation sequence
- Extract
- Clear follicles
- Mask
- Target treatment
- SPF
- UV protection
Services + Tools
- Clay mask
- Oil absorption
- Cream mask
- Moisture support
- Gel mask
- Cooling hydration
- Paraffin
- Thermal occlusion
- Soft wax
- Strip removal
- Tweezing
- Individual removal
- Bracing
- Eye/mouth support
- Palette
- Makeup decanting
Practical Bins
Tools, towels, trash stay separate
To disinfectSoiled linensTrash
Theory vs Practical
Theory
- Computer exam
- 110 items
- NIC outline
Practical
- Hands-on tasks
- State required
- Timed sections
Know vs perform
Practical Picker
- Start station→Disinfect area
- Product used→English label
- Soiled towel→Soiled linens
- Reusable tool→To disinfect
- Disposable waste→Trash
- Minor cut→Blood procedure
- Eye/mouth work→Brace
Practical Core
- Work area
- Disinfect setup
- Basic facial
- 25 minutes
- New client
- Fresh setup
- Eyebrow wax
- Untimed section
- Makeup
- 20 minutes
- Blood exposure
- 10 minutes
- English labels
- Required supplies
- Closed kit
- Dry storage
Scope vs Medical
Esthetics scope
- Cosmetic services
- State-defined
- License limits
Medical act
- Diagnosis/treatment
- Physician rules
- Outside basics
Cosmetic vs medical
Scope + State
- Theory
- NIC content
- Practical
- State choice
- Written practical
- State choice
- Fees
- Vendor/state set
- Retakes
- State/vendor rules
- Scope
- State law
- Medical acts
- Outside basic scope
- Licensure
- Jurisdiction controlled
Common Traps
Antiseptic Level
Antiseptic = sanitation ≠ Not sterilization
Weighted Items
110 seen ≠ 100 scored
Basale Name
Basale = germinativum ≠ Not corneum
Anagen Phase
Anagen = active growth ≠ Telogen = resting
Consultation Timing
Review each treatment ≠ Not annually only
Visible Capillaries
Telangiectasia = capillaries ≠ Seborrhea = oil
Disinfectant Use
Follow contact time ≠ Do not guess
State Rules
NIC = content ≠ State = license
Last Minute
- 1.Scientific Concepts = 55%
- 2.Skin Care Services = 45%
- 3.Answer all 110 items
- 4.Sanitize, disinfect, sterilize differ
- 5.Clean before disinfecting tools
- 6.Basale contains melanocytes
- 7.Anagen means active growth
- 8.Contraindication means stop
- 9.Consult every chemical service
- 10.SPF concludes facial care
- 11.Use state vendor bulletin
- 12.Scope is state-defined
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