Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to reform cosmetology industry. Should license requirement for makeup artists, eyelash specialists be dropped?

Oct 24, 2023

A Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to clear government red tape out of the state's beauty salon industry by removing license requirements for hair braiders, makeup artists and eyelash extension specialists, among others.

In a memo to colleagues this week, York County Republican Rep. Dawn Keefer said over-regulation is stifling the industry by requiring "niche beauty professionals" to take many hours of unnecessary courses and in the process incur a lot of student debt.

By exempting some specialty categories from licensing requirements, the industry will grow and "consumers would benefit from the wealth of resources," Keefer wrote.

The concept has fans and detractors.

Lisa Carr, who runs Impressions Hair Styling Salon in York County, said she thinks of makeup, eyelash and braiding specialists as artists whose craft should not require a state license.

But Kelli Haeusler, owner of Tease Salon in Lower Macungie Township, said that while it might make sense to require fewer education hours for specialties like eyelash work and braiding, carrying out a blanket elimination of licensing and education requirements was "bogus on every level."

State requirements for licenses vary.

A cosmetologist — one who arranges, cuts, curls, or bleaches hair, among other things — must take a minimum of 1,250 hours of instruction at a licensed cosmetology school or have worked as an apprentice for at least 2,000 hours, among other specific requirements.

A natural hair braider, meanwhile, needs 300 hours of course work in braider curriculum at a licensed school, among other requirements.

A Department of State spokesperson said there are 75,975 active cosmetologist licenses in the state, 13,693 active nail technician licenses and 10,008 active licenses for "esthetician" — the license required to practice as a makeup artist.

There are only 76 active natural hair braider licenses.

Haeusler said the power of education in her industry was illustrated by the recent high-profile incident where actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on live television during the Academy Awards.

It happened because Rock made a joke about the shaved head of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia areata, which leaves patchy bald spots.

Knowledge of such conditions, Haeusler said, is the sort of thing specialists learn in school.

Beyond that, she said, eyelash work is done in close proximity to eyes, which can be damaged.

"I have heard horror stories with lashes," Haeusler said. "I have seen people who used Gorilla Glue lose all their lashes."

Katie Hoch, owner of Hoch's Botanical Beauty Salon & Spa in Allentown, opened her business about a year ago. She found it difficult to get clear information on what was required for certain specialized work.

Some specialties do not require a license, only a school-issued certificate, Hoch said. She said there was a gray area involving "the whole license versus certificate thing."

In an interview, Keefer said her proposal is intended to end such confusion.

For example, she said, it is unclear whether someone working in a "blow dry bar" must have a cosmetology license.

An early version of her bill says, "‘Blow-dry styling’ means the practice of shampooing, conditioning, drying, arranging, curling, straightening or styling hair using only mechanical devices or topical agents, such as hair sprays, balms, oils or serums." It adds that the term includes "the use and styling of hair extensions, hair pieces or wigs and excludes cutting hair or the application of dyes, bleach, reactive chemicals, keratin treatments or other preparations to color or alter the structure of hair."

It also makes clear blow-dry styling is "distinct from the practice of cosmetology."

Keefer's memo is the first step toward the filing of an actual bill.

Greg Moreland, Pennsylvania director for the small business advocacy organization NFIB, said Keefer's memo appeared to make sense and the proposal is something NFIB would generally support.

"We would have some concerns that the proper safety protocols still remain, while looking at refining the manner in which these individuals are educated," he said.

He said there are about 164,000 individual regulations on business in the state.

"They have done a very good job of overregulating," Moreland said.

Morning Call Capitol correspondent Ford Turner can be reached at [email protected]

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