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Beauty Professionals Should Be Licensed, According to U.S. Voters

Posted on: May 16th, 2013 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Regulation and licensure of beauty professionals is a vital component to keeping the field professional, as well as safe and protected for the consumer. Many states are pushing for deregulation of industries, and the cosmetology professions are no exception. The stated goal of deregulation is to increase employment in the field and competition among providers. However, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a growth rate of at least 14-18% in the cosmetology professions by the year 2020.

In an effort to determine the mood of consumers regarding regulation and licensing of the beauty professions, the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) conducted a national poll in December 2012. The study was completed online immediately following the election of November 2012, and involved 1202 Americans who voted in the 2012 presidential election. The margin of error for the study was +/- 2.83%, which places the confidence level in the results at 95% or more.

The results of the poll were overwhelming: 94% of U.S. voters studied supported requiring beauty professional licensing and regulation. The main reason cited for this support was the need to protect the public from health issues, and to improve the quality and safety of the beauty industries.

The respondents generally did not understand the connection between public health issues and beauty licensing prior to the poll. However, when informed of the issues, 67% agreed the connection was important. 80% of voters studied knew beauty professionals attend a school to receive their license. They were less likely to know this training includes preventing disease and identifying health issues. Eighty-two percent (82%) of the respondents felt deregulation would negatively affect safety and quality in the beauty industry. Education, licensing, regulation and continuing professional education give standards and accountability to practitioners and businesses for cleanliness, sanitation and safety.

The study is highly valuable in that it identifies what messages are important to convey to beauty professionals and consumers. The most compelling message in favor of continued licensure and regulation is that of sanitation and public health. This message showed consensus among voters of all ages and political affiliations.

The PBA has launched a campaign among its members to increase pride in the profession and to reinforce the need for licensing and regulation. Called the “I Am” campaign, it encourages beauty professionals to share their pride in their profession. Beauty professionals should share the message of what licensing means and why it is important. They receive information and resources about the effects deregulation would have on the supply chain within the beauty industry. Manufacturers, distributors, salon business owners and the licensed beauty professionals would all be affected.

However, the consumers would be the ones carrying the most risk if beauty professionals were no longer required to be accountable to a licensing board. The state boards regulating cosmetology and other beauty professions have a consumer complaint resolution process, salon and business inspectors, professional testing requirements and oversight of operators within the professions. These all help protect consumers from negligent and unsanitary practices, untrained operators and shady business practices. Without regulation and licensure, beauty operators would no longer be required to attend a beauty school or pass exams to prove their skills. Obtaining beauty services would be completely at the risk of the consumer.

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How To Reactivate An Expired Cosmetologist’s License

Posted on: May 23rd, 2012 by Heather 2 Comments

Congratulations on thinking about getting back into the business. As you know, your cosmetologist’s license is a vital component of your professional beauty career. If you took off time from being in the beauty field to have a child or to pursue another career option, it is possible that you may forget to renew your license or you even chose not to renew it. No matter why you let your cosmetology licensure expire, there is usually a simple to renew it, even if you have been out of the field for years. The requirements for cosmetology license renewal are dependent upon the state you live in. Some states only require you to pay a higher fee to renew than if you hadn’t let it expire, while others make require you to take continuing education courses to get current. In some instances, you may only need to retake the exams.

The Minnesota Board of Cosmetology, for example, has four criteria to follow when you have an expired or paid inactive license that has been this way for more than three years. You must the Course Completion Certificate for Minnesota Reactivation course, which consists of 155 hours for cosmetology. You will also need to receive your Certification of Skills from a licensed Minnesota cosmetology school. Additionally, you must have passing results on both the state and national exams within the last year. The fee you pay to renew is $30 greater than the fee you pay if you did not let your license expire for more than three years.

If you live in the state of Tennessee and allow your certification to lapse for longer than three years, the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology requires you to take and pass the state board reinstatement exam. The same is true if you have retired your license but would like to re-enter into the field.

In the state of Texas, you have up to 18 months to renew your license with the Texas Board of Cosmetology. Once the 18-month marker hits, you may renew it online or by using a special form. After three years of a license being expired, you are no longer eligible for renewal. Instead, the law requires you to apply for a new certification and follow all the guidelines associated with receiving a new license, despite the fact that you once had yours.

When you reside in Indiana, the laws regarding your license make it necessary that you pay an $80 fee for renewal and the application process. The Indiana Board of Cosmetology decides how much training will be required based on the length of the lapse. You must retake the examination and successfully pass it to renew your certification.

Although it is best not to let your certification expire, it is possible to renew it and get back to working in the cosmetology business. So if you’re sitting on a lapsed or expired cosmetology license, don’t let that be the obstacle that stands in the way of you having a fulfilling career in something you’re passionate about. There are many great jobs to be had in the beauty business, and creative new things for you to do with hair, makeup, skin care and nails on a professional level. Don’t wait another dayto get started in reactivating or renewing your expired cosmetology license. Be sure you look at your particular state’s regulations, since the amount of time your certification has been expired and the renewal process varies greatly from state to state. When in doubt, it is always best to contact your state cosmetology licensing board directly.

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Cosmetology Licensing Hour Requirements

Posted on: February 9th, 2012 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

TYPES OF LICENSES
The professional beauty licenses available vary from state to state. The possibilities include: cosmetology, hairdresser, esthetics and skin care, nail technician, barber, permanent makeup artist, cosmetology teacher, electrology specialist and makeup artists.

HOW MANY HOURS ARE REQUIRED
Barbering and cosmetology licenses require the most hours, usually ranging from 1500 to 2100 depending on your state. Most states also have esthetics and skin care licenses, which often include makeup artistry, and those have a huge range – some states require as few as 350 hours and others require as many as 1500 hours. Shorter programs like nail technology and stand-alone makeup artistry require only 300 to 600 hours.

APPRENTICESHIP
Some states allow you to apprentice for your cosmetology license, and they usually require twice as many hours apprenticing to get licensed as they do to go to school and get licensed.

TEACHER LICENSING
If you want to become a cosmetology teacher, you are usually required to have your full cosmetology license, a few years of experience as a working professional, and many states require you to take additional schooling and pass exams.

EXAMS
Most states require a written or oral exam, in addition to a practical skills exam. Some states allow you to take it in languages besides English.

RENEWAL
Most states require you to renew your license every 2 years, but some are more or less often. A few states require you to complete some continuing education units to renew your license.

For more information, check out our updated and improved cosmetology licensing requirements by state.

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On Indiana’s proposed cosmetology deregulations and why that’s a terrible idea

Posted on: January 13th, 2012 by Beauty Schools Directory 6 Comments

UPDATE: There’s a petition now for those who want to sign it.

Of course, those of us at Beauty Schools Marketing Group keep a close eye on beauty news. It’s important to us to know what’s going on in the industry, and that doesn’t just mean hairstyle trends. It also means trends in state regulations – or, in all actuality, deregulations.

Two states recently – Indiana and New Hampshire – have introduced legislation to their respective houses calling for the deregulation of state licensing for several occupations, including cosmetology and barbering. New Hampshire’s House defeated the bill on Jan. 5th, but Indiana House Bill 1006 is still in contention. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 17th.

Supporters of the bill claim that it should be up to consumers to find qualified professionals in all of the fields that they argue should be deregulated. In Indiana, the report by the commissioned board states:

“If a consumer receives bad service, the consumer can choose a different cosmetologist or barber next time, without any significant risk of irreversible harm … consumers can protect themselves through the standard practice of trial and error.”

Here’s where we take a deep, soothing breath – and then firmly draw the line.

We understand that times are tough right now. We understand that federal and state governments are under a lot of pressure to find areas where they can cut expenditures, and we can see how they might think that this is a good opportunity to do that.

But we adamantly disagree.

We can’t speak for any of the other professions, but by deregulating the cosmetology and beauty industry, the state would be opening up a Pandora’s Box worth of trouble. Maybe it’s been awhile since any members of the commission got anything more than a trim, but there’s a LOT more involved in training and certifying cosmetologists and barbers than making sure they know which end of the scissors is the pointy end.

Without regulations, without some minimum standards of education and training and knowledge, anyone who thinks they’re good with a curling iron could open up a salon. And that could lead to terrible and dangerous consequences for consumers.

Cosmetologists work with chemicals and procedures that, if used incorrectly, can damage skin with burns and scars or cause hair loss, either of which can be long-term or even permanent and would certainly erode the victim’s self-esteem.

With that in mind, let’s look at that statement from the report again: Yes, Indiana commission, we consider this to be both a “significant risk” and the potential for “irreversible harm.” It is NOT something that the “standard practice of trial and error” can protect consumers from nor should it be their job to worry that the person holding the bleach knows how to use it correctly on their hair and not their scalp.

Is certification and licensure a prevent-all? No. But we argue that it prevents a lot of potential trouble, gives salon-goers in the state a little peace of mind, and holds Indiana cosmetologists and barbers to a standard that their clients deserve.

We’ve made our opinion known – what do you guys think? Vote in our poll or let us know in the comments.