Beauty Professionals
in pennsylvania deserve beauty, not barriers
There’s no denying that beauty professionals deserve more flexible training options that cater to their specific needs, and shouldn’t be forced into costly, traditional cosmetology programs—especially those who have already mastered specific and in-demand skillsets like makeup application or blow-outs.
Some states allow narrow services that don’t involve chemicals or cutting to be provided without first graduating from a traditional program. This has allowed beauty artists to design their own careers, forgo debt, seek the specific training they need, and start earning sooner—and has allowed salon owners to grow their businesses faster.
would this flexibility help you?
You shouldn’t have to spend 1,250 hours in a traditional cosmetology program to do blow-outs, or get a license from the state to apply makeup (13 other states don’t require that)
Some other states allow services that don’t involve chemicals or cutting to be provided by beauty professionals without first requiring them to go through a typical cosmetology program to get a license from the state. Customers are protected by existing consumer protection laws. These services include makeup, blow-dry styling, shampooing, eyelash extensions, threading, and natural hair braiding. Would changing Pennsylvania’s law help you?
Do you want to change the law?
please sign up here and we will reach out with more information!
We are Beauty, Not Barriers, a nonprofit initiative working to make it less costly to work in the beauty industry.
did you know:
13 STATES EXEMPT MUAS FROM COSMETOLOGY LICENSING. 33 STATES EXEMPT NATURAL HAIR BRAIDING. 6 states exempt blow-dry styling.
It’s not fair that beauty professionals face steeper and more costly licensing requirements than so many other fields.
Education
Chefs prepare food that is ingested by customers and aren’t required to get a license or go to school. They take a short, simple sanitation course, and the restaurant is subject to inspections. It’s up to the chef whether they want to go to culinary school.
Time
In Pennsylvania, EMTs – who administer life-saving aid – have to get 150 hours of training to get a license to work. Compare that to 1,250 hours to blow-dry style hair. That’s not fair.
Regulations
Personal trainers aren’t required to have a license. Tattooing is riskier and more invasive than what makeup artists do, but Pennsylvania does not require a license from the state.
it’s 2023: It doesn’t make sense to require beauty artists to spend so much time in traditional, costly cosmetology programs, when there are so many other, more affordable training options – especially when it comes to narrow services that don’t involve chemicals or cutting.
learn More
Beauty, Not Barriers is an initiative of the Institute for Justice, a non-profit organization that works alongside beauty professionals and other workers nationwide to change laws that make it hard to earn a living. So often, state laws require way too much to work in an occupation—like expensive and excessive training, which profits the schools at the expense of students going into debt.