You might guess that there isn't a big market for African hair-braiding in Centerville, Utah. On the other hand, it's not like there's nobody who wants African hair-braiding, and some Utah families have adopted African children, and anyway you don't have to be African or black to like the style.
Anyway, the point is that, if you know how to do African hair-braiding in Centerville, Utah, you can't just advertise on the internet and go to work. See Jacob Goldstein's NYT piece here.
First, you need to get a cosmetology license from Utah's inconveniently named "Barber, Cosmetology/Barber, Esthetics, Electrology and Nail Technology Licensing Board." And to get the license you need a diploma from a cosmetology school that'll cost you about two years of your time and about $16,000 in tuition. And you need to pay a state licensing fee. Or you could ask the board to waive the licensing requirement. But since the board is composed mostly of licensed barbers and cosmetologists (in other words, your prospective competitors), there's a good chance that you're never going to see your first customer.
Gee whiz. Weird or what?
I am glad I have no interest in being an African hair braider. I don't think I would be good at it anyway. Barry
ReplyDeleteYup it may take that long. Utah Board of Cosmetology Licensing Requirements
ReplyDeleteCosmetology: 2000 hours
Esthetics: 600 hours
Electrology: 600 hours
Nail Technology: 300 hours
You can however take up cosmetology school online for the CE requirements since they are self paced, you can finish it earlier and it is not as expensive.
You should check what is happening in the other states on this. California has stopped regulation laws for hair braiders, where Ohio is trying to demand they take 400 hour in a typical school. Florida has required a simple 16-hour course on the subject matter of infection control, sanitation sterilization, and scalp disorders, and then they register the braider. That seems fair to me. Florida looks at it like this. You may know how to braid, but we must make sure you know about infection control. A two day course. That's perfect.
ReplyDelete