Big changes could be coming to cosmetology licensing. Is it a fresh new look?

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah didn't have an esthetics license until 2001, and now a bill in the state Legislature would make changes to licensing for estheticians, hair stylists, nail techs, barbers and others.

SB330, sponsored by Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, changes the type of licenses available and how many hours are required to receive certain cosmetology licenses.

But cosmetology professionals and those who teach the skills are concerned about the changes to licensing requirements. Specifically, they are worried how the changes impact what skills the students will master, and if it will impact the clients who receive those services.

The bill was put together after the Utah Office of Professional Licensure Review studied cosmetology licenses in Utah and suggested changes. The recommendations from the licensing group focused on safety, making sure people were licensed enough to practice safely but not necessarily at a high quality.

"I do feel like that's great; the safety is important, but in hair, there needs to be just as much quality as there is safety, because there's so many bad hairstylists, and it's because we don't have to pass the test on quality, the test is to pass on safety," said Brynn Black, a hairstylist who works at Shade Nine Salon in American Fork.

Throughout the process of developing the bill, Sandall worked with professionals and school owners to make sure they are on board with the changes the bill would foster. He shared that his daughter is an esthetician and that he helped pay for her schooling and has watched her throughout her career.

"I know how many hours she had to go. ... I watched her do it, and I've watched her practice esthetics, master esthetics. And so I understand how fast these new technologies come," Sandall shared.

Changes made to esthetics licenses significant

The bill would make significant changes to the licensing for estheticians in Utah, the biggest change being that it would eliminate the basic esthetician program. Currently, those wanting to study esthetics can do a basic esthetics program for 600 hours or get a masters of esthetics license for 1,200 hours.

In 2001, when the master of esthetics license was first started in Utah, Mandalyn Freeland was 22 years old and wanted to get licensed. She wanted to study just esthetics but not do hair. When she couldn't find somewhere to do that, she decided to start her own school of esthetics where students could focus on just esthetics.

"I remember telling my mom and my husband, like, 'I don't want to wait and drive past someone else doing this. This is my dream,'" Freeland said. "I'm just gonna do it before someone else does."

After hiring licensed instructors for Mandalyn Academy, Freeland earned her master of esthetics through her own school. She has been running the school for 24 years now.

Freeland explained that the skills in the basic programs are things performed at a day spa, but the extra treatments under the masters level are received at a med spa.

The basic license includes learning how to do facials, wax hair removal, manicures, pedicures, eyelash and eyebrow work. Freeland's school also teaches spray tanning and teeth whitening in her basic program because those skills are not regulated through the state.

With the master program, students learn more advanced treatments, including more aggressive ways to exfoliate. These treatments include microdermabrasion, chemical peels, microneedling, dermaplaning and laser.

Freeland said she doesn't think it's a good idea to get rid of the basic program, because it requires just enough hours for it to be federally funded, and students who can't afford it on their own can apply for Pell grants and loans. Without the basic license, students who can't afford esthetician school wouldn't have that option anymore.

"If you're trying to make things easier for the public to gain an education and a license and a career, then we should have kept the basic program at 600 hours, just to be able to give more people the opportunity, time and money wise, to get that foundation. And then if you want to do masters, you can go on and do that," Freeland said.

Kenzi Hopkins is a student at Mandalyn Academy who has finished her basic training and is now working toward getting the advanced license, a decision she made as she worked through learning the basics.

"I really love to learn it, just because I feel like masters side of things is where you see more results oriented. And I really wanted to focus on helping people through their skincare, and I wanted them to be confident in their skin," Hopkins said.

Changes also coming to hair design license

Brynn Black is a hairstylist in American Fork who this year decided to take on an apprentice for the first time. Her apprentice, Melanie Wheeler, started with her in the fall. Two other stylists at her salon, Shade Nine, have also taken on apprentices. The apprentices are all working to get their hair design license.

Wheeler said she decided to do an apprenticeship instead of going to a school because she heard she would be able to learn more and would be better prepared to start working after being an apprentice.

"What inspired me to do this was because I wanted to teach girls that you can actually be good at doing hair," Black said. "Because a lot of girls don't continue doing hair after school, and I truly believe it's (because of) their experience in school."

Read the entire story at Deseret.com.

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