Do you have to be a licensed Cosmetologist......
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Forum Description: Hair Extensions can be the quick fix for short hair.
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Printed Date: January 12 2026 at 1:20am
Topic: Do you have to be a licensed Cosmetologist......
Posted By: H82WRK
Subject: Do you have to be a licensed Cosmetologist......
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 10:22am
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To get certified in extensions? I see in reading that several people pay to go to Great Lengths seminars and training and just wondering if you can go to learn the techniques and then practice or if you have to be state licensed or degree'd or certified to be able to practice.
Hope that makes sense??
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Replies:
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 1:45pm
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I don't think you need to be licensed. If you want to do GL or SoCap you need to take their classes if you want to do their method and buy their hair. ------------- |
Posted By: H82WRK
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 1:55pm
| Thank you for your response. I have been lurking on these boards for quite sometime and recently joined to post my ?'s (and comments!) anyhoo my thoughts were that if you could invest in the class and learn how to do installs on any particular brand (Socap and GL were the 1st two to come to my mind) then you could afford to take the class because you could make $ by doing hair for people and also yourself. I really want extensions but in my area (cincinnati, OH) there seems to be a real shortage of stylists...so I saw a void and thought wouldn't that be cool to fill it and make $ so I can get my hair done too! |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 3:42pm
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For any of these brand name extensions, you typically have to take their class if you want to buy their supplies.
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Posted By: Poose
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 4:01pm
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Yes, you need to be licensed in the United States.
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Posted By: Divavocals
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 4:46pm
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Dunno about your state, but in California you would need to be licensed to do this method.. There's a "loophole" (for lack of a better way to say it) in our regs that allows an exception for braiding/weaving methods, but apparently all other methods of applying extensions must be performed by a licensed stylist.. You might wanna check your own state's cosmetology board for specifics.. ------------- Check out the 5th So Cal offline luncheon?? For more info: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com/lunch.html Links to my fav vendors & hair albums + Weave 101 information: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com |
Posted By: pooks11
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 6:09pm
| You must be licensed in NY to do anything to hair and charge for it. I am almost done with my schooling :) |
Posted By: BunnyWabbit
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 6:17pm
It varies state-by-state since licesning laws for everything from liquor to buisnesses, to massage therapy and everything between fall under state juristiction. Look up your local laws on your states website to be certain. It would be a same to go through the brand class and not be able to do them. |
Poose wrote:Posted By: metalgirl
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 7:57pm
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Many hair extensions companies will not let you attend class until they check your license. I think GL requires a license, and when I talked to Socap at the last hair show, they said that they only sell to licensed people.
There is stuff all over the Internet that anyone can buy though. ------------- http://www.Godiva-Hair.com - http://www.Godiva-Hair.com http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com - http://www.MetamorphosisHairDesign.com |
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: April 26 2007 at 8:00pm
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co-signing with metalgirl. Most companies that offer classes only offer to licensed cosmotologists ------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com |
Posted By: TanglesRC
Date Posted: April 27 2007 at 9:19pm
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and if you really want to be technical- as what diva has said is also true in Washington state, oregon and arizona.
i have friends who are licensed in each state- there was once a debate about this and so they checked, to do extensions LEGALLY(with the loop hole) in those states, you can only do braiding!
------------- Bringing beauty, one head at a time... |
Posted By: saucyblossom
Date Posted: April 27 2007 at 9:45pm
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I looked up the Califonia code on this on, which can be found at
if you want to read the whole thing...
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=72784928228+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve - http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=72784928228+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve
but the applicable part is here;
CALIFORNIA CODES
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE SECTION 7316-7320.5 (d) The practice of barbering and the practice of cosmetology do
not include any of the following: (1) The mere sale, fitting, or styling of wigs or hairpieces. (2) Natural hair braiding. Natural hair braiding is a service that results in tension on hair strands or roots by twisting, wrapping, weaving, extending, locking, or braiding by hand or mechanical device, provided that the service does not include haircutting or the application of dyes, reactive chemicals, or other preparations to alter the color of the hair or to straighten, curl, or alter the structure of the hair. I read this several times, I believe it says that hair exentsion in ANY form is not regulated, as it refers to "extending" and "locking". by hand or mechanical device. It excludes cutting or coloring, as those asre defined as services that fall into the "practice of cosmotology"
So you can do extensions, but not cut or color without a license.
Massage falls into this same catagory. There is not (and never will be) a state "certificate" or license for massage in California, although many cities or counties require a massage therapist to register and have a business license.
------------- Early years are learning years, make them count! |
Posted By: Divavocals
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 12:00am
Actually if you call the California board, they will confirm that for some reason any extension method which is not done using braids (including fusion, microrings, and shrinkies extensions methods) are not included in this exception in the law. (I called them because I wanted to understand this for my own personal edification, AND I also asked my stylist who is a former cosmetology instructor) This exception in the law specifically covers ONLY braiding, weaving and the application & styling of wigs & hair pieces.. ALL other forms of extensions apparently requires a cosmetology license because they are not considered a form of "natural hair braiding".. ------------- Check out the 5th So Cal offline luncheon?? For more info: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com/lunch.html Links to my fav vendors & hair albums + Weave 101 information: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com |
Posted By: malibu
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 12:22am
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Thanks for that info Saucy!
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Posted By: saucyblossom
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 10:18am
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I guess it depends on who you talk to ... when I called they didn't really know what I was talking about. I ask my attorney and she look at it and said ," It doesn't specifically exclude those methods..therefore they are legal" I don't know , I just do it for the fun of it... But I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. haha ------------- Early years are learning years, make them count! |
Posted By: Divavocals
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 10:53am
Of course we all know there are LOTS of unlicensed folks out there installing extensions and performing cosmetology services of all types from their homes.. This includes braiders and weavers working out of their homes who perform services which are considered cosmetology services.. I imagine it's tougher for the board to regulate home extensionists working from their homes -- unless of course someone reports them to the board.. ------------- Check out the 5th So Cal offline luncheon?? For more info: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com/lunch.html Links to my fav vendors & hair albums + Weave 101 information: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com |
Posted By: saucyblossom
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 11:22am
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Well, thats sort of the point my lawyer made- it doesn't specify....It specifically addresses braiding, but no other form of extension, and as you point out braiding is not exactly the same thing... although is does mention "a service that results in tension on strand or roots" which both have in common..... On a side note: here is an article the discusses how the ancient Egyptians used beeswax to do fusion extensions: http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:0z4YqscVywQJ:www.egyptstudy.org/ostracon/archives/FletcherSummer2002.pdf+ancient+hair+adornment+beeswax&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us - http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:0z4YqscVywQJ:www.egyptstudy.org/ostracon/archives/FletcherSummer2002.pdf+ancient+hair+adornment+beeswax&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us ------------- Early years are learning years, make them count! |
Posted By: Divavocals
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 11:37am
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From my understanding of my phone call with the board the highlighted paragraphs cover other extension methods..
------------- Check out the 5th So Cal offline luncheon?? For more info: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com/lunch.html Links to my fav vendors & hair albums + Weave 101 information: divahairtalk.overthehillweb.com |
Posted By: TanglesRC
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 8:58pm
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there are people working in a salon doing extensions. they get around it by what u called loopholes and work "under" a licensed stylist. is it legal? is it ethical? it all boils down to ones own convictions. ------------- Bringing beauty, one head at a time... |
Posted By: pooks11
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 10:36pm
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You also need to consider getting insurance if you are plannin g on working on people other than friends and family. God forbid you burn someone doing fusion or they have an allergic reaction to glue and sue you! Working under a licensed salon, you are usually covered under their insurance. |
Posted By: sherrie215
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 10:52pm
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very good points pooks! ------------- www.hairextensions101.com - www.hairextensions101.com www.mybeautyaddiction.com - www.mybeautyaddiction.com |
Posted By: TanglesRC
Date Posted: April 30 2007 at 11:01pm
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IF you are a booth renter - you have to pay for your own insurance- we provide insurance in my salon for everyone- and they all pay a small and i mean small portion-
if you are a comission stylist, then yes you are covered. ------------- Bringing beauty, one head at a time... |
Posted By: ms310
Date Posted: July 20 2007 at 11:53pm
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Its better to be licensed. The reason being is that there is more to extensions than just putting them in. Sometimes you might have to color the clients hair, especially if they did an at home color job. And more importantly you have to know how to use a razor, shears for slide cutting, and thinning shears for further blending.
The two extension methods you mentioned required that you have a license partly due to the reasons mentioned above.
I think in my state virginia you are allowed to braid hair w/o a license. BUT on many occasions shears or other "cosmetology tools" are used in one way or another to give the style a professional look.
The extensions are easy to do once you get the hang of it but there is alot of skill and experience involved in giving those final touches so that the extensions look like they belong on that person's head.
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