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About two years ago, Shamoun opened BlowDry Boutique in Winnetka, which provides blow-dry and blowout services, among others. Every stylist Shamoun employs at the boutique must be a licensed cosmetologist with the state of Illinois—even if they’re just styling hair.

In order to graduate from cosmetology school and get licensed in Illinois, students must complete 1,500 hours of study and pass a state exam, among other requirements.

“No one wants to go to school for 1,500 hours,” Shamoun said. “No one has the time and money to invest in it.”

Instead, Shamoun proposes the creation of a special license in Illinois that would allow recipients to blow-dry and style hair only. Unlike the cosmetology license, which also allows for cutting and coloring hair, among other services, the one Shamoun proposes would require just 350 hours of training. […]

The Illinois Association of Cosmetology Schools also opposes the creation of a special blow-dry license.

“The official position of IACS is that they are opposed to any effort that separates part of the discipline from underneath the cosmetology statute as it presently stands,” said IACS Executive Director Michael Lane. “We are opposed to the basically deconstructing of the cosmetology license into a variety of different licenses. We are opposed to that regardless of the [proposed] training because it’s already covered under being a cosmetologist.”

1,500 hours? Just for some perspective, California requires 1,600 hours of cosmetology training, Texas requires the same 1,500 hours as Illinois, but Florida only requires 1,200 and New York requires just 1,000 hours. None of those states appear to offer a separate blow-dry and style license.

* The Question: Should the state pass a law to offer separate licenses for blow-dry and styling? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

survey services

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 11:47 am

Comments

1500 hours or training before entrusted with a pair of scissors, or blow dryer?

How many hours of training before entrusted with a gun?

Comment by Henry Francis Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 11:51 am
Why do we even need a license for this?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 11:51 am
===Why do we even need a license for this?===

Because the schools make money off of forcing people into the classes. Hence their lobby freaking out in the post above.

Comment by PJ Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 11:53 am
I’m with the IACS on this one. Trying to get the hours reduced to 1000 like NY, could get my support, but dividing up licenses only serves to confuse a consumer who could easily be hoodwinked not knowing the difference between one or the other.

Blowing out hair sounds like a cream off the top specialty area which allows for a good fee and a lot more potential visitors per hour/day.

Hire qualified people. It’s not onerous.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 11:55 am
There shouldn’t be a license at all. You’re cutting hair, not practicing medicine.

The only people who support this are existing cosmetologists who want to protect their turf and limit their competition.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 11:59 am
I’m usually for some level of oversight and regulation, but my GOD man. 1,500 hours means 187.5 8 hour workdays, meaning 37.5 work weeks of “study”, or more than 9 full time work months. For hair? Are they paid while they are learning, like are they cutting hair as practice and getting paid for that? I voted yes because frankly I’m not sure why the 1,500 hours to cut hair is needed. I’m sorry if I’m coming off arrogant here, but it just seems like overkill. A bad haircut is not the kiss of death. I assume the full license would still include those services, so no one would need both. That would be silly.

Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:00 pm
Yes (because “doesn’t need a license” is not an option), to reduce power of license cartel. There are other ways to handle this. My wife will hardly set foot in a coffee shop without reading on line reviews. Some basic sanitary and hygiene requirements can perhaps be enforced by the state -not 1500 hours worth. Beyond that, the market will determine if one is a “good” blowout stylist.

Comment by Put the fun in unfunded Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:01 pm
I didn’t vote, because I really don’t know anything about any of this.

But… a questions…

There is a whole business in just blow-drying someone’s hair. I know I’m just a stupid male, but that seems like a waste of money to me. Can anyone educate me why one would pay someone to JUST blow-dry your hair?

Comment by Try-4-Truth Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:02 pm
Yes. There are plenty of shampoo, blow-dry and style operations in basements and spare rooms in every village and neighborhood of Illinois which are cheap and pay no attention to “licensing”. Let’s give the businesses which actually pay income taxes a chance to compete with these off market beauty parlors by modifying the training, licensing requirements and testing for simple services which do not involve sharp instruments, chemicals and coloring.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:04 pm
No - perhaps reduce the # of hours needed might be the better route, as in NY. And Henry Francis is spot-on.

Comment by interim retiree Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:05 pm
Another barrier to entry under the guise of public safety.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:06 pm
You also have to take domestic violence training. And the law already has less hours if you do hair braiding nail tech or esthetics whatever that is. And law is waived if you cut hair in DOC. However I believe you are barred from a license if a felon. Talk about over regulations

Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:06 pm
Yet anyone with a tool belt in Illinois can be an electrician. No licensing required to wire a house.

Comment by transplant Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:07 pm
Voted no…I could go with an overall reduction of hours needed for licensure, but it’s hard enough for a licensed cosmetologist to make money already with the training they need to go through.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:10 pm
I think the IACS is blowing this change out of proportion. It is a different job and should have credentials that fit with the job. We have all sorts of specialized degrees in various occupations. No reason we shouldn’t do it here.

And, yes, the main reason I responded was so I could make that pun.

Comment by Montrose Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:12 pm
Voted yes. My spouse owns & operates her own salon. Agree with PJ @ 11:53am, the schools will advance a pejorative argument about public safety when its really all about money. BTW, IL requires 14 hours of continuing professional regulation every 2 years. Only 7 hours can be obtained on-line, the remainder must be obtained via classroom instruction at a rate which can, depending on the class, be as high as 50 - 100 dollars per hour offered. Texas and some other states permit 100 percent of continuing education to be obtained online at a much lower cost.

Comment by kitty Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:15 pm
The reason for this law is that FOR-PROFIT schools who pay into IACS stand to lose money. These places are no better than the large publicly traded corporate student loan thieves who tie down low income families with abhorrent student loan debt for the rest of their lives, leaving them unable to get credit and without a job for the majority of their lives. While we are at, dental technician schools, medical coding schools, and computer repair schools should all be monitored like the large corporate owned “universities.” These schools are frauds and thieves.

Comment by Not A Happy Camper Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:17 pm
Why create a new license to add to the hundreds of other regulatory burdens already in place? Just eliminate the ridiculous requirement that one needs a license to comb someone else’s hair from the existing Cosmetology license.

Comment by The Rlephant In The Room Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:19 pm
Voted no. My daughter also operates her own salon. No more free haircuts for old AA if I voted Yes.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:21 pm
Didn’t vote. Being of a Libertarian bent, I don’t see the need for a license to either cut or style hair.

I would agree there should be a license for those stylists working with chemicals or other methods, like dying hair, where some knowledge is required to prevent injury or harm.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:27 pm
Did not vote because my tonsorial needs are quite minimal these days, alas, but several observations are sparked by the question:

1. Henry Francis @ 11:51 raises a good point: 1500 hours training for hairdressing but zero hours for a FOID card and 16 hours for concealed carry? A bit unbalanced, IMHO (and I carry).

2. Recognizing the need for some training in basic skills, safety and sanitation, the 1500 hour requirement seems more intended to protect the ins against competition from the outs.

3. More over-regulation in the name of a special interest group.

Comment by Flapdoodle Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:34 pm
I’m all for lowering the number of hours for training, but not for separating the licenses. Blow dry and styling is not remotely as simple as it sounds. One of the key elements of a good blow dry is product choice for hair. This is also not as simple as it sounds. Hair shape….pin straight, frizzy, curly….amount of hair….you can have thin hair but have lots of it, for example….quality of hair, color of hair, these all affect product choices. so it is complicated. How do I know this? YEARS of trying to figure out my own hair, having several people make mistakes in blow drying, experimenting with products. A good blow dry is amazing. Just see how Dry Bar is expanding across the nation. But two level training would undercut those who cut to create the style and color. I’m not for that because the people who do my hair don’t deserve to be undercut. they are amazing.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:37 pm
I’ve been washing and styling my own hair for decades. With a comb. In the 70’s, I even used a blow dryer. I don’t recall having gone through extensive training. Do we really need to regulate this?

Comment by Southside Markie Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:40 pm
As a white male with “flesh colored” hair,I have no insight into blow-drying or styling issues. Still, I voted “yes” because the current requirements are ridiculous for blow-drying.

Comment by Whatever Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:51 pm
Yes, it would open the market to more competition. Of course the schools want the maximum amount of hours for a license since they are the ones charging for the school hours.

Comment by Mr.Black Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 12:59 pm
I voted no…first you will have a stylist that only blow dries hair then one day you are short handed and over booked and all the sudden the stylist is cutting hair. There is a purpose to the education received in this field. You are cutting hair so you should know something about how that is done, often professionals in this field are also trained to watch for signs of illness that can show through abrasions on the scalp, hair loss etc. And they are also mixing some serious chemicals for color so this too requires training. Leave it alone…the blow dry/style thing is a fad and will quickly pass.

Comment by justpeachy Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:05 pm
Voted “No” because “Blowdryer” shouldn’t be an occupation, nor should juicer, toaster, or radiator.

Anyone that doesn’t want to pay a licensed cosmetologist to blow-dry and brush their hair always has the option of doing it themselves.

Comment by Free Set of Steak Knives Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:09 pm
==There is a purpose to the education received in this field. You are cutting hair so you should know something about how that is done, often professionals in this field are also trained to watch for signs of illness that can show through abrasions on the scalp, hair loss etc.==

You’re a hair stylist, not a doctor. If a person wants to spend the money to become an expert stylist, great, they should advertise their skills as such. And if they’re not, the customer will decide if they’re good enough. As has been said, it’s all just overregulation to protect lobbyists and schools who overcharge.

Comment by Donnie Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:20 pm
If this is correct it only takes 120 hours to be an EMT in Illinois…
http://www.emtexamace.com/illinois

The basic law enforcement class is 560 hours…

http://www.ptb.illinois.gov/

The Obama administration issued a report on state occupational licenses that is worth a read.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/licensing_report_final_nonembargo.pdf

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:22 pm
Didn’t vote, but wanted to add:

My Great Aunt was a stylist many moons ago, probably shortly after the dinosaurs went away, and actually had to have a medical license to get her certificate. Of course, if the permanent wave machine I inherited from my dad is any indication they had some dangerous stuff back then. Thing looks like a torture device.

Comment by HangingOn Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:27 pm
The Obama administration report on licensing says, “There is evidence that licensing requirements raise the price of goods and services, restrict employment opportunities, and make it more difficult for workers to take their skills across State lines.” The report goes on the state that onerous licensing requirements limit the number of people working in the field, which benefits those licensees who enjoy less competition. Consumers pay more, but some studies show that licensing does not improve the quality of goods and services.

Comment by anon2 Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:38 pm
== HangingOn - Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:27 pm:==

That’s a good story. A very elderly relative of mine was one of the earliest Pan Am stewardesses in the late 1940’s. They had to have a full nursing degree to put on that uniform and many people are gobsmacked when she tells them that. Both stories are just reminders that times change and job and licensing requirements often need to change to fit the times. Like the blow dryer stylists.

Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:44 pm
No, you can do these things yourself at home.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:48 pm
No. Abolish the licensing requirement entirely. It just makes it harder for people to support themselves.
This is an even bigger issue in the highly comped professions: Law, Medicine and Accounting. In practice, the exams training requirements, limitations on practice are used to maintain income of the incumbents, and any public benefit is incidental. I’m ging to get my teeth cleaned tomorrow. Why does the Dentist get to claim a big chunk of the hygienist’s revenue. Licensing. If she could hang out her own shingle, she would earn much more, and I would pay less. Fortunately for the dentist, that’s illegal:

“Supervision” means supervision of a dental hygienist or a dental assistant requiring that a dentist authorize the procedure, remain in the dental facility while the procedure is performed, and approve the work performed by the dental hygienist or dental assistant before dismissal of the patient, but does not mean that the dentist must be present at all times in the treatment room.

Comment by Ebenezer Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:53 pm
With the amount of hair the Curmudgeon has, I’m ineligible to vote.

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 1:59 pm
=== Blow dry and styling is not remotely as simple as it sounds. One of the key elements of a good blow dry is product choice for hair. This is also not as simple as it sounds. Hair shape….pin straight, frizzy, curly….amount of hair….you can have thin hair but have lots of it, for example….quality of hair, color of hair, these all affect product choices. so it is complicated. ===

Geez… everyone wants the government to do everything. We really need the government to police and be the decision makers on good vs. bad blowdrying?

Comment by Just Observing Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 2:09 pm
And zero mention of gun dealers licensing ? I’m impressed

Comment by Railrat Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 2:18 pm
The 1,500 hours are required for far more than ‘just cutting hair’. Those hours include education for hairstylist, including haircutting, haircolor, permanent waves, and relaxers as well as all the chemistry for the chemicals used, medical conditions that effect hair and scalp and a good portion of mathematics. Those hours also include training in esthetics (skin) and nails as well as anatomy, medical conditions that effect skin and nails and proper sanitation for all above departments. There is a requirement for a set amount of domestic violence training hours as well.

Aside from that- these blowout salons don’t last anyways. Most of these businesses close within a couple years because there is not a steady clientele. Plus, if 1,500 hours is too much to learn all the above information (plus so much more), what makes you think that someone would go to school for 350 hours to just blowdry hair?!

Comment by Educate Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 2:41 pm
Yes. I worked on the Health License Committee when this issue came up with hair braiding and if I recall we did trim it down to 350 hours or something close. While I am sympathetic to the argument about dividing up the profession, the fact is the market wants increasingly specialized services and you do need to strike a regulatory balance that don’t stifle those markets.

Comment by Signal and Noise Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 2:41 pm
I voted no. Abolish virtually ALL state licenses like this. As others have noted, these act as a regressive tax to raise prices and reduce available jobs. Combine it with expanding the sales tax base to cover these and the state would have revenue and a more efficient economy.

Comment by Workin' Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 3:09 pm
Why have licensing for most jobs now? Uber is making a mockery of chauffeur licensing, Air BNB is making a mockery of zoning laws and hospitality l regulations. Why not go after hair stylists and disrupt their industry too?

At some point consumers are going to get tired of cheap but crummy service. After that, somebody is going to be harmed by some unregulated industry and the law suits will be endless.

Barrier to entry? Yes. Raises the cost of providing the service? Sure. Protects the consumer? Maybe, maybe not.

I have a feeling we’re going to miss some of these regulations, but not until they’re gone. But I don’t have any particular insight or knowledge of hair styling to answer the question. I do recall Mr. Miller telling us something about the importance of this industry to some African-American communities and others who I expect will resist opening the doors to new, unregulated competition. I don’t think barber and hair stylists will roll over like the cab companies did to Uber.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 3:15 pm
Shops are using unlicensed workers to blow dry hair now. We might as well allow them an opportunity for proper training and a license so that they will at least change brushes between clients.

Comment by donna Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 3:27 pm
I said yes. I’m perfectly comfortable using a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant instead of a more highly trained doctor. I think it’s good to provide options for customers and for practitioners alike.

Comment by Dome Gnome Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 3:38 pm
No, as licensed professionals we have training in infection control and sanitation. I agree 1500 hrs could be reduced, but don’t pick apart our scope of practice.

Comment by #leaveourlicensealone Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 4:00 pm
1,500 hours?? Special license? I reckon most of this stuff goes on in basements all over the state — unlicensed because … Illinois.

Comment by Rockford Rocket Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 6:42 pm
Many of the voters in this survey (lobbyists, trade associations, etc.) make their living by controlling access to various professions. This can only be done with the power of government.

Comment by Keep competitors out Tuesday, Nov 7, 17 @ 8:31 pm
100% NO

Comment by Steph Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 11:08 am