Cosmetology and hair-styling schools in New York will soon be required to include training on managing kinky and curly hair in their curriculum to qualify their students for licensure.
The New York Department of State has introduced new regulations mandating this curriculum update, which aims to address racial discrimination. The changes are expected to be implemented by September.
State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages (D-Nassau), who co-wrote the bill, expressed her personal connection to the issue, stating, “I have curly hair. Not everyone has straight hair. The new beauty school training will greatly benefit those with non-straight hair.” She recalled being advised to straighten her hair to appear more professional when she entered politics.
Solages emphasized that the lack of services for curly hair in salons constitutes a form of discrimination.
The assemblywoman also shared that both she and her daughter have encountered negative experiences with hair mishandling at salons.
“The hairstylist should have a comprehensive understanding of your hair type,” Solages asserted.
Solages co-authored the new law with state Sen. Jamaal Bailey (D-Bronx) in 2023, requiring all hair and cosmetology schools to make “textured”-hair education part of their general curriculum.
The state rules were published earlier this month — about a week after a black woman and her daughter filed a federal discrimination suit against an Ulta Beauty salon on the Upper East Side, claiming stylists there told them they don’t cut “your kind of hair.”
New York Human Rights Law bars discrimination based on traits associated with race, including hair texture.
In 2024, the state received 622 cosmetology license applications and 89 natural-hair-styling license applications.
Solages said current hair cutters can renew their license without undergoing continuing education, which means they’re not covered by the mandate. The courses will only apply to new students.
The amendments also do not increase the number of study hours required to obtain a license. Instead, the new instruction on natural kinky or curly will be woven into current curriculum hours.
Under the revamped law, the 300 to 1,000 hours of instruction needed for licenses from hair-treatment and cosmetology schools will include:
- Ten hours of hair analysis that includes the study of curly, coily, kinky, wavey, wiry and straight hair.
- 20 hours of treatment and shampooing that includes “Understanding Hair Products as it Relates to Natural Hair Care and Styling” and a “Hydration and Moisture Steam Treatment.”
- Much more extensive instruction on hair braiding, including the use of crochet needles and bead threaders, and treating or removing hair extensions.
- 18 hours on textured-hair-styling services, including treatment of “Curl and Coil Hairstyles,” blow-dry preparation for braid styling and natural hair and ironing natural hair.
The New York State Beauty School Association said it does not foresee “any significant barriers that would prevent schools from fully complying with the revised requirements within the proposed timeframe” and that “institutions will be able to integrate these changes without undue burden.”
The state has been working on updating its regulations for hair salons for nearly a decade, after the legislature’s 2017 approval of a law that created an “Appearance Enhancement Advisory Committee.”
The panel was tasked with developing recommendations regarding cultural and ethnic awareness for various hair types, including curl patterns, strand thickness and volume.
