(WI) Cosmetology Board to licensees: Continuing education classes no longer needed

Source: madison.com



Cosmetology Board to licensees: Continuing education classes no longer needed



GEORGE HESSELBERG | ghesselberg@madison.com | 608-252-6140 | 1 Comment | Posted: Monday, June 27, 2011 6:15 am

The state Barber and Cosmetology Board ruled in April 2011 that licensees no longer need to take continuing education classes to remain licensed. PETER THOMSON
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At the insistence of the Department of Regulation and Licensing, the state Barber and Cosmetology Board has quietly agreed to drop requirements that its 35,000 licensees take continuing education classes in sanitation, safety and infection control.

The requirement was instituted in 2010 after an investigation and a special report warning about repeated health and safety violations.


Instructors who had helped steer the requirements through numerous changes were upset at not being consulted before the decision was made.

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I article does not mention any lobbying group that did not want this regulation which I think is essential.

on people should be reviewed on a regular basis. This is a basic issue of public health and safety.

This will NOT end well.

does everything have to be regulated to death?

making folks sick.

and exams for licensure are required, nothing will happen. The chemicals in perms, etc have only changed for the better in the last 30 years. They are less dangerous now than they were then. Continuing ed is a joke, it doesn't address any of your fears unless the class a provider chooses to take addresses those issues. Most licensees learn about new products from the manufacturers or distributors who have as much or more at stake in being sure the providers know how to use their products.

Your belief that manufacturers and distributors will ensure product safety flies in the face of all of human commercial history and consumer experience.

"manufacturers and distributors will ensure product safety", could you direct me to that post? Additionally,

1. I have no doubt that the maker will shoulder more liability than the 30k per year hair dresser.

2. I fail to see how cont. ed. would have effected this.

Like there is with medical doctors?

I know the expertise required between a cosmetologist and a surgeon are worlds apart but if the WI board won't do it then maybe a country-wide board would?

Then it would be easy to figure out which cosmetologist you should visit: the Board Certified one - not the one that is just State Licensed.

Sorry but I am ignorant of the cosmetology world and if such an organization exists then obviously I am not aware.

and it's important to know that each state has a different number of school hours required for beginning cosmetologists so what works in what state won't necessarily translate into a license in another state.

Florida Cosmetology License Requirements
To receive a cosmetology license in Florida, students must obtain the following hours:

COSMETOLOGIST: 1200
NAIL TECHNOLOGIST: 240 hours
SKIN CARE: 260 hours

we've studies other states' requirements as she is interested in leaving the area within the next five years, and FL is in the upper-middle of the pack wrt training hours required. However, Prick Scott is intent upon lowering those requirements, so we will see how long that lasts. He's had one go at it already and backed off, but there's nothing keeping him from trying again.

BTW, our daughter finished nails and skin care already and should graduate the end of September (she began last August). Her teacher is on the state licensing board so she tries to keep her students up to date with what is going on in any licensing changes.

finished out her cosmetology courses before she finished her high school degree.

Here's to your daughter having her own line of salons!

she's also going to pursue makeup artist courses in Orlando next year (she's saving up for that, which is why she's living at home for awhile, hehe). At least her job will never be outsourced, right?

I just told her her about the WI changes and she thought it was ridiculous...

If a cosmetologist or barber moves from one state to another, her license is no good anymore. She has to have it transferred, and it takes quite a while...and during the period they're looking at it, she can't work as a cosmetologist. I've seen LOTS of cosmetologists working in fast food joints waiting for their licenses to be transferred.

A national board of cosmetology would be able to issue one license good anywhere in the United States.

But I'm not sure why "board certification" would make a stylist better than a "state licensed" one, since the state boards of cosmetology are populated by licensed beauticians.

federal board for medical doctors either.

And perhaps that is just as well, given that Washington, D.C. seems to get more corrupt every year.

especially in the years ahead, as new chemicals become available.

My daughter is a beautician and was really upset with the requirement to take more classes all the time. She said beauticians don't make much money as a rule, and have to pay for child care, pay the shop they work at for the use of the chair, insurance, and a myriad of other costs. The continuing education requirement meant they would have to take days off during the year when the classes were given, find child care for those days, go to the city where the classes are just to relearn all they had been taught in the first place, pay for the classes as they aren't free.

They simply cannot afford such a requirement with their income level. A 5 year update on their skills might be reasonable, but a yearly one is not warranted and is too costly for them.

IMO 5 yrs. is too long because of how quickly the industry changes with new chemicals being handled all the time. Maybe every two years would be more feasible, and also with specific licensing for services such as blowouts (which are VERY chemically noxious and require training).

In my role, my employer mandates I go through continuing education (albeit run by the company) so that I am kept afresh of all the banking regulations in place - especially so with all the financial reforms that went through Congress.

Therefore "continuing education" could be as simple as a short one-day or half-day web based course that can be done online at home. Also as an online course, the cost involved would be reasonable.

Plus aren't hair salons and nail shops subject to health inspections? AFAIK, they are in NC.

However rigorous yearly continuing certification may well be over the top.

some of this is hands-on training so it should be done in person as there could be cheating involved if done online.

your daughter probably bought supplies from one of their salesmen. i grew up playing in the warehouse and delivering stuff with the founder and in later years my dad. wisconsin has always been ahead of illinois in safety issue for years. from the plumbing of the sinks to the banning of lacquer that was eating the copper and peoples lungs. so you can see i grew up in the business.

i noticed in one document that the leading offenders were nail salon`s and salons who did`t do basic cleaning or safety issues.

http://drl.wi.gov/board_docview.asp?docid=120&boardid=5&locid=0

that being said i think someone wanted to ease the rules in certain areas of the scope of the laws. it would be reasonable for those who cut and style hair to have a 5 year window. those who deal with chemicals in the nail profession or other treatments need to be trained and well regulated. i won`t even go into what home cutters and stylists do wrong....

The blowout chemicals involve formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Does she actually learn anything useful in these classes?

matter how they are applied. Some require new techniques.

could be alleviated. No tuition and every salon I know of closes one weekday per week. So, child care and maybe gas money or carfare would be the only extra expense. Courses given once a year should not take more than a half day.

If that's what your ability to stay in your job requires and you know that up front, you find a way. And maybe some negotiating with salon owners in in order.

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That was my first thought on reading this headline. Those photos of people with flesh eating bacteria infections from nail salons that reuse nail files and don't properly sterilize their equipment.

continuing ed will not.

:scared:

Legislation requiring ce in a lot of professions is often pushed through by large providers in an attempt to burden small providers, driving some out of the business. Most ce requirements don't have state mandates as to content, for instance changes in laws aren't required in the curriculum. I am looking at a mailer right now which is, "Products Enhance Profits" which is sponsored by a large shampoo/hair products company, it offers continuing ed credits.

My wife has a cosmetologist license. Every state requires fairly significant initial training/instruction and an exam. Every state has periodic inspections. The chemicals used in hair have not changed dramatically in 30 years, if anything they have become less toxic/caustic and easier to use. When new products come out they are usually introduced by the beauty supply houses or makers along with training in their use. She thinks this change is reasonable.