New York State Requires Updates To Salon Sanitation Education

5 Things To Know About New York’s Update To Salon Sanitation Curriculum

Last month, Behind The Chair reported that on November 17, 2023 Bill S6528A was officially signed into law requiring the region’s cosmetology schools to make natural textured hair a part of the curriculum. That new law is found under Section 404 of New York State’s general business law, and with it comes a few other updates to ensure all students are educated in the health, hygiene and cleanliness of salon spaces.

Here’s What Salon Professionals Should Know About The Updated Law:

Section 404 of the general business law outlines sanitary regulations put in place to guarantee both clients and professionals are safe in beauty salons. Here are the updates to the section via Bill S6528A as of January 2024:

1. All licensed professionals and trainees must be taught all sanitary regulations.
2. All licensed professionals and trainees in the salon must be trained and understand the duties of all other professionals that are working in the salon. This means, everyone must know the roles of hair stylists, nail artists, waxers, cosmetologists and estheticians.
3.  All salons must allow these professionals to offer mobile services outside of the salon (not including their homes), as long as they have the necessary licenses.
4. The regulations also require nail specialists to be educated in the knowledge about infection causes and bacteriology.
5. Finally, as mentioned, the regulation also requires all hair stylists to learn how to do all hair types—including all curl patterns, types and thicknesses.

Read more about New York’s new natural texture education law here!

This Is What The Law Means:

While some schools may already teach the education that this bill mandates, these updates ensure they’re taught in depth before students become licensed professionals working in a salon environment. This law ensures safe and clean salons for years to come.

Here’s Who Was Involved In Passing The Law:

The natural texture education segment of law S6528A was successfully passed thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of Professional Beauty Association in conjunction with Texture Education Collective (TEC) founded by Aveda, DevaCurl and L’Oréal USA. The four organizations teamed up to build upon an existing 2017 law spearheaded by New York State Assemblyman Gary Pretlow which mandates New York to appoint a professional hairstylist onto the NYS Appearance Enhancement Advisory Committee to advise the State on matters concerning cosmetology curriculum. The new S6528A law demonstrates the importance of having a professional hairstylist on the Advisory Committee and will help to ensure that hair education is systemically more inclusive in the State of New York.

Up Next: How to lighten curly hair without compromising the integrity of the curl pattern.