I was surprised to learn most state boards don't require certification in lash extensions at all

I found out through a cosmetology law blog last night that in 37 states you can legally apply lash extensions with just a basic cosmetology license and no extra training, which seems like a big gap in client safety to me, has anyone else looked into their own state's rules on this?

4 comments

4 Comments

wendy62818d ago

Right? Saw that same blog post and nearly choked on my coffee. Thirty seven states basically saying 'sure, go ahead and glue things to people's eyeballs, what could go wrong?' like it's a craft project. Guess consumer safety is just a suggestion in most places. Real comforting knowing someone who passed a written test on haircuts can legally glue synthetic hairs to your lash line with zero practice. But hey, at least they know how to section a perm rod, right? Total joke of a regulation gap if you ask me.

craig.mila17d ago

And what gets me is the gap between states that DO regulate and the ones that don't... like if you're a lash tech in New York you need a separate license but drive across the border into Pennsylvania and suddenly it's the wild west. So a client could get a perfect safe set in one state then get burned by someone who bought their kit off Amazon in the next town over.

smith.anna18d ago

And what about insurance companies in those 37 states still covering claims for lash work done without proper certification? That's the part that really gets me, because if a client gets an infection or permanent lash loss from a badly applied set, who's actually on the hook when the provider wasn't even required to prove they knew what they were doing? Seems like the whole system is built on trusting that people won't mess up rather than making sure they're trained to do it right from the start.

christopher94317d ago

36 states let you practice medicine with zero oversight if you call it a "wellness service" or whatever buzzword they're using now. It's the same pattern with tattoo shops and piercing places - just slap a "licensed cosmetologist" sticker on it and hope nobody gets hepatitis, right?