As states and municipalities across the country continue to pass laws against natural hair discrimination, there are also big changes afoot for future hairdressers – especially in Louisiana.
The Louisiana Board of Cosmetology (BOC) recently revised its exam requirements and now offers textured hair training throughout the state.
Textured hair includes wavy, curly and frizzy hair. The aim of the new resolution is to educate future beauticians and stylists on how to care for these special hair types.
The ruling came after Edwin Neill, chairman of the Louisiana BOC and president of Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute, asked why the state does not require training in textured hair as part of its curriculum. Neill, along with board member and cosmetology instructor Kevin Martin and others, suggested adding a revised section on cutting textured hair to the cosmetology exam.
“There are many horror stories from salons about what happens when estheticians are not properly trained to handle textured hair,” Neill said in a statement. “Today, there are still sometimes differences in the salon experience between people with textured hair and those with naturally straight hair. We want to ensure that licensed estheticians in Louisiana can treat all hair types.”
Neill’s views on issues surrounding textured hair, also known as natural hair, have been reflected in legislation, including the Crown Act, which was created to prohibit racial discrimination in the workplace and schools. The law is currently in effect in 13 states, including California, New Jersey and Virginia. Senator Cory Booker and Representative Cedric Richmond, a Democrat who represents Louisiana’s 2nd District, have also led efforts to introduce federal legislation.
A woman presents a natural hairstyle in an undated archive photo.
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An estimated 65% of the U.S. population has curly, kinky or wavy hair, according to the eighth edition of Naturally Curly’s TextureTrends report. Renee Gadar, Aveda’s worldwide artistic director who was also instrumental in the recent change in Louisiana, told local ABC affiliate KATC that Louisiana will be the first state to make textured hair training mandatory for cosmetologists.
“It was long overdue,” Gadar told GMA. “The board voted quickly and unanimously, which is great news. Now we want other states to follow suit.”
Celebrity hairstylist, author, and founder of the Texture Style Awards, Monaè Everett, told GMA that Louisiana’s new training requirement for textured hair is “wonderful.”
“This Louisiana cosmetology requirement makes it clear to the entire cosmetology education system that it is time for change,” Everett said. “Laws like the Crown Act have brought attention to the mistreatment Black Americans face because of their hair texture, and this is a powerful response.”
Everett also shared that her ability to style all textures was part of the reason she was able to successfully work with celebrities like actresses Nia Long, Tia Mowry and many others. “I believe that all hairstylists must have the ability to cut and style all hair textures to be professional,” she said.
“Not only is this a positive step in the right direction for Black consumers, it will also help non-Black consumers with curly hair to be better served by estheticians,” Everett added. “Often, the inability of hairdressers to style all hair textures has been justified by the fact that they cannot style Black hair. Hair textures exist across all racial lines.”
Louisiana’s updated textured hair requirements will take effect in June 2022. Licensing requirements for cosmetologists in all states can be found on the National Conference of State Legislatures website.
