Why New York Is Changing What Happens Before Your Haircut

The next time you sit down in a salon chair in New York, there's a good chance your stylist will be better equipped to handle your hair than ever before.

A new state law is the reason why.

Your Next Haircut In New York Might Look A Little Different

a man cutting another mans hair with a pair of scissors

As of September 1st, all licensed cosmetology schools in New York are now required to incorporate natural and textured hair training into their core curriculum.

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Governor Kathy Hochul signed the measure three years ago, giving schools time to update their programs before the mandate officially kicked in this month.

Here's Why That's A Good Thing

woman holding hair dryer

The change matters because textured hair instruction is no longer an optional add-on. It's now a fundamental part of what every cosmetology student in New York learns before they can get licensed, which means the next generation of stylists coming out of New York schools will be trained to work with the full spectrum of hair types, from the straightest to the coiliest and kinkiest patterns.

The updated curriculum includes 10 hours of comprehensive hair analysis, 20 hours of natural hair care fundamentals, and 18 hours of hands-on textured styling services, all built into the existing training so the total hours required to earn a license stay the same.

That means there's no added cost and no added time for students.

A group of people standing around a man in a hospital

The New York Department of State is also incorporating the expanded standards directly into the state cosmetology licensing exam, meaning graduates will be tested on what they learned.

Schools that don't comply face fines.

New York joins New Jersey among the states moving to make formal beauty education inclusive of all hair types.

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