Louisiana Requires 500 Hours of Training To Braid Hair Professionally. This Bill Would Increase It.

Louisiana, a state notorious for high occupational licensing barriers and below-average household median income, may soon create one of the strictest hair braiding licensing requirements in the country. 

Although the Pelican State’s cosmetology board already requires at least 500 hours of training to obtain an “alternative hair design” permit, House Bill 912, proposed by state Rep. Candace Newell (D–New Orleans), would increase the minimum number of hours to at least 600 over three and a half months at a registered cosmetology school. The training must cover, in part, the ancient origins of braiding, multicultural braid styles and experiences, and proper braiding and sanitation techniques. Applicants must then pass an examination and pay an annual fee. 

Under the proposed legislation, alternative hair design is defined as any “twisting, wrapping, weaving, extending, locking, or braiding the hair” at salons or shops. It includes applying products such as shampoos, conditioners, oils, and lotions, and also covers using synthetic hair, wigs, or any other applied hair.  

But Newell’s attempt to increase requirements for hair braiding is out of step with the majority of the country. Currently, 37 states have exempted braiders from licensure, according to the public-interest law firm Institute for Justice. Of those that still license braiding, only six require between 200 and 500 hours of coursework before a braider can make a legal income. 

Proponents argue that stricter qualifications are necessary for the health and safety of clients. However, Louisiana’s neighboring states have already successfully deregulated the practice. Mississippi, for example, has no minimum number of training hours and over 1,200 registered hair braiders, while the state of Louisiana—a state with over 1.6 million more people—only has 40, according to the Pelican Institute for Public Policy. 

While what impact 100 additional hours of school might have on braiding clients is perhaps uncertain, one change Newell’s legislation would bring is clear: more federal student loans. Under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, federal financial assistance may be granted to students attending a program at a qualifying institution of higher education. To qualify as an undergraduate program at a vocational institution, like a cosmetology school, the program must “provide at least 600 clock hours…over a minimum of at least 15 weeks.” Newell’s bill would bring Louisiana’s current alternative hair design programs in line with these qualifications and likely result in cosmetology schools receiving more federal student loan money for hair braiding students. 

Meanwhile, another Louisiana legislator, Rep. Mike Bayham Jr. (R–Chalmette), has offered a simpler solution. House Bill 266 would create a “special permit for natural hair braiding services.” Under Bayham’s proposal, a would-be hair braider would be required annually to review training materials on sanitation and safety, pass a 20-question exam, and pay a fee. This kind of special permit is a straightforward approach that takes health and safety into account while allowing braiders to quickly monetize their skills—rather than take on thousands in debt.

Louisiana legislators still have months to battle over these competing hair braiding bills. But one thing is for certain: If successful, Newell’s legislation won’t result in more hair braider entrepreneurs. Rather, by increasing the amount of time and money that would-be braiders need to enter the market, Newell would only be successful in making hair braiding cost more.