A Hair Past Absurd

For thousands of years the African art of hair braiding has been passed from mother to daughter, from friend to friend. Now, however, some state bureaucrats seem determined to get in the hair of this tradition.

The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and a Sacramento district attorney have filed charges against two women for operating hair braiding salons without a state cosmetology license. This is government at its worst. None of the techniques taught for cosmetology licensure even apply to natural hair braiders. Thus, should the bureaucrats prevail, a hair braider would have to spend 1,600 hours in a certified cosmetology school, studying skills she will never use.

Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) wants to exempt hair braiders who don’t use chemicals from state licensing requirements. Great idea. The cosmetology board says it’s acting in the public interest, pointing to the public health training its students receive. But since Migden’s bill applies only to braiders who don’t use chemicals or dyes, that safety concern is irrelevant. Furthermore, the attempt to license braiders, many of whom work at home, is a thinly disguised job protection bill for beauty salon operators who don’t want competition.

Applying cosmetology standards to hair braiding is a blind exercise of regulatory muscle. A dose of common sense is needed.