California Cosmetology is regulated by the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which is a division of the Department of Consumer Affairs. Professions in these two categories are maintained by the Board, as well as the stores, shops, and salons that provide those services. Anyone who is interested in providing beauty services to clients for a fee must be licensed by the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. These beauty services include haircutting, hair removal, skin care, manicures and pedicures, and shaving. To become licensed, a person must complete required courses and training that are regulated by the Board.

One of the main reasons that the Board regulates salons and beauty shops is to maintain health and safety compliant establishments. If you go into a salon to get a haircut and walk out with a cleanly shaven head by mistake, the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology would be the group to call. If you are a patron at a barber shop that has cockroaches crawling amongst all of the hair that is left all over the floor, making the bugs look like they have moustaches, you would call the Board to inform them about that, as well. Do you have information on someone running a practice for a fee that does not have a valid license to do so? Call the Board. They are there to handle these complaints of negligence, unsanitary conditions, and illegal practice.

To help the many clients of California Cosmetology, the Board requires that a poster with their rules, regulations, and contact information be displayed in reception areas in all and every establishment that offers cosmetology services. The Board takes its role very seriously, because in any event of carelessness or noncompliance, a customers health and safety could be at risk by contracting viruses, funguses, and other infections if proper guidelines for sanitation are not followed. Alongside the poster from the Board with the law and contact information should always be the establishments license to operate as a business.

When this license is displayed and has a valid date, it tells the consumer that the place follows the sanitation rules and regulations for California Cosmetology and that they have done all that they should to operate safely and in a healthy manner. At the individual workstations of the cosmetologists should be their own personal cosmetology licenses. In California, photocopies of the licenses are unacceptable and not valid.

Although the Board does the finest job possible regulating the California Cosmetology establishments, they of course cannot see everything everywhere all the time. If you notice things that you are unsure about the legality of, make sure you contact the board just to be sure. The best way to make sure that the salon you choose for services is clean and safe is to pay a visit to it before coming in for your appointment. Look at the condition of the sinks, floors, garbage cans, and workstations. Are instruments that should be soaking in disinfectant lying out and about on counters? Does every workstation have the tall jar of Barbicide handy to disinfect the combs? Are chairs and footbasins disinfected?

For all cleaning and sanitation tasks, the Board has implemented a strict schedule that must be followed, so service businesses must keep a log of when these cleanings occur. Last but not least, all service providers are required to wash their hands in between clients. No exceptions. So, before you make an appointment with the chic new salon and spa down the street, go in and observe the place for a while, for your health and safetys sake. You might be surprised at what you find.