New Hair Education Laws Are Tackling the 'Texture Gap'
On July 1, a new Connecticut law requiring that cosmetology and barber schools include textured hair in their curriculum went into effect.
The mandate is a step forward in closing the "texture gap," a lack of knowledge and representation of curly, coily, and kinky hair types. This gap results in clients with textured hair — who are often BIPOC — receiving subpar service from hairdressers who haven't been trained to work with non-straight hair. In some cases, curly-haired clients are turned away entirely.
The texture gap also means that hairstylists looking to work with Black hairstyles like braids, locs, and twists must often seek additional training outside of cosmetology school — in states that haven't enacted hair education laws, these institutions aren't required to teach hairdressers, barbers, or cosmetologists how to work with all hair types.
Now, it seems states are beginning to realize that overlooking clients with textured hair constitutes a form of race-based discrimination. And it's not just Connecticut — in recent years, Louisiana, New York, and Minnesota have also signed laws requiring that cosmetology students learn how to cut, style, and treat textured hair.
This sort of legislation is a plus on all sides of the equation — clients with textured hair will be able to walk into any salon for service, ultimately boosting business for hairdressers.
Ending hair-based discrimination seems like a no-brainer, but laws championing the cause have yet to be implemented on a federal level. Hair education laws are an outgrowth of the CROWN Act, a law that prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and style. Currently, 26 states have passed the CROWN Act — over half the country, but hardly the entirety.
In June, congresswoman Nydia Velázquez introduced the Texture Positive Act, a measure that would incentivize textured hair education at cosmetology schools across the country.
In a press release, Veláquez summed up why the bill is necessary: The "lack of trained professionals not only hurts communities of color that tend to have textured hair, but it also does a disservice to professionals’ post-cosmetology school careers when they enter the workforce and lack the techniques to service diverse clientele."
