In Texas, licensed cosmetologists are trusted to care for the hair of a diverse population — but many cosmetology programs still offer little to no training on curly, coily, and tightly textured hair.

This gap doesn’t just lead to bad hair days. It leads to:
– Damage and breakage from incorrect techniques and chemicals
– People with textured hair being turned away or told “we don’t know how to do your hair”
– Stylists who graduate feeling unprepared and having to spend extra time and money to learn on their own

This is not a “specialty.” Curly and textured hair are normal, common hair types that deserve competent, safe care.

We, the undersigned, are asking the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR) and Texas cosmetology schools to:

Require a minimum number of hours of textured and curly hair education in all Texas cosmetology programs.
Include hands‑on training on a range of curl patterns and textures, including coils and tightly textured hair.
Update testing and curriculum standards so that textured hair care is not treated as “optional” or “extra credit,” but as a core competency for licensure.
Stylists want to serve all of their clients well. Clients with textured hair deserve to feel safe, respected, and included in every salon.

Texas can lead by example. By updating cosmetology curriculum and licensing requirements to fully include textured and curly hair education, TDLR and the cosmetology board can make our beauty industry more skilled, inclusive, and equitable for everyone.

We urge you to meet with stylists, educators, and community members who specialize in textured hair and to begin the process of updating Texas cosmetology standards as soon as possible.