You’re saying someone can start cosmetology school at 16 and a half, rack up hours, graduate, maybe even get licensed… but they still can’t walk into SalonCentric or Cosmoprof because those stores require you to be 18+. So what are we doing here, exactly? You want teenagers doing chemical services on the public, but they’re legally blocked from buying the professional color, lightener, developers, and disinfectants they need to do the job correctly? Are they supposed to beg an adult to shop for them like it’s a fake ID beer run? Are salons supposed to hand over their backbar and just hope the minor knows what they’re doing? Or are we pretending they can just “figure it out” with whatever random stuff they can get their hands on? That’s not “lowering barriers.” That’s lowering standards and creating a mess. It’s setting people up to fail and putting clients at risk, all so lawmakers can pat themselves on the back for “solutions” that don’t work outside a committee room. If you can’t legally buy the professional supplies, you’re not ready to be unleashed in a professional environment. Period. This is what happens when people who don’t understand the industry try to rewrite it.