We, the undersigned residents, professionals, and supporters across South Carolina and North Carolina, urge our state legislatures to revisit and pass Bill H.4186 in South Carolina and parallel legislation in North Carolina to modernize beauty industry laws and make it possible and flexible for us to work legally without unnecessary barriers.

At the moment, makeup artists, bridal hairstylists, and other beauty professionals are forced to obtain full cosmetology or esthetics licenses in order to legally work — even though these licenses: - Require enrolling in programs that cost $10,000+, - Offer outdated curricula that do not teach the skills we actually need for our careers, - Do not cover vital areas such as advanced makeup artistry, bridal styling, sanitation specific to freelance work, or how to run a profitable business, - Fail to provide continuing education that professionals actually pay for themselves later on, - And operate mostly as Monday–Friday, 9–5 full-time programs, which are impossible to attend for working adults with jobs, families, and responsibilities.

Meanwhile, these unnecessary barriers hurt small business growth, block entry into the profession, and burden talented artists with debt for programs that don’t serve them.

Currently, even licensed professionals are restricted by outdated laws that prevent them from working remotely or on location outside of a salon. This is especially harmful to bridal artists and wedding vendors, since the very nature of our work requires us to travel to wedding venues, hotels, and private homes. These restrictions limit opportunity and fail to reflect how the modern beauty and wedding industry operates.

We are not asking to lower standards of safety or professionalism. What we are asking is for the state to create a fair and flexible pathway that allows beauty professionals to work legally — without being forced into outdated and overpriced programs that do not serve our careers.

This reform would:

- Allow professionals to demonstrate their skills and knowledge through modern, relevant requirements.

- Keep health and sanitation standards intact.

 - And create a fair, affordable pathway that makes it possible and flexible for legitimate, working artists to thrive legally.

South Carolina and North Carolina are falling behind the rest of the country. Already, 17 other states have exempted makeup artists from licensure, and 9 other states have exempted express hairstyling from full cosmetology requirements. These reforms prove that it is both possible and safe to regulate the industry without forcing artists into outdated programs. By modernizing our laws, the Carolinas would simply be aligning with national best practices.

■ States that Exempt Makeup Artists from Licensure (17 total):

• Texas

• Virginia

• Nevada

• California

• Oklahoma

• Arizona

• Utah

• Minnesota

• Ohio

• Kansas

• Massachusetts

• Illinois

• Connecticut

• Wisconsin

• Vermont

• Oregon

• Washington

■ States that Exempt Express Hair Styling (9 total):

• Texas

• Arizona

• Kansas

• Utah

• Virginia

• Wisconsin

• Minnesota

• Vermont

• Nevada

 

The wedding industry is one of South Carolina’s strongest economic drivers. Charleston alone hosts over 5,000 weddings each year, generating more than $150 million annually in spending. Across the state, weddings bring in hundreds of millions of dollars, supporting thousands of jobs and small businesses.

Hair and makeup services make up a vital share of this economy, contributing tens of millions annually while helping to attract destination weddings from across the country. By reforming these laws, our states can continue to grow as leading wedding destinations (Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Asheville, Charlotte, and beyond) while protecting workers, clients, and the economy. We respectfully call on lawmakers in both South Carolina and North Carolina to take action and pass this vital legislation. Together, we can make the Carolinas leaders in supporting small business, entrepreneurship, and the beauty and wedding industry — while making it possible and flexible for professionals to work legally, without being forced into outdated programs that don’t serve them.