ASCP supports North Carolina's Senate Bill 591

ASCP supported North Carolina's Senate Bill 591, which seeks to create an eyelash art technician license. ASCP believes this legislation would benefit public safety, and invites you to read the comments it submitted to the North Carolina Senate Committee on Rules and Operations below:

Associated Skin Care Professionals, Associated Hair Professionals, and Associated Nail Professionals (the Associations) provide professional liability insurance, business resources, professional publications, and legislative and regulatory advocacy for more than 44,000 members nationwide, with over 1,000 members in North Carolina.

The Associations are responding to Senate Bill 591 (SB 591), which seeks to create an eyelash art technician license. Eyelids are delicate, and an allergic reaction, irritation, or other injury in or around the eye area can easily occur if a client is receiving services from an untrained and unlicensed individual.

The Associations believe an eyelash art technician license will benefit public health and safety because of the many risk factors associated with eyelash extension services, if performed by untrained and unlicensed individuals. Some risk factors include serious infection or swelling of the eyelid, infection of the cornea, temporary eyelash loss, or cross contamination of parasites to the lash line.

SB 591 would require a board-approved eyelash art training course to ensure individuals performing eyelash services have the proper education to minimize public harm. Although the bill does not detail required hours or curriculum, the Associations are confident North Carolina will follow other states that have recently adopted eyelash extension licensure or registration and will include a robust training program on the following subjects:

1. Recognizing infectious and contagious diseases of the eye and allergic reactions to materials
2. Proper sanitation and sterilization practices
3. Occupational health and safety practices
4. Trichology
5. Eyelash extension application procedures:
   1. Eyelash extension products
   2. Preparing the client
   3. Eyelash bonding
   4. Eyelash extension isolation and separation procedures
   5. Eyelash extension framing and troubleshooting
   6. Eyelash extension aftercare
6. Eyelash extension removal procedures
7. Ethics and knowledge of North Carolina cosmetology laws and rules
8. Marketing tips and business practices
9. Eyelash extension practice on mannequins and live models

In conclusion, the Associations fully support SB 591 and applaud bill sponsors Deandrea Salvador, Natasha Marcus, Natalie Murdock, and Joyce Waddell for considering public safety and recognizing the need for an eyelash art technician license in North Carolina. Some states are attempting to exempt such services from licensure. The Associations are proud North Carolina understands the recklessness of such efforts and is, instead, proposing to join the states that have implemented similar eyelash legislation.