Licensing Law Confusion Hits The Indiana Beauty Industry
WESTFIELD, IN – Indiana estheticians and small business owners are voicing deep concern over a regulatory shift—either a new law or the sudden, strict enforcement of an existing, poorly communicated one—that effectively prohibits them from performing core services. This unexpected interpretation jeopardizes businesses built entirely on beauty treatments like lash and brow services.
Estheticians say that as of October 1, services including lash perming, lash lifting, lash tinting, brow lamination, brow tinting, and microneedling have been pulled from their scope of practice, leaving many to wonder if they can legally continue to operate.
** We did reach out to the Licensing board on clarification of this claim, and you’ll find more details on their response below. **
Jessi Rice, a licensed esthetician who runs her solo business, Opal Aesthetics, out of Lady Mae Hair and Skin Co. in Westfield, described the situation as an “uproar,” stating that communication from the Indiana Board of Cosmetology & Barber Examiners has been non-existent.
“Basically what’s going on is as of October 1st, estheticians are no longer able to provide lash perming, lash lifting, lash tinting, brow lamination, or brow tinting,” Rice said in an interview. She added that microneedling was also banned, now exclusively allowed only under the scope of nurses and doctors, even if the esthetician works with a dermatologist.
“This has become such an uproar and a problem because there are a lot of estheticians around the state that only offer these services and their whole business is built off of lash and brow services.” — Jessi Rice, Opal Aesthetics
Rice explained that the sudden change is forcing estheticians to either close their doors or pivot their entire business model, a difficult task when most rely on these specialized services.
Cosmetology vs. Esthetics
The new restrictions have been compounded by a confusing licensing situation. According to Rice and co-worker Maggie Owen, owner of Lady Mae Hair & Skin Co., these chemical services are now deemed okay to perform under a cosmetology license because they involve chemically changing the hair.
Maggie Owen, a cosmetologist who offers many of these services at her salon explained that this creates an unsustainable gap in the market.
“A lot of people have the license to do it, but a lot of the hairstylists that we’ve talked to are not wanting to offer this service,” Owen stated. She pointed out that cosmetology schools often do not teach these specialized lash and brow techniques, forcing estheticians to potentially spend another year and thousands of dollars on a cosmetology license just to do services they already offer—without even wanting to learn traditional hair services.
Owen also noted the logistical nightmare for salons, stating that most salon spaces, which are often booth-rent models, are not set up with the dedicated bed and private room required for these longer services, further limiting where clients can get treatment.
A Lack of Communication and Accountability
Both professionals stressed the severe lack of official communication from the state. They claim that there has been no written communication to license holders about the effective ban, forcing professionals to rely on hearsay and digging through meeting minutes.
“They’ve done this and they’re not giving anything like a way to transition into this new law for anybody regarding their businesses and their business structure,” Rice noted.
Owen suspects the issue lies in a conflict between the professional board and state legislators, creating a “cluster” where no one is taking responsibility. “The thing that we’re confused about is obviously we have to listen to our board… but is it coming from the board or is it coming from legislators?” she asked.
PLA Response: No Recent Changes to Statute
Following inquiries into the situation, the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) provided a statement clarifying the official stance regarding the esthetician scope of practice.
Emma Yarber, Director of Legislative Affairs & Communications for the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, stated:
“We (PLA) are not aware of any recent changes to the law regarding the scope of practice for estheticians. The statute covering the scope of practice for estheticians has not been amended since 2017, and there have been no recent rules promulgated by the State Board of Cosmetology & Barber Examiners covering the scope of practice either.”
Yarber confirmed that the Board does not have the authority to create new statutes and that any change or expansion to the scope of practice must come from the legislature. She advised professionals seeking change to “reach out to their state legislator and advocate for such change.”
Regarding enforcement, Yarber noted that the PLA compliance team does enforce scope of practice issues during inspections, but added, “we are not aware of any official discipline related to the specific scope of practice issues you mentioned previously.” She explained that consumer complaints are investigated by the Office of the Attorney General before being brought to the Board for any potential disciplinary action.
The contrast between the business owners’ lived reality—the sudden loss of key services and the subsequent threat to their livelihoods—and the PLA’s assertion that the law has not changed since 2017 underscores a critical regulatory gap in Indiana. Whether the result of new legislation or a drastic shift in enforcement and interpretation of existing statutes, the outcome is the same: profound uncertainty for hundreds of small businesses. With the PLA advising professionals to lobby the legislature for change and estheticians grappling with immediate financial instability, urgent clarification is required from state officials to stabilize the market and ensure Indiana business owners can operate with confidence in their licensure and future.
