Sheila Hale, president of Everette's Corn-Rows and Braiding Academy, Detroit. (MT Photo/Larry Kaplan)

Knotty problems

Tangled questions surround the licensing of hair braiders.

by Curtrise Garner
5/10/00

Those working at home could find qualifying difficult.

They come thick and thin, in zillions, tied-zillions, cornrows and goddess styles. Ever since celebrities such as actress/singer Brandy, tennis star Venus Williams and basketball player Allen Iverson started wearing them, braided hair has become one of the fastest-growing fashion trends in the country.

African-American neighborhoods have braid shops practically every two or three blocks, and there are also numerous braiders who work out of their homes.

The styles can take anywhere from a few hours to as long as a day to complete, and can cost hundreds of dollars, depending on how complex they are.

While some consider braiding a traditional art, others consider it a cosmetic service – and that’s where the issues around braiding give rise to some tangled questions.

Detroit resident Nishati Mudiwa, 31, has been braiding hair since she was 6. Like many braiders and hairstylists, she works out of her home, charging anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on the complexity of the style. She averages about 10 heads a week – a full-time gig, since some styles can take as long as eight hours to complete.

While beauticians and hairstylists need to have a cosmetology license whether they work at home or not, no such requirement exists for hair braiders in Michigan – the only state in the country, besides Maryland, and also the District of Columbia, that doesn’t regulate the practice.

Mudiwa has never received a cosmetology license. She is, however, a licensed tricologist – a person who studies skin, scalp and hair disorders and diseases. "I treat scalp and skin disorders through nutrition," she explains.

Mudiwa is concerned about the possibility – however remote – that Michigan could follow the rest of the country in requiring braiders to obtain cosmetology licenses. She thinks that is unnecessary.

Cosmetologists cut, color and apply chemicals to hair. Hair braiders simply braid without cutting or altering the texture of the hair. Should the same state licensing be required for both?

"I’m not altering the texture of the hair or adding chemicals," Mudiwa says.

Several years ago, state Rep. Ilona Varga, D-Detroit, introduced legislation that included state licensing requirements for hair braiders. To counter, a companion bill was introduced by state Sen. Bill Schuette, R-Midland, that exempted braiders from licensing.

In August, 1997, a compromise was reached that exempted braiders from having to be licensed, but gave them the option of obtaining a license as a Natural Hair Culturist. Since then, nearly 100 braiders have done so. Instead of the 1,500 hours of training and exam which cosmetologists must complete in order to be licensed, the program consists of a six-month apprenticeship at a licensed preapproved establishment or just 400 hours of cosmetology training.

Currently, the NHC and the cosmetology licensing is still "a choice, not a requirement," says Maura Campbell, spokesperson for the Michigan Board of Cosmetology.

So if it’s not required, why would a braider choose to get licensed? According to Judith Dennis, licensing administrator with the Cosmetology Board, a braider might seek licensing to set herself apart from other braiders.

"The license shows they’ve met state criteria, they’re regulated, it’s a better way to sell themselves," she says.

But that selling would come with a higher price. If braiders are certified cosmetologists, they must either work in a licensed establishment or qualify a section of their home for an additional license. Working out of a salon means paying a commission to the salon owner, or renting a booth in which to do their work. The cost, naturally, would be passed along to the customer. And those wanting to work from home could find qualifying difficult.

Taalib Din Uqdah is president and founder of the American Hairbraiders & Natural Haircare Association (AHNHA), an advocacy group working to exempt braiders from cosmetology laws.

Uqdah told Source magazine that natural hair care specialists shouldn’t be forced to pay between $4,000 and $7,000 in tuition to receive 1,500 hours of cosmetology training to braid hair, especially since the courses included in the 1,500 hours offer minimal braid training, and don’t teach some techniques such as sister locks, nubian knots and Senegalese twists.

Perhaps the answer lies in a middle ground. Currently, if a braider seeks a license as a "natural hair culturist," he or she can braid either in a licensed establishment, such as a salon, or at home. But hair stylists and beauty schools in cities such as Los Angeles and Dallas don’t like this double standard one bit, and are waging hair wars against natural hair stylists.

Sheila Everette-Hale, owner of Everette’s Corn-Rows and Braiding Academy in Detroit, has been at the forefront of this hair fight since 1987, when she was forced to take 1,500 hours of cosmetology training to expand her braiding business. Today, her 20-year-old school teaches all braiding techniques, and students who complete a full 400-hour course receive a certificate. The program covers history, theory, business management and hair techniques – braids, locks and natural hair care.

If the state were to require braiders to obtain a license of some sort, it is this sort of program which would be able to meet the demand.

But the 400-hour curriculum is not one of the Board of Cosmetology’s preapproved programs, says Everette-Hale. Instead, she says, it’s a program for those who want to master the art of braiding.

"Licensing shouldn’t be required," she says. "Braiding is our cultural art. The licensing is not as important as is the issue of education."

And ultimately, for braid wearers, the prospect of having to go to a licensed braider means only one thing: Higher costs. Tracye Epps, an optometrist, has worn various braid styles for the past six years. On average, each style cost about $250, and lasts two to three months.

Epps says if braiders have to spend time and money obtaining a license, the costs will be passed down to those wearing braids. In addition, it is likely that unlicensed braiders would still find a customer base, even without a state-approved piece of paper.

"It doesn’t matter to me if they are licensed or not if they can braid the style I want," says Epps. "I go to braiders based on recommendations."

Curtrise Garner is a freelance writer from Detroit.