Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1542457
Expand your offerings safely with Advanced Esthetics Insurance at ascpskincare.com 21 ASCP ADVOCACY WHEN YOU RENEW YOUR ESTHETICS license, what organization collects your fees? Is it the cosmetology board? The board of health? The barbering board? It may surprise you to learn that despite esthetics being a diff erent profession than cosmetology in most of the country, not a single state has a dedicated esthetics board. Instead, states typically group esthetics under the state cosmetology board, even in states where there is little overlap between the two licenses. This raises an important question: Is this current structure serving the esthetics industry well or should we advocate for dedicated, standalone esthetics boards that refl ect the unique scope of the profession? STANDALONE BOARDS: DEDICATED STAFF, DEDICATED ATTENTION Many professions have their own state boards focused solely on regulating their industry— nursing, veterinary medicine, and optometry are a few examples. What advantages come with that kind of dedicated oversight? These boards give 100 percent of their attention to their licensees. Unlike composite boards that might be juggling tens of thousands of members across multiple professions, profession-specifi c boards might have more bandwidth to focus on their members, rather than having their attention, time, and eff orts pulled in multiple directions. Another plus we see is greater subject matter expertise. Without the distraction of other professions, a dedicated esthetics board could develop almost encyclopedic knowledge of the industry it regulates, including its history, challenges, and needs. COMPOSITE BOARDS: SHARED RESOURCES, SHARED STRENGTH Unlike standalone boards, composite boards regulate multiple professions—like esthetics, cosmetology, and barbering—all under one umbrella. While this may seem challenging, it can off er great benefi ts to a smaller industry like esthetics. While board members and staff may have to split their attention between more than one profession, having a composite board may serve you better by keeping costs down, GETTY IMAGES Why Aren't There Esthetics Boards? What to know about standalone versus composite boards by Laura Puryear