Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1545716
22 ASCP Skin Deep Summer 2026 HOW CAN YOU IMPACT CHANGE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL? If hearing about how these decisions that impact esthetics are being made (usually without ever bringing an esthetician to the table to weigh in) has you fired up, you're not alone. ASCP members have been active through the upheaval of these last few years, making public comments, reaching out to their representatives, sharing information and calls to action on social media, and talking to the press. If you want to make your voice heard in the halls of power, keep an eye on your email— ASCP will keep you informed. ASCP will share all the information you need to stay up-to-date on how the federal government is impacting esthetics. We'll give you talking points, timelines, contact information, and anything else you could need to weigh in on new measures making their way through Washington (and at the state level, as always). ASCP will always fight for you, but we can't do it without you. Have questions for the ASCP Government Relations team? Email gr@ascpskincare.com. ASCP ADVOCACY If schools close, new graduates will stop entering the workforce. As the workforce shrinks, spas will close. time of writing this article, we are cautiously optimistic that we will prevail and be able to save Title IV funding for our schools. Federal interference in the esthetics industry isn't always doom and gloom. As you know, the federal tip tax exemption was implemented in 2025. This provision allows most estheticians to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their federal income tax. The tip tax break is scheduled to phase out after 2028, but that could change if federal lawmakers extend it. HOW DOES ALL THIS IMPACT YOU? A lot of these changes have to do with schools. If you're thinking, "I graduated a while ago," "My school is no longer in operation," or "This doesn't affect me at all," you aren't seeing the whole picture. If schools close, new graduates will stop entering the workforce. As the workforce shrinks, spas will close. This won't happen immediately. It will take a few years for shortages to cause real problems. By the time we realize the depth of the worker shortage, it will be too late. It would potentially take the profession years to recover from the fallout of these proposed regulations. Worst-case scenario, we could see states deregulate the profession entirely because the workforce is too small to need board oversight. This is one of the many reasons why we continue to fight to protect schools and students.