Cosmetology | Economic Liberty

Licensed Eyelash Extension Specialist Sues for Right to Do Job

Brandy Davis is a licensed eyelash extension specialist who is being blocked from doing her job by the Oklahoma Board of Cosmetology and Licensing. She's suing in state court to challenge the board's licensing requirements.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Three Idaho Women Challenge State’s Requirement for Hair Braiders to Obtain Cosmetology License

Three braiders in Idaho challenged state requirements to spend thousands of dollars and a year of their lives for an unnecessary license.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing

Oklahoma Eyebrow Threaders File Lawsuit Against Irrational Licensing Requirement

Oklahoma requires eyebrow threaders to spend 600 hours learning skills that have nothing to do with eyebrow threading. This useless regulation prevents people from earning an honest living, which is why two eyebrow threaders have…

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Louisiana Hair Braiders Fight For Right To Earn An Honest Living

Hair-braiders in Louisiana are required to complete 500 hours of unnecessary and irrelevant training, pass an exam and pay annual licensing fees just to do their job. Many hair braiders have moved to neighboring states,…

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Fresh Start | Occupational Licensing

Law Denies Women Right to Work Because of Irrelevant Criminal Convictions

A Pennsylvania law prevented Amanda and Courtney from earning an honest living because of unrelated criminal records. After IJ stepped in to defend their rights, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled this law was unconstitutional.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Occupational Licensing | Occupational Speech

License to Teach: North Carolina Forces Makeup Artists to Teach Unrelated Skills or Face Thousands in Fines

Jasna Bukvic-Bhayani is a North Carolina-based professional makeup artist who wanted to open up a school to teach others how to apply makeup like her. But the state wanted her to open a full-fledged esthetics…

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing

Hanging by a Thread: Louisiana Eyebrow Threaders Fight for the Right to Earn an Honest Living

Lata Jagtiani, Ushaben Chudasama and Panna Shah have partnered with the Institute for Justice to fight for her right to earn an honest living threading eyebrows in Louisiana.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Untangling Entrepreneurs from Arkansas' African Braiding Laws

Hair braiding is a simple and safe practice that the government has no business regulating. But in Arkansas, braiders may not sell their services unless they complete 1,500 hours of government-mandated cosmetology training, not one…

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Untangling Entrepreneurs from Missouri’s Cosmetology Laws

If you want to braid hair for a living in Missouri, you must spend thousands of dollars on at least 1,500 hours of cosmetology training that teaches you nothing about African-style hair braiding.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Untangling Entrepreneurs from Washington’s Illogical Restrictions on African Hair Braiding

Almost a decade after IJ successfully sued Washington state over its irrational hair braiding laws, officials once again tried to force natural hair braiders to become licensed cosmetologists.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Should African hair braiders have to build an entire barber college and become barbering instructors just to teach hair braiding? Texas officials think so.

Texas tried to force natural hair braiding schools to convert into fully-equipped barber colleges—solely to teach hair braiding—even though braiders aren’t barbers.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | First Amendment | Occupational Licensing | Occupational Speech

Putting a New Face on Liberty: Nevada Makeup Artists Fight for Their Right to Teach

The government cannot require teachers to spend hundreds of hours in a classroom to learn skills that have nothing to do with what they teach.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing

Will Arizona Courts Leave Protection of Individual Liberty Threadbare?: Arizona Eyebrow Threaders Fight Irrational Licensing Scheme

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Brushing Out Utah’s African Hair Braiding Laws

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Occupational Licensing

Hanging by a Thread: Texas Eyebrow Threaders Fight Irrational Licensing

Eyebrow threading is a booming industry in Texas. But state bureaucrats are making it difficult for individuals to continue practicing this ancient art.

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Challenging Barriers To Economic Opportunity: Untangling African Hair Braiders from Minnesota's Cosmetology Regime

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Challenging Barriers To Economic Opportunity: Untangling African Hair Braiders from Mississippi's Cosmetology Regime

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Challenging Barriers To Economic Opportunity

Cosmetology | Economic Liberty | Hair Braiding | Occupational Licensing

Challenging Barriers To Economic Opportunity: Uqdah v. Board of Cosmetology