Health Inspections for Nail Salons and Barbershops

Manicurist and barber licenses often exist alongside health inspection systems for nail salons and barbershops, and the same can be said for other beauty and personal care occupations and establishments. State or local governments typically require nail salons, barbershops, and similar businesses to adhere to health and safety standards, typically promulgated by state and local regulators and enforced through inspections. A basic and common regulation for such businesses is ensuring that hand soap is available in restrooms. 1
Inspections typically occur when a business opens and then regularly thereafter (often annually), as well as on a case-by-case basis, such as when there is a complaint. 2 The person doing the inspections is usually a representative of the health department or the licensing board. When workers in a business must be licensed, inspections can involve checking workers’ licensing status in addition to looking for health and safety violations.
Although there is some variation in standards and inspection forms for nail salons and barbershops, they are substantively similar across jurisdictions in important ways. First, standards generally emphasize adhering to sanitary practices (e.g., properly sanitizing implements, maintaining clean and functional restrooms) and managing exposure to chemicals and tools that can harm people (e.g., formaldehyde, certain types of razors). Second, inspection forms generally list possible violations, and there is an implicit or explicit scoring system that determines the outcome of the inspection. 3