Hair shops that sell bundles and braid hair make a lot of money in every city you go but in Tennessee, regulations have started to come to a ridiculous level. The Institute of Justice has come out saying that 30 natural hair shops that specialize in braiding hair have been hit with $100k fines.
The reasons for these fines are because of “unlicensed braiding.” These incidents have reportedly been occurring since 2009, per The Root. The $100k fines come as a surprise due to the Institute of Justice saying that penalties against the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners would usually get hit with $1,000 for every incident of shops performing services for hair without a license. $100k was accumulated over a 9-year span.
Braiders who work from their homes and unlicensed salons have been hit the hardest. Licensed shops that hire workers without a license are also being targeted.
While the state of Tennessee continues to hand down these large fines, the process for becoming a license hair braider is a difficult process. 300 hours of coursework must be completed, many schools in the state don’t offer the courses needed for cosmetology, and tuition rates can rise up to $5,000. There are just 156 licensed hair stylists in Tennessee.
Fatou Diouf owns a salon in Tennessee and has accumulated $16,000 in fines due to employing workers without licenses. She is currently in support of a bill that would help Tennesee hairstylists who braid hair work without the license and ending these fines.
“We don’t need 300 hours to know how to wash a clip or a comb,” said Diouf. “I never did any other job but hair braiding my whole life,” she added. “I cannot recall a time when I did not know how.”
These fines are ridiculous and hair stylists should be able to earn their money without the state putting such tight regulations.