This provision restricts who may practice barbering and cosmetology and limits certain titles and procedures unless licensing or listed exceptions apply.
1. It is unlawful for a person to practice barbering and cosmetology arts and sciences with or without compensation unless the person possesses a license issued under section 157.3. However, practices listed in section 157.1 when performed by the following persons are not defined as the practice of barbering and cosmetology arts and sciences: a. Licensed physicians and surgeons, osteopathic physicians and surgeons, nurses, dentists, podiatric physicians, optometrists, chiropractors, and physical therapists, when exclusively engaged in the practice of their respective professions. b. Students enrolled in licensed schools of barbering and cosmetology arts and sciences who are practicing under the instruction or immediate supervision of an instructor. c. Persons who perform without compensation any of the practices listed in section 157.1 on an emergency basis or on a casual basis. d. Employees of hospitals, health care facilities, orphans’ homes, juvenile homes, and other similar facilities who perform barbering and cosmetology services for any resident without receiving direct compensation from the person receiving the service. e. Volunteers for and residents of health care facilities, orphans’ homes, juvenile homes, and other similar facilities who shampoo, arrange, dress, or curl the hair, apply makeup, or polish the nails of any resident without receiving compensation from the person receiving the service. f. Persons who perform any of the practices listed in section 157.1 on themselves or on a member of the person’s immediate family. g. Persons who apply samples of makeup, nail polish or other nail care products, cosmetics, or other cosmetology or esthetics preparations to persons to demonstrate the products in the regular course of business. h. Persons providing services pursuant to an establishment training program authorized pursuant to section 157.12D. 2. Cosmetologists and barbers shall not represent themselves to the public as electrologists, estheticians, or nail technologists unless the cosmetologist or barber has completed the course of study for the respective practice as prescribed by the board pursuant to section 157.10. 3. With the exception of hair removal, manicuring, and nail technology services, persons licensed under this chapter or participating in an establishment training program authorized pursuant to section 157.12D shall not administer any procedure in which human tissue is cut, shaped, vaporized, or otherwise structurally altered. 4. Persons licensed under this chapter shall only use intense pulsed light devices for purposes of hair removal. [C27, 31, 35, §2585-b2; C39, §2585.11; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 77, 79, 81, §157.2] 89 Acts, ch 240, §2; 92 Acts, ch 1205, §2; 93 Acts, ch 61, §2, 3; 96 Acts, ch 1034, §68; 2004 Acts, ch 1044, §7; 2005 Acts, ch 89, §23; 2006 Acts, ch 1184, §100, 101; 2008 Acts, ch 1088, §141; 2023 Acts, ch 99, §12 – 16; 2025 Acts, ch 140, §1, 2 Registration for persons performing natural hair braiding; §10A.532 Subsection 1, NEW paragraph h Subsection 3 amended