Esthetician - Scope of Practice
What Services are Allowed?
A licensed Esthetician can perform or advertise the following services to the public in exchange for compensation:
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Body hair removal using depilatories, preparations or chemicals, tweezers, or other devices or appliances of any kind
1603.0011(a)(6)
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Beautifying treatments of a person’s face, neck, shoulders, or arms
1603.0011(a)(4)
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Cleansing treatments of a person’s face, neck, scalp, shoulders or arms
1603.0011(a)(3)
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Eyelash extensions using semipermanent, threadlike extensions composed of applying single fibers to a person’s eyelashes.
1603.0011(c)
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Facial treatments
1603.0011(a)(5)
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Massaging a person's scalp, neck, shoulders, arms, or face, either by hand or by using a device, apparatus or appliance, with or without any cosmetic preparation, antiseptic, lotion or cream.
1603.0011(a)(3)
An Esthetician cannot perform any other barbering or cosmetology services other than those listed above.
What Services are Not Allowed?
An Esthetician cannot perform or advertise the following services in exchange for compensation:
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Hair services, including: arranging, beautifying, bleaching, bobbing, cleansing, clipping, coloring, cutting, dressing, dyeing, processing, shaping, singeing, straightening, styling, tinting, trimming, or waving
1603.0011(a)(1)
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Massaging cleansing, treating, or beautifying a person's hands or feet
1603.0011(a)(8)
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Mustache or beard services, including: arranging, beautifying, coloring, processing, styling, trimming, or shaving
1603.0011(a)(2) and 1603.0011(b)
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Nail treatments including: cutting, trimming, polishing, tinting, coloring, cleansing, manicuring, pedicuring, or attaching false nails
1603.0011(a)(7)
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Shaving a person's face or neck
1603.0011(a)(1)-(2)
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Weaving of hair to attach commercial hair to a person's hair or scalp
1603.0011(a)(9)
Please also see the list of services regulated by other agencies.
Who Can Provide Services in Texas?
Only licensed individuals who hold a Texas license can perform the services listed above (1603.2101).
The following license types can perform all the services allowed by an Esthetician license and more:
The following license types can perform some (but not all) of the services allowed by an Esthetician license:
Unlicensed individuals cannot represent themselves or their business using the words “barber”, “barbering”, “cosmetologist”, “cosmetology”, or any combination, variation, or abbreviation of these words (1603.2101).
Exemptions to Licensing Requirement
There are specific exemptions for:
- Persons licensed in Texas to practice medicine, dentistry, podiatry, chiropractic, or nursing and operating within the scope of their license
- Military medical officers performing official duties
- Inmates in the institutional division of the TDCJ system who perform barbering or cosmetology services
- A person who provides services in an emergency
- Persons who perform regular duties at a licensed nursing or convalescent custodial or personal care home to a patient residing in the home
- Individuals who provide “incidental cosmetic services” in preparation for television/film appearances or photographic services
See 1603.0013 for more details on exemptions.
