LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: COSMETOLOGISTS WORK HARD

To the Editor:

In response to Mr. Williams who wrote an article advocating the abolishing of State Board of Cosmetology for the benefit of one person!! He stated it was a monopoly of 100 people.

First - it is not a monopoly but thousands of dedicated, hard-working law abiding professionals studying and practicing the art and science of hairdressing.

Perhaps we should abolish all licensing of professionals - nurses, doctors, lawyers, realtors. Is that his idea?

Barbers used to pull teeth and practice medicine. Should we return to that?

As a long-time cosmetologist and beauty school instructor, I've never known a school that didn't teach hair braiding, hair pressing and all phases of beauty culture (it's the law).

Hairdressers spend thousands of dollars on education to keep up their license and upgrade their skills. We must pay beauty salon school license taxes, salaries, employee benefits, wages, insurance for employees and business as well as keep ourselves up on new requirements. We practice state sanitation rules and regulations.

Mr. Williams should sit down with hairdressers, state board members, beauty school owners, city council members and state health department and find out what is required of us. Sanitation in this age of high risk contagious disease and liability insurance - it is imperative we be thoroughly educated. Shampooing hair is a very important procedure in itself.

I hope Mr. Williams will not condemn a profession he is obviously not familiar with. Let him go to his barber and have his teeth pulled! Surely he is aware there are good and bad barbers. How does he think they got that way. Next time before you put pen to paper, do a little research.

A licensed cosmetologist

Bea Gilliland

Sikeston