posted on: 01/28/2026
In mid-January, New Jersey enacted Senate Bill 2495, which requires cosmetologist-hairstylists, barbers, and hair braiders to receive training on textured hair. This is a step toward ensuring every client can count on any hair professional to care for their hair, regardless of curl pattern.
To support that goal, the bill also brings more consistency to beauty standards across the state by defining “textured hair” as hair that is “coiled, curly, or wavy.” If you’re curious about how this new definition impacts training and licensing, here’s what’s changing.
Representation Matters at the Board Level
The bill also makes a small but important update to the makeup of the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Board), which has 13 members, six of whom must be practicing licensees in beauty culture, barbering or cosmetology, and hairstyling. Under the new law, at least one of those six must have textured hair experience and training. It’s a move to bring textured hair expertise to the Board.
A Curl-Friendly Curriculum
The bill directs the Board to develop updated curriculum requirements for cosmetologist-hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, and hair braiding students. The new standards must include training on:
- Working with hair with various coil, curl, or wave patterns
- Understanding hair strand thickness
- Managing different volumes of hair
This shift makes textured hair education a core competency rather than an elective.
Testing Now Includes Textured Hair Skills
Licensing exams will reflect these new changes. Cosmetologist-hairstyling, beauty culture, barbering, or hair braiding exam applicants will now be tested on textured hair knowledge and skills. Both the written and practical portions of the exam must include textured hair subject matter.
These changes aim to help every hair pro feel equipped to serve every client with confidence. We’ll keep you updated when the Board releases details.