RUB DOWN AT THE CAPITOL
Assembly gets a little face time Virginia is one of two states that does not regulate spas
BY PENELOPE M. CARRINGTONTIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Feb 27, 2005
Virginia estheticians went to the General Assembly yesterday and asked for some skin.
They got it, as a bustling stream of aides, secretaries and members of the House of Delegates visited an eighth-floor conference room-turned-day-spa. The setup was complete with beds for the free facials, skin analysis machines and spa-related gifts. It was designed to educate the politicians and their staffs about the esthetics field.
That, and to get their support for House Bill 2510.
Its passage would require estheticians those who do basic facials and more advanced skin treatments -- to be licensed. Virginia is one of two states without such regulation. Connecticut is the other, yet even that state has minimal regulations, said Christine Gordon, owner of the Graham Webb Academy in Arlington County.
"So we really are dead last," she said.
Gordon, a member of the board of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools and the Virginia Panel for Esthetics Licensure, said the bill would "bring Virginia up to date and send it to the forefront."
At this point, anyone in Virginia can open a day spa and offer facials and advanced skin treatments without specialized training. Proponents of the bill say the lack of standards puts consumers at risk for infection, improper treatment or permanent skin damage.
"When you go to someone like that, you trust they're going to be clean. You trust they know what they're doing, but there is no guarantee," said Norma Opel, secretary to Dels. Gary A. Reese, R-Fairfax, and Mark L. Cole, R-Spotsylvania.
Opel stopped in for a skin analysis shortly after the "spa" opened at 11 a.m. in the General Assembly Building. The diagnosis: Sun damage.
Regulating estheticians, Opel said, "gives you confidence that they're accountable to someone else and that they've had testing and studied."
Virginia estheticians, educators, spa owners, equipment suppliers and political advocates say the bill is a step toward educating the public and establishing such accountability. It would also validate a rapidly evolving industry that takes in about $14 billion a year in the United States.
The bill, put forth by the Virginia Society of Skin Care Specialists and supported by the Panel for Esthetics Licensure, proposes a two-tier approach that would require 600 hours of training for a license to perform basic techniques and 1,200 hours for advanced techniques. Utah, the gold standard for estheticians, is the only state with the two-tier standards. That's why estheticians across the nation will be watching Virginia closely, Gordon said.
Laura Todd, owner of the area's Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics and a member of the Panel for Esthetics Licensure, said yesterday's event opened many eyes.
"We've had more support and more people interested in it and finding out about the scientific aspects. It's more than creams. It's about anatomy, physiology and applying your scientific background . . . because esthetics is scientific skin care."
Todd and two of her students were among the 11 estheticians, school owners and students who provided services to more than 130 people yesterday. Del. John A. Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, was among them.
He endured a skin analysis and facial under protest.
"My legislative aide made me come," he said.
"He needs to relax. He's stressed," added the aide, Christie Craig, who opted out because she didn't bring makeup to reapply. It was a familiar lament among women on elevators and in hallways.
At least two men took advantage of the free services: Cosgrove and Gary R. Frink, legislative aide to Del. Allen L. Louderback, R-Page. Frink was advised to wear sunscreen on his nose and use an exfoliant -- a facial scrub -- which he said he planned to do.
Del. John J. Welch III, R-Virginia Beach, the bill's patron, didn't seem surprised by the lack of men given the mostly male membership of the House. But he was sure the information would get back to those who had skipped the skin session.
"A lot of times, the aides are pretty influential to the delegates, and if the delegates aren't man enough to do it, then they can send down their aides and have them report back," he said.
The bill will go to the Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions next week.
Contact Penelope M. Carrington at (804) 649-6027 or pcarrington@timesdispatch.com
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