A cosmetology license is a state credential, and it stops at the needle. Estheticians and cosmetologists cannot inject anywhere in the country. Laser hair removal is the opposite: Alaska, Louisiana and New Jersey allow physicians only, New York has no restrictions at all, and eleven states issue a laser license whose training requirement runs from 16 hours to 1,100. A standard facial runs about $75 to $90.
| Service | Typical |
|---|---|
| Facial, standard 50 to 60 minutesNational range | $75 to $90 per session |
| Hair extensions, salon installNational range | $100 to $3,000 per install |
| Gel manicureNational range | $25 to $35 per service |
Ranges last checked September 2026. They come down automatically when they are due to be rechecked.
Every figure above comes from a named source we can link to, with the date we last checked it. We publish ranges rather than single prices because a range is what a provider will actually give you: the same job moves with what is being worked on, the materials, how hard it is to get at and how busy the trade is locally. Treat these as the order of magnitude to expect before you call, not as a quote.
The figures here are national. Where a source publishes figures state by state, the state pages carry that local figure instead of this one. We do not scale a national number by a multiplier of our own invention.
Every range carries a review date. When that date passes the number comes down until it is rechecked, rather than sitting here undated.
All states license barbers, hairstylists and cosmetologists. The usual route is a state-licensed school and a state exam, and there is no federal license and no national reciprocity. Barbering and cosmetology are separate credentials, though many states credit training from one toward the other and a few combine them. Nail technicians and estheticians are separate occupations again, with their own licenses.
So the question is not whether someone is licensed. It is which license they hold, and whether it covers the service you booked.
There is one thing on this subject that is true in every state. Estheticians and cosmetologists cannot inject anywhere. Physicians may prescribe and inject; nurse practitioners and physician assistants may in most states, with scope varying; registered nurses may under a physician's standing orders or written delegation. Unlicensed staff and beauty professionals may not, and no state makes an exception.
Almost everything else about a medical spa is set at state level, including who may own one. Some states permit only physicians to own the professional entity, with outside investors working through a management company. Others require physician control with more flexibility on ownership. Your state page is where that answer belongs.
Who may hold a hair removal laser is not federally settled, and the spread between states is extreme. Alaska, Louisiana and New Jersey permit physicians only. New York is the only state with no restrictions at all on who may perform it. Arizona, Colorado and Utah permit licensed cosmetic professionals such as estheticians and electrologists; Georgia allows master cosmetologists; Massachusetts permits estheticians; Iowa permits licensed estheticians under physician supervision.
Eleven states issue a specific laser hair removal operator license, and the training behind those licenses runs from 16 hours to 1,100. That is not a small difference in a device that burns hair follicles. Ask what the operator's credential is and how many hours it took, and expect a different answer in the next state over.
The FDA regulates tattoo and permanent makeup inks as cosmetics. It does not regulate the procedure: the actual practice of tattooing is regulated by local jurisdictions. And there is a fact about the ink itself that surprises people. A number of color additives are approved for use in cosmetics, but none is approved for injection into the skin, which makes an ink used that way adulterated in the FDA's terms. The agency has historically not exercised its premarket authority here because of competing priorities.
The risks the FDA names are worth reading before booking: unsterile equipment and needles can transmit infections including HIV and hepatitis; allergic reactions to particular shades; granulomas and keloids; rare swelling or burning during an MRI; and that complete removal without scarring may be impossible.
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 was a real change. Manufacturers and processors must now register their facilities with the FDA, update within 60 days of a change and renew every two years. The responsible person must list each marketed product with its ingredients and update annually, must ensure and keep records supporting adequate substantiation of safety, and must report adverse events. The FDA gained records access and mandatory recall authority, which it did not have before.
What did not change is the thing most often got wrong. The FDA does not pre-approve cosmetic products or ingredients, with the exception of some color additives. A product describing itself as FDA approved is misusing the term.
On nails: the FDA removed products that were 100 percent methyl methacrylate from the market in the 1970s through the courts, after injury complaints. But no regulation specifically prohibits the use of MMA monomer in cosmetic products, and it is still used occasionally. MMA is not federally banned. Several states ban it themselves, which makes it a question for your state rather than a settled national one.
On tanning: sunlamp products are FDA-regulated devices, and the required label carries the words that this product should not be used on persons under the age of 18 years. That is a labeling requirement on the device. The FDA proposed a rule restricting operators from letting under-18s use them and has not finalized it, so the age limit you actually face at the counter is set by your state.
Match the license to the service, not to the salon. A cosmetology license does not qualify someone to inject, and in most states it does not qualify them to hold a laser either.
On anything involving a needle or a laser, ask who is medically responsible and whether they are on the premises. That is the question the state rules are all circling, and the answer should be a name.
On extensions, ask whether the quote includes the hair, then ask what the maintenance appointment costs and how often it is needed. Over a year the upkeep can cost more than the install did.
On a facial, ask what is in the base price and what is an add-on, and budget for the tip, which is 18 to 20 percent and is a real part of the cost.
Treat FDA approved on a cosmetic label as a reason to ask a follow-up question rather than a reassurance. No such approval exists.
No, and this is one of the few things that is the same in every state. Estheticians and cosmetologists cannot inject anywhere. Physicians may; nurse practitioners and physician assistants may in most states; registered nurses may under a physician's standing orders or written delegation.
It depends entirely on the state. Alaska, Louisiana and New Jersey allow physicians only. New York is the only state with no restrictions at all. Eleven states issue a specific laser operator license, with training requirements from 16 hours to 1,100.
A standard 50 to 60 minute facial runs about $75 to $90, an express 30-minute treatment $40 to $50, and a 90-minute premium treatment $115 to $250 and up. Budget 18 to 20 percent on top for the tip.
Anywhere from about $100 to $3,000 depending on method, and the two published guides disagree at every method. Ask whether the hair itself is in the quote, and ask what the maintenance appointment costs, because at $100 to $250 every four to eight weeks the upkeep can pass the install within a year.
No. The FDA does not pre-approve cosmetic products or ingredients, with the exception of some color additives. That did not change under the 2022 modernization act, which added facility registration, product listing, safety substantiation and recall authority.
Not federally. The FDA removed 100 percent MMA products from the market in the 1970s through the courts, but no regulation specifically prohibits the monomer, and it is still used occasionally. Several states ban it themselves.
That is a state question. The FDA requires the device to carry a label saying it should not be used on persons under 18, but that is a labeling rule. The FDA proposed a rule restricting operators from allowing under-18 use and has not finalized it.
The practice is regulated by local jurisdictions rather than federally. The FDA regulates the inks as cosmetics and notes that no color additive is approved for injection into the skin.