                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DEFINITIONS (§ 54.1-700)

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#8220;Barber&#8221; means any person who shaves, shapes or trims the beard;
cuts, singes, or dyes the hair or applies lotions thereto; applies, treats or
massages the face, neck or scalp with oils, creams, lotions, cosmetics,
antiseptics, powders, clays or other preparations in connection with shaving,
cutting or trimming the hair or beard, and practices barbering for compensation
and when such services are not performed for the treatment of disease.
		&#8220;Barbering&#8221; means any one or any combination of the following
acts, when done on the human body for compensation and not for the treatment of
disease, shaving, shaping and trimming the beard; cutting, singeing, or dyeing
the hair or applying lotions thereto; applications, treatment or massages of the
face, neck or scalp with oils, creams, lotions, cosmetics, antiseptics, powders,
clays, or other preparations in connection with shaving, cutting or trimming the
hair or a beard. The term &#8220;barbering&#8221; shall not apply to the acts
described hereinabove when performed by any person in his home if such service
is not offered to the public.
		&#8220;Barber instructor&#8221; means any person who has been certified by the
Board as having completed an approved curriculum and who meets the competency
standards of the Board as an instructor of barbering.
		&#8220;Barbershop&#8221; means any establishment or place of business within
which the practice of barbering is engaged in or carried on by one or more
barbers.
		&#8220;Board&#8221; means the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology.
		&#8220;Body-piercer&#8221; means any person who for remuneration penetrates
the skin of a person to make a hole, mark, or scar, generally permanent in
nature.
		&#8220;Body-piercing&#8221; means the act of penetrating the skin of a person
to make a hole, mark, or scar, generally permanent in nature.
		&#8220;Body-piercing salon&#8221; means any place in which a fee is charged
for the act of penetrating the skin of a person to make a hole, mark, or scar,
generally permanent in nature.
		&#8220;Body-piercing school&#8221; means a place or establishment licensed by
the Board to accept and train students in body-piercing.
		&#8220;Cosmetologist&#8221; means any person who administers hair removal
treatments; administers basic facial treatments to enhance or improve the
appearance and care of the skin using lotions, oils, cleansers, or other
preparations by manual practices only; manicures or pedicures the nails of any
person; arranges, dresses, curls, waves, cuts, shapes, singes, waxes, tweezes,
trims, bleaches, colors, relaxes, straightens, or performs similar work, upon
human hair, or a wig or hairpiece, by any means, including hands or mechanical
or electrical apparatus or appliances unless such acts as adjusting, combing, or
brushing prestyled wigs or hairpieces do not alter the prestyled nature of the
wig or hairpiece, and practices cosmetology for compensation. The term
&#8220;cosmetologist&#8221; does not include hair braiding upon human hair or a
wig or hairpiece.
		&#8220;Cosmetology&#8221; includes the following practices: administering hair
removal treatments; administering basic cleansing facial treatments to enhance
or improve the appearance and care of the skin, which only includes a cleanse,
tone, and application of a mask or moisturizer; manicuring or pedicuring the
nails of any person; arranging, dressing, curling, waving, cutting, shaping,
singeing, waxing, tweezing, trimming, bleaching, coloring, relaxing,
straightening, or similar work, upon human hair, or a wig or hairpiece, by any
means, including hands or mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances, but
shall not include hair braiding upon human hair, or a wig or hairpiece, or such
acts as adjusting, combing, or brushing prestyled wigs or hairpieces when such
acts do not alter the prestyled nature of the wig or hairpiece.
		&#8220;Cosmetology instructor&#8221; means a person who has been certified by
the Board as having completed an approved curriculum and who meets the
competency standards of the Board as an instructor of cosmetology.
		&#8220;Cosmetology salon&#8221; means any commercial establishment, residence,
vehicle or other establishment, place or event wherein cosmetology is offered or
practiced on a regular basis for compensation and may include the training of
apprentices under regulations of the Board.
		&#8220;Ear-piercer&#8221; means any person who for remuneration penetrates the
ear of a person to make a hole, mark, or scar, generally permanent in nature.
		&#8220;Ear-piercing&#8221; means the act of penetrating the ear of a person to
make a hole, mark, or scar, generally permanent in nature.
		&#8220;Ear-piercing salon&#8221; means any place in which a fee is charged for
the act of penetrating the ear by the aid of needles or any other instrument
designed to touch or puncture the skin.
		&#8220;Ear-piercing school&#8221; means a place or establishment licensed by
the Board to accept and train students in ear-piercing.
		&#8220;Esthetician&#8221; means a person who engages in the practice of
esthetics for compensation.
		&#8220;Esthetics&#8221; includes the following practices of administering
cosmetic treatments to enhance or improve the appearance of the skin: cleansing,
toning, performing effleurage or other related movements, stimulating,
exfoliating, or performing any other similar procedure on the skin of the human
body or scalp by means of cosmetic preparations, treatments, or any nonlaser
device, whether by electrical, mechanical, or manual means, for care of the
skin; applying make-up or eyelashes to any person, tinting or perming eyelashes
and eyebrows, and lightening hair on the body except the scalp; and removing
unwanted hair from the body of any person by the use of any nonlaser device, by
tweezing, or by use of chemical or mechanical means. However,
&#8220;esthetics&#8221; is not a healing art and shall not include any practice,
activity, or treatment that constitutes the practice of medicine, osteopathic
medicine, or chiropractic. The terms &#8220;healing arts,&#8221;"practice of
medicine,&#8221;"practice of osteopathic medicine,&#8221; and &#8220;practice of
chiropractic&#8221; shall mean the same as those terms are defined in §
54.1-2900.
		&#8220;Esthetics instructor&#8221; means a licensed esthetician who has been
certified by the Board as having completed an approved curriculum and who meets
the competency standards of the Board as an instructor of esthetics.
		&#8220;Esthetics spa&#8221; means any commercial establishment, residence,
vehicle, or other establishment, place, or event wherein esthetics is offered or
practiced on a regular basis for compensation under regulations of the Board.
		&#8220;Master barber&#8221; means a licensed barber who, in addition to the
practice of barbering, performs waving, shaping, bleaching, relaxing, or
straightening upon human hair; performs similar work on a wig or hairpiece; or
performs waxing limited to the scalp.
		&#8220;Master esthetician&#8221; means a licensed esthetician who, in addition
to the practice of esthetics, offers to the public for compensation, without the
use of laser technology, lymphatic drainage, chemical exfoliation, or
microdermabrasion, and who has met such additional requirements as determined by
the Board to practice lymphatic drainage, chemical exfoliation with products
other than Schedules II through VI controlled substances as defined in the Drug
Control Act (§ 54.1-3400 et seq.), and microdermabrasion of the epidermis.
		&#8220;Nail care&#8221; means manicuring or pedicuring natural nails or
performing artificial nail services.
		&#8220;Nail salon&#8221; means any commercial establishment, residence,
vehicle or other establishment, place or event wherein nail care is offered or
practiced on a regular basis for compensation and may include the training of
apprentices under regulations of the Board.
		&#8220;Nail school&#8221; means a place or establishment licensed by the board
to accept and train students in nail care.
		&#8220;Nail technician&#8221; means any person who for compensation manicures
or pedicures natural nails, or who performs artificial nail services for
compensation, or any combination thereof.
		&#8220;Nail technician instructor&#8221; means a licensed nail technician who
has been certified by the Board as having completed an approved curriculum and
who meets the competency standards of the Board as an instructor of nail care.
		&#8220;Physical (wax) depilatory&#8221; means the wax depilatory product or
substance used to remove superfluous hair.
		&#8220;School of cosmetology&#8221; means a place or establishment licensed by
the Board to accept and train students and which offers a cosmetology curriculum
approved by the Board.
		&#8220;School of esthetics&#8221; means a place or establishment licensed by
the Board to accept and train students and which offers an esthetics curriculum
approved by the Board.
		&#8220;Tattoo parlor&#8221; means any place in which tattooing is offered or
practiced.
		&#8220;Tattoo school&#8221; means a place or establishment licensed by the
Board to accept and train students in tattooing.
		&#8220;Tattooer&#8221; means any person who for remuneration practices
tattooing.
		&#8220;Tattooing&#8221; means the placing of designs, letters, scrolls,
figures, symbols or any other marks upon or under the skin of any person with
ink or any other substance, resulting in the permanent coloration of the skin,
including permanent make-up or permanent jewelry, by the aid of needles or any
other instrument designed to touch or puncture the skin.
		&#8220;Wax technician&#8221; means any person licensed by the Board who
removes hair from the hair follicle using a physical (wax) depilatory or by
tweezing.
		&#8220;Wax technician instructor&#8221; means a licensed wax technician who
has been certified by the Board as having completed an approved curriculum and
who meets the competency standards of the Board as an instructor of waxing.
		&#8220;Waxing&#8221; means the temporary removal of superfluous hair from the
hair follicle on any area of the human body through the use of a physical (wax)
depilatory or by tweezing.
		&#8220;Waxing salon&#8221; means any commercial establishment, residence,
vehicle or other establishment, place or event wherein waxing is offered or
practiced on a regular basis for compensation and may include the training of
apprentices under regulations of the Board.
		&#8220;Waxing school&#8221; means a place or establishment licensed by the
Board to accept and train students in waxing.

HISTORY: 1962, c. 639, § 1, § 54-83.2; 1966, c. 610; 1973, c. 86; 1974, c.
534; 1988, c. 765; 2000, c. 726; 2002, cc. 797, 869; 2003, c. 600; 2005, c. 829;
2012, cc. 803, 835; 2017, c. 390; 2018, cc. 219, 231, 237, 404; 2025, cc. 102,
308, 322.