Curious Skin Care regulation

We have been exploring options for a spa in Philadelphia and encountered a regulation I have yet to see in another state, and one that few of the big names in town seem to be following.

A treatment room designated and licensed for esthetic services, CAN ONLY be used for esthetic services.

No body treatments, no massage therapy, no nails, only skin care and waxing.

When I called around to other spas to see how many clients they would accommodate at once, they would say something like "we have 5 treatment rooms that can do massage, but two of them can also do facials..." Not according to your license!!!

has anyone encountered this in their state?

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Greenwood on November 2, 2013 at 11:59am

I am in Pennsylvania.

This is absolutely true!

There must be a seperate room for massage and no nail services in a skincare salon. This is because the Cosmetology Board does not regulate massage...that is a seperate licensing board. Nail salons are a seperate license under the Cosmo board so if you wanted to do nails too you would need two seperate establishment licenses (so in effect not in the same room) You CAN get a hair salon establishment license which would also encompass the skin, nails, waxing. Body treatments are unregulated as far as I know. When you send in the application you need to read and sign an affadavit that you will not do massage in the same room as esthetics and any room that is for massage must not be included in the sq footage of your diagram - it must be shown seperately. (all pretty stupid, right?)

Do spas follow this rule?

Absolutely not...I have received multiple services (facial & massage) in the same room. I have worked for several places that technically have seperate rooms, but if they are busy they will use the facial room for massage or vice versa....as you found out. Stupid reg - most people tend to ignore it in practice but set up their business with seperate rooms for the initial inspection.

It is certainly an offense that would probably carry a fine rather than a warning, but as of this date I have not seen anyone cited for this.

Also in PA - Nail salons are NOT licensed to do skin care or waxing (they would need that second esthetics salon license)...but they do it anyway.