Starting in September 2026, New York State will take an unprecedented step: training in curly, wavy, and coily hair will become mandatory in all hairdressing schools. A seemingly simple measure, but one that addresses decades of silent hair discrimination.<\/p>\n
How many times have we heard this phrase in a salon: "I don't know how to do curly hair"<\/em> ? The exclusion of textured hair from the general hairdressing curriculum is a direct consequence of the segregated history of American salons: training manuals focused almost exclusively on straight or slightly wavy hair, leaving out a whole segment of the population. The result? Generations of qualified hairdressers, skilled with certain textures, but completely unprepared for others.<\/p>\n The paradox is striking. Over 60% of the American population has textured hair. And yet, until now, only 8 out of 50 states had mandated training in these textures in hairdressing schools. 75% of hairdressers say they want more training on different hair types\u2014but since this training wasn't mandatory, they weren't acquiring these skills before practicing. This training gap has very real consequences for millions of clients.<\/p>\n Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill, which was sponsored by Representative Michaelle Solages and Senator Jamaal Bailey. Senator Bailey succinctly summarized the issue: "Current standards often fail to adequately prepare professionals to work with diverse hair textures. This gap disproportionately impacts women and girls of color, who face difficulties accessing services tailored to their needs."<\/em> The law will take full effect in September 2026.<\/p>\n There's nothing revolutionary about the training volume\u2014the total hours remain the same. What's changing is what's taught. Schools will now have to dedicate time to analyzing all hair types, providing care for natural hair, mastering braiding and extension techniques, and styling textured hair\u2014curl shaping, blow-drying, and natural styling. These are skills that seem obvious, but until now, they simply weren't part of the curriculum.<\/p>\n Michaelle Solages, herself a Black woman with textured hair, clarified the scope of the reform<\/a> : "It became clear that more concrete measures were needed. This law is a response to the ongoing need for diversity and inclusion in the cosmetics industry, to ensure that everyone, regardless of their hair type, receives the attention and expertise they deserve in salons."<\/em> Beyond the issue of training, the real issue is discrimination: refusing to style someone's hair because you don't know how is also a form of exclusion.<\/p>\n According to the New York State Beauty School Association<\/a> , schools should be able to incorporate these new requirements without major difficulty. The Professional Beauty Association, which has supported the reform from the start, expressed its hope that other states will quickly adopt similar legislation\u2014and that New York will become a national model. The question is no longer whether it's possible. New York has just proven that it is.<\/p>\n In short, training all hairdressers to handle all hair types is a self-evident truth that took decades to become mandatory. New York has just taken that step. And for millions of women who have long heard "sorry, I don't know how,"<\/em> it's much more than an administrative reform. It's a recognition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Starting in September 2026, New York State will take an unprecedented step: training in curly, wavy, and coily...","protected":false},"author":8375,"featured_media":440701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5719],"tags":[97240],"class_list":["post-440698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-coiffure","tag-cheveux"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tisha-Vassel-_-Pexels-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tisha-Vassel-_-Pexels-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tisha-Vassel-_-Pexels.jpg","author":{"name":"Fabienne Baure","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fabienne_baure-96x96.jpg"},"categories":[{"term_id":5719,"name":"Hair","slug":"coiffure","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5887,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Hair section of The Body Optimist brings together haircut, color and styling ideas, plus hair care advice for every type of hair: fine, thick, straight, curly, coily, color-treated or gray. Our guiding principle: choose what feels like you and makes your life easier, with no age rules and no body-type rules.<\/p>\n A great haircut starts with your hair type, even before your face shape. A sharp, blunt bob makes fine hair look thicker, while layers take weight out of thick hair. Curly and coily hair benefits from being cut dry, curl by curl, to account for shrinkage as it dries. Think about your real routine too: bangs need regular trims, and a very structured cut needs daily styling. At the salon, bring photos of looks you love.<\/p>\n Curly to coily hair is often drier than straight hair, because the scalp\u2019s natural oils travel less easily down a spiral-shaped strand. A few habits make a big difference:<\/p>\n For our editorial team, no haircut is off-limits after a certain age and no style is reserved for one body type. Our face-shape pointers are there to highlight your features, never to lay down rules. Gray hair is a color in its own right, and coily hair doesn\u2019t need to be straightened.<\/p>\n A round face is flattered by vertical lines and lengths that fall below the chin: an angled bob, a long bob (lob), layered shoulder-length hair or a side part. Long, wispy or curtain bangs work better than thick, blunt bangs. Short cuts are still an option, with volume on top rather than at the sides.<\/p>\n Highlights or a light balayage blend regrowth into color-treated lengths, a shorter cut removes the old color faster, and a gloss softens the contrast for a few weeks. Once the transition is complete, an occasional purple shampoo neutralizes yellow tones in white and gray hair.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no universal rule: it depends on your scalp and your hair texture. Fine hair or a scalp that gets oily quickly can be washed very often with a gentle shampoo. Curly, kinky and coily hair usually does better with less frequent washing, often once a week. The comfort of your scalp is the best guide.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: browse the whole Beauty<\/a> section, our face and body care routines<\/a> and our everyday beauty tips and tricks<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":6141,"count":440,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5719,"category_count":440,"category_description":" The Hair section of The Body Optimist brings together haircut, color and styling ideas, plus hair care advice for every type of hair: fine, thick, straight, curly, coily, color-treated or gray. Our guiding principle: choose what feels like you and makes your life easier, with no age rules and no body-type rules.<\/p>\n A great haircut starts with your hair type, even before your face shape. A sharp, blunt bob makes fine hair look thicker, while layers take weight out of thick hair. Curly and coily hair benefits from being cut dry, curl by curl, to account for shrinkage as it dries. Think about your real routine too: bangs need regular trims, and a very structured cut needs daily styling. At the salon, bring photos of looks you love.<\/p>\n Curly to coily hair is often drier than straight hair, because the scalp\u2019s natural oils travel less easily down a spiral-shaped strand. A few habits make a big difference:<\/p>\n For our editorial team, no haircut is off-limits after a certain age and no style is reserved for one body type. Our face-shape pointers are there to highlight your features, never to lay down rules. Gray hair is a color in its own right, and coily hair doesn\u2019t need to be straightened.<\/p>\n A round face is flattered by vertical lines and lengths that fall below the chin: an angled bob, a long bob (lob), layered shoulder-length hair or a side part. Long, wispy or curtain bangs work better than thick, blunt bangs. Short cuts are still an option, with volume on top rather than at the sides.<\/p>\n Highlights or a light balayage blend regrowth into color-treated lengths, a shorter cut removes the old color faster, and a gloss softens the contrast for a few weeks. Once the transition is complete, an occasional purple shampoo neutralizes yellow tones in white and gray hair.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no universal rule: it depends on your scalp and your hair texture. Fine hair or a scalp that gets oily quickly can be washed very often with a gentle shampoo. Curly, kinky and coily hair usually does better with less frequent washing, often once a week. The comfort of your scalp is the best guide.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: browse the whole Beauty<\/a> section, our face and body care routines<\/a> and our everyday beauty tips and tricks<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Hair","category_nicename":"coiffure","category_parent":6141}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8375"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440698"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":440741,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440698\/revisions\/440741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} 60% of the population, 8 states formed<\/h2>\n
With the law signed, New York changes the rules<\/h2>\n
In concrete terms, what is changing in schools?<\/h2>\n
"A legal framework against discrimination"<\/h2>\n
And after New York?<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Hair section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you choose a haircut that suits you?<\/h2>\n
How do you care for curly, kinky and coily hair?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Our articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What haircut is best for a round face?<\/h3>\n
How do you go gray without a harsh regrowth line?<\/h3>\n
How often should you wash your hair?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Hair section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you choose a haircut that suits you?<\/h2>\n
How do you care for curly, kinky and coily hair?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Our articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What haircut is best for a round face?<\/h3>\n
How do you go gray without a harsh regrowth line?<\/h3>\n
How often should you wash your hair?<\/h3>\n