Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 5-10 - Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmeticians, Manicurists and Estheticians
Section 5-10-1. - Definitions.

§ 5-10-1. Definitions.
The following words and phrases, when used in this chapter, are construed as follows:
(1) “Apprentice barber” means an employee whose principal occupation is service with a barber who has held a current license as a barber for at least three (3) years with a view to learning the art of barbering, as defined in subsection (14).
(2) “Barber” means any person who shaves or trims the beard; waves, dresses, singes, shampoos, or dyes the hair; or applies hair tonics, cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, powders, oil clays, or lotions to the scalp, face, or neck of any person; or cuts the hair of any person; gives facial and scalp massages; or treatments with oils, creams, lotions, or other preparations.
(3) “Board” means the state board of barbering and hairdressing as provided for in this chapter.
(4) “Department” means the Rhode Island department of health.
(5) “Division” means the division of professional regulation within the department of health.
(6) “Esthetician” means a person who engages in the practice of esthetics, and is licensed as an esthetician.
(7) “Esthetician shop” means a shop licensed under this chapter to do esthetics of any person.
(8) “Esthetics” means the practice of cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, and beautifying skin, including, but not limited to, the treatment of such skin problems as dehydration, temporary capillary dilation, excessive oiliness, and clogged pores.
(9) “Hair design shop” means a shop licensed under this chapter to do barbering or hairdressing/cosmetology, or both, to any person.
(10) “Hairdresser and cosmetician” means any person who arranges, dresses, curls, cuts, waves, singes, bleaches, or colors the hair or treats the scalp, or manicures the nails of any person, either with or without compensation, or who, by the use of the hands or appliances, or of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, creams, powders, oils or clays, engages, with or without compensation, in massaging, cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exercising, or beautifying, or in doing similar work upon the neck, face, or arms, or who removes superfluous hair from the body of any person.
(11) “Instructor” means any person licensed as an instructor under the provisions of this chapter.
(12) “Manicuring shop” means a shop licensed under this chapter to do manicuring only on the nails of any person.
(13) “Manicurist” means any person who engages in manicuring for compensation and is duly licensed as a manicurist.
(14) “Practice of barbering” means the engaging by any licensed barber in all, or any combination of, the following practices: shaving or trimming the beard or cutting the hair; giving facial and scalp massages or treatments with oils, creams, lotions, or other preparations, either by hand or mechanical appliances; singeing, shampooing, arranging, dressing, curling, waving, chemical waving, hair relaxing, or dyeing the hair or applying hair tonics; or applying cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, powders, oils, clays, or lotions to the scalp, face, or neck.
(15) “Practice of hairdressing and cosmetic therapy” means the engaging by any licensed hairdresser and cosmetician in any one or more of the following practices: the application of the hands or of mechanical or electrical apparatus, with or without cosmetic preparations, tonics, lotions, creams, antiseptics, or clays, to massage, cleanse, stimulate, manipulate, exercise, or otherwise to improve or to beautify the scalp, face, neck, shoulders, arms, bust, or upper part of the body; or the manicuring of the nails of any person; or the removing of superfluous hair from the body of any person; or the arranging, dressing, curling, waving, weaving, cleansing, cutting, singeing, bleaching, coloring, or similarly treating the hair of any person. Provided, however, that the practice of hairdressing and cosmetic therapy shall not include natural hair braiding.
(16) “Practice of manicuring” means the cutting, trimming, polishing, tinting, coloring, or cleansing the nails of any person.
(17) “School” means a school approved under chapter 40 of title 16, as amended, devoted to the instruction in, and study of, the theory and practice of barbering, hairdressing, and cosmetic therapy, esthetics, and/or manicuring.
History of Section.P.L. 1926, ch. 765, § 1; P.L. 1936, ch. 2362, § 1; P.L. 1938, ch. 2585, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 263, § 1; P.L. 1942, ch. 1229, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 5-10-1; P.L. 1974, ch. 246, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 378, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 314, § 1; P.L. 1993, ch. 289, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 43, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 141, art. 20, § 2; P.L. 2016, ch. 489, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 491, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 108, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 127, § 1.