Islanders asked for input on new rules for unregulated beauty services in P.E.I.

Gwyneth Egan · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 05, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 6

Kristie Robertson says she was amazed to larn astir the deficiency of regulations for personal-care services connected Prince Edward Island. 

The province's Hairdressers Act regulates hairdressing services, but things similar tegument care, nail attraction and hairsbreadth removal aren't covered by the legislation. That means providers don't request to beryllium licensed oregon person credentials. 

"That benignant of truly disgusts me," Robertson said. "I would similar to spot idiosyncratic paying attraction to that. It truly should beryllium regulated…. Everybody should beryllium covered nether the aforesaid laws." 

Robertson isn't the lone 1 questioning whether the existing authorities goes acold enough. 

'It truly should beryllium regulated…. Everybody should beryllium covered nether the aforesaid laws,' says Kristie Robertson of P.E.I.'s authorities covering quality and idiosyncratic attraction services. (Aaron Adetuyi/CBC)

The state announced Monday that it's looking for feedback from Islanders astir however cosmetology services are regulated connected P.E.I. It's posted an online survey, which volition beryllium unfastened until Nov. 19.

"The state is reviewing the existent authorities to find whether updates oregon a caller regulatory model are needed to amended bespeak the afloat scope of cosmetology services offered successful P.E.I. today," the Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population said successful a quality release.

A agelong clip coming 

The P.E.I. Hairdressers Association has agelong been calling connected the provincial authorities to modulate cosmetology services, said enforcement manager Sherri Runighan. 

She said she would similar to spot each quality and personal-care services connected the Island encompassed nether a caller relation — Cosmetology of Prince Edward Island.

'It's important for the nationalist to person that feeling of information erstwhile they spell into 1 of these work providers for a service,' says Sherri Runighan, enforcement manager of the P.E.I. Hairdressers Association. (Gwyneth Egan/CBC)

"A batch of the nationalist doesn't adjacent cognize that this is not being regulated. Inspections are not adjacent being done successful those work providers," Runighan said. 

"We are consenting to bash that and we are consenting to enactment with authorities to beryllium capable to determination this forward."

Runighan said the P.E.I. Hairdressers Association conducts inspections of hairsbreadth salons and stylists connected a regular ground to guarantee that they conscionable minimum standards. That includes ensuring providers person due credentials and support sanitation and sterilization requirements. 

"It's important for the nationalist to person that feeling of information erstwhile they spell into 1 of these work providers," she said. 

'It would instrumentality manpower'

Stephanie Gallant, a teacher astatine a backstage esthetics institute successful P.E.I, said immoderate services similar waxing, tegument attraction and nail services tin easy pb to cross-contamination if an esthetician doesn't person the due education.

She said regulating the manufacture would pb to amended prime for customers.

Stephanie Gallant, an esthetics teacher successful P.E.I. with 24 years of experience, says it undermines each estheticians' credibility erstwhile mistakes hap if idiosyncratic is underqualified. (Gwyneth Egan/CBC)

“Infection power is immense nowadays, and there’s truthful galore salons and businesses that conscionable don’t person the due sanitization oregon education," Gallant said. 

“For the radical that person been doing an astonishing occupation successful the esthetics manufacture and successful the cosmetology industry, we privation them to succeed.” 

Time and resources would beryllium immoderate of the biggest challenges erstwhile it comes to expanding regulations to see much work providers, Runighan said. 

"There's a batch of places retired determination that are opened and are opening connected a regular ground that are not underneath [the association]," she said. "It would instrumentality manpower to beryllium capable to marque definite that we get to those places and [make] definite that they're pursuing the guidelines."

While it would instrumentality clip to amended work providers astir the regulations and however they're enforced, Runighan said it's thing caller for the hairdressers association, which has been astir since 1959. 

"We conscionable privation to marque definite that everyone has minimum standards. We conscionable privation to marque definite that the nationalist that are going successful and getting these services done are feeling safe."

Health Department besides updating infection-control measures

Meanwhile, P.E.I.'s Department of Health and Wellness said it's processing its ain regulations for idiosyncratic services that purpose to summation corruption power standards and trim wellness risks associated with procedures similar hairdressing, esthetics, nail care, piercing, tattooing and assemblage modification.

"Currently, the Department of Health and Wellness conducts yearly inspections of establishments offering tattooing and needle-based piercing services, fixed the elevated hazard of transmitting bloodborne infections. These inspections are mandated nether the Public Health Act and adhere to the Guidelines for Personal Service Facilities," the section said successful a statement.

"Other idiosyncratic work providers, specified arsenic nail salons, estheticians, waxing services, and cosmetic tegument attraction practitioners, are inspected connected a ailment ground oregon upon request. Additionally, the P.E.I. Hairdressers’ Association performs regular inspections of licensed hairdressing establishments; however, this oversight is constricted to its registered members."

The section said nationalist consultation connected those projected regulations is expected to statesman successful December, with afloat implementation by aboriginal 2026.