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

Kristie Robertson says she was surprised to learn about the lack of regulations for personal-care services on Prince Edward Island. 

The province's Hairdressers Act regulates hairdressing services, but things like skin care, nail care and hair removal aren't covered by the legislation. That means providers don't need to be licensed or have credentials. 

"That kind of really disgusts me," Robertson said.  "I would like to see somebody paying attention to that. It really should be regulated…. Everybody should be covered under the same laws." 

Robertson isn't the only one questioning whether the existing legislation goes far enough. 

The province announced Monday that it's looking for feedback from Islanders about how cosmetology services are regulated on P.E.I. 

"The province is reviewing the current legislation to determine whether updates or a new regulatory framework are needed to better reflect the full scope of cosmetology services offered in P.E.I. today," the Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population said in a news release.

The P.E.I. Hairdressers Association has long been calling on the provincial government to regulate cosmetology services, said executive director Sherri Runighan. 

She said she would like to see all beauty and personal-care services on the Island encompassed under a new association — Cosmetology of Prince Edward Island.

"A lot of the public doesn't even know that this is not being regulated. Inspections are not even being done in those service providers," Runighan said. 

"We are willing to do that and we are willing to work with government to be able to move this forward."

Runighan said the P.E.I. Hairdressers Association conducts inspections of hair salons and stylists on a regular basis to ensure that they meet minimum standards. That includes ensuring providers have proper credentials and maintain sanitation and sterilization requirements. 

"It's important for the public to have that feeling of safety when they go into one of these service providers," she said. 

Time and resources would be some of the biggest challenges when it comes to expanding regulations to include more service providers, Runighan said. 

"There's a lot of places out there that are opened and are opening on a regular basis that are not underneath [the association]," she said. "It would take manpower to be able to make sure that we get to those places and [make] sure that they're following the guidelines."