--- title: Illinois Hairdressers Trained to Spot Domestic Violence description: Hairdressers won’t be responsible for reporting abuse, but they will be trained to spot warning signs and refer clients to crisis groups. canonical: https://time.com/4586285/illinois-train-hairdressers-spot-domestic-violence-support/ author: Kastalia Medrano article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-30T16:57:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T09:03:59.707Z og:title: Illinois Will Train Hairdressers to Spot Domestic Violence og:description: The innovative new amendment takes effect January 1 og:url: https://time.com/4586285/illinois-train-hairdressers-spot-domestic-violence-support/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltee4b86a96e819040/6988b021bc6cfcc7c03df76e/illinois-hairdresser-domestic-violence-law.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Hairdresser's background og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Illinois Will Train Hairdressers to Spot Domestic Violence twitter:description: The innovative new amendment takes effect January 1 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltee4b86a96e819040/6988b021bc6cfcc7c03df76e/illinois-hairdresser-domestic-violence-law.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Illinois Will Train Hairdressers to Spot Domestic Violence by [Kastalia Medrano](/author/kastalia-medrano/) ## Kastalia Medrano Nov 30, 2016 4:57 PM CUT  Seamless background from hairdresser's accessories Seamless background from hairdresser's accessoriesGetty Images by [Kastalia Medrano](/author/kastalia-medrano/) ## Kastalia Medrano Nov 30, 2016 4:57 PM CUT Beginning January 1, 2017, the [state of Illinois will begin training all hairdressers](http://www.whig.com/20161121/unprecedented-illinois-law-to-teach-stylists-proper-response-to-domestic-violence "undefined") to respond to domestic violence against their clients. In accordance with a [new state legislation amendment](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=4264&GAID=13&GA=99&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=92032&SessionID=88 "undefined") – the first of its kind – Illinois is essentially deputizing [beauty service-industry professionals to combat violence against women](http://motto.time.com/4583364/domestic-violence-makeup-tutorial-morocco/ "undefined"). Hairdressers won’t be [legally responsible for reporting abuse](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hairdressers-stylists-domestic-violence-training-support-illinois-a7443101.html "undefined"), but they will be trained to spot warning signs, offer verbal support and refer clients to crisis groups. The amendment is supported by the Professional Beauty Association, which has already been running a similar program called [Cut It Out](https://probeauty.org/cutitout/ "undefined"). “The salon is a safe place to go. People tell their stylists things they don’t even tell their family or friends,” PBA Director of Charitable Programs Rachel Molepske told the Illinois-based _Herald Whig_ last week. “We have gotten testimonials from people that said this program saved them. I’m glad more will be trained to spot the signs and symptoms of domestic violence and to respond appropriately.” For many women, a hair salon might be the only all- or predominately female setting they ever visit, which can be conducive to a feeling of comfort and security. A hairdresser might spend several consecutive hours talking to a client one-on-one in a friendly environment, a situation that doesn’t often naturally arise elsewhere. Since salons already resemble safe spaces for so many women, this legislation – an amendment to the Barber, Cosmetology, Hair Braiding and Nail Technology Act of 1985 – is merely capitalizing on what’s already there, training hairdressers to be not just confidantes, but[potentially life-saving resources](http://motto.time.com/4464260/domestic-violence-brain-injury/ "undefined"). While the training will be completed with primarily women in mind,[all genders can benefit](http://time.com/4531749/domestic-violence/ "undefined") from a sanctuary where beauty professionals are also trained to offer domestic violence support. “What they tell you in school is, when you’re a hair dresser, you’re touching people first. I’ll start touching your hair before I really even start talking to you,” hairstylist Jamie Feramisco told the _Whig_. “It’s really close. It’s one of the highest-touch industries, which creates a bond with your clients.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4586285/illinois-train-hairdressers-spot-domestic-violence-support/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4586285/illinois-train-hairdressers-spot-domestic-violence-support/"},"headline":"Illinois Will Train Hairdressers to Spot Domestic Violence","datePublished":"2016-11-30T16:57:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:03:59.707Z","description":"The innovative new amendment takes effect January 1","url":"https://time.com/4586285/illinois-train-hairdressers-spot-domestic-violence-support/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltee4b86a96e819040/6988b021bc6cfcc7c03df76e/illinois-hairdresser-domestic-violence-law.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kastalia Medrano","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kastalia-medrano/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltee4b86a96e819040/6988b021bc6cfcc7c03df76e/illinois-hairdresser-domestic-violence-law.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Hairdresser's background","caption":"Hairdresser's background","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4586285/illinois-train-hairdressers-spot-domestic-violence-support/","name":"Illinois Will Train Hairdressers to Spot Domestic Violence"}}]}] ```