As a licensed cosmetologist for 16 years and now a Cosmetology Instructor I oppose dropping Cosmetology hours to 1000. At 1500 hours students are just starting to feel comfortable with the idea of getting behind the chair on their own. If they graduated and went behind the chair with only 1000 hours, their speed, technical skills, and business knowledge aren’t strong enough to sustain a livable income, especially with this field being commission based. Many graduates at 1000 hours would need to be hired as assistants, so they would more then likely need to have another part time job in order to live comfortably. If stylists get behind the chair before they are ready then they will end up making mistakes, losing money and confidence and ultimately quit. We owe it to them to give them the proper education to be able to have a sustainable income and a great foundation to build on and 1000 hours will hinder that process. At 1000 hours they haven’t even worked with enough guests to fully understand all client safety, protection, and sanitation. It’s not just about skill, it’s about knowing how to keep their guest safe and protected from chemicals, tools, infection at all times without us watching them and they need the time in a safe school environment to build those habits and knowledge.