West Virginia lash and brow rules
Do you need a license to do lashes in West Virginia?
Yes. Applying eyelash extensions counts as aesthetics, so it needs a cosmetologist or esthetician (600-hour) license; no lash-only license was found. Below: lash lifts, tinting and brow lamination (not stated), waxing (license needed) and eyebrow threading (no license needed), each answered from West Virginia's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 23, 2026, with the state's own words.
- Lash extensions
- License needed
- Lifts and tints
- Not stated
- Waxing
- License needed
- Threading
- No license needed
Licensed by the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.The board's site Hours and fees for each licenseThe state's own words
Lash extensions
Do you need a license to do lash extensions in West Virginia?
Yes. Applying eyelash extensions counts as aesthetics, so it needs a cosmetologist or esthetician (600-hour) license; no lash-only license was found.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Esthetician, Cosmetologist
- License for this work alone
- None
Lash lifts, tinting and brow lamination
Do you need a license to do lash lifts, tinting or brow lamination in West Virginia?
Not stated. West Virginia's official pages we read do not say whether lash lifts, tinting and brow lamination need a license. Ask the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists before you offer them.
- License needed
- Not stated
Waxing
Do you need a license to do waxing in West Virginia?
Yes. Waxing needs an esthetician or cosmetologist license, or a Waxing Specialist certification that requires 125 hours of training at a West Virginia licensed school or continuing education provider.
- License needed
- License needed
- Licenses that allow it
- Esthetician, Cosmetologist, Waxing Specialist
- License for this work alone
- Waxing Specialist, 125 hours of training
West Virginia is one of 3 states with a license for waxing alone.
Eyebrow threading
Do you need a license to do eyebrow threading in West Virginia?
No license needed. Threading is not regulated by the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists, so no board license is needed for it.
- License needed
- No license needed
- Exemption
- Threading is not regulated by the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists, so no board license applies to it.
Good to know
What else West Virginia asks of lash and brow artists
- Waxing Specialist certification requires training at a licensed school or continuing education provider in West Virginia.
- Lash extension work falls under aesthetics, and the esthetician license requires 600 clock hours of training.
- Threading is not regulated by the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.
Sources
What West Virginia's official pages say
Each answer above, in the words of West Virginia's own statutes, rules or board pages, read on October 23, 2026. Rules change: confirm with the West Virginia State Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists before you start offering a service.
- Lash extensions
“(6) Applying artificial eyelashes and eyebrows; and”
code.wvlegislature.gov “(b) “Aesthetician” or “esthetician” means a person licensed under the provisions of this article who engages in the practice of aesthetics and has completed 600 clock hours of training.”
code.wvlegislature.gov “(6) Performing aesthetics.”
code.wvlegislature.gov - Waxing
“(4) The waxing and tweezing of hair on another person’s body;”
code.wvlegislature.gov “(ff) “Waxing specialist” means a person certified under the provisions of this article who engages in the practice of waxing and tweezing of hair on another person’s body.”
code.wvlegislature.gov “(b) “Aesthetician” or “esthetician” means a person licensed under the provisions of this article who engages in the practice of aesthetics and has completed 600 clock hours of training.”
code.wvlegislature.gov “(6) Performing aesthetics.”
code.wvlegislature.gov “(a) The board shall issue a certification to an applicant who obtains training at a licensed school or continuing education provider, in West Virginia, in the following area:”
code.wvlegislature.gov “(G) Has completed a 100-hour class that consists of: Professional requirements, safety and health, skin structure, disorders and diseases, removal of superfluous hair and 25 hours on the clinic floor, supervised, for a total of 125 hours;”
code.wvlegislature.gov - Eyebrow threading
“(gg) Hair braiding, threading, and any other item not spelled out are not regulated by the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.”
code.wvlegislature.gov - Also good to know
“(a) The board shall issue a certification to an applicant who obtains training at a licensed school or continuing education provider, in West Virginia, in the following area:”
code.wvlegislature.gov - Also good to know
“(b) “Aesthetician” or “esthetician” means a person licensed under the provisions of this article who engages in the practice of aesthetics and has completed 600 clock hours of training.”
code.wvlegislature.gov - Also good to know
“(gg) Hair braiding, threading, and any other item not spelled out are not regulated by the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.”
code.wvlegislature.gov
Questions
West Virginia lash and brow licenses, answered
Do you need a license to do lash extensions in West Virginia?
Do you need a license to do lash lifts, tinting or brow lamination in West Virginia?
Do you need a license to do waxing in West Virginia?
Do you need a license to do eyebrow threading in West Virginia?
What do you need to open a lash or brow studio in West Virginia?
Plan the rest
Licensed and ready to book clients
- Hours, exams and fees for each West Virginia license
- What West Virginia requires to open a studio of your own
- What West Virginia inspectors check in a salon or studio
- Microblading or permanent makeup in West Virginia: the license it needs
- Can estheticians do microneedling, peels or laser in West Virginia?
- Renting a room or a chair? Start from a booth rental agreement
Lash and brow rules in other states
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