The British Beauty Council’s Hair Equity Taskforce has called on the UK Government to urgently update hairdressing and barbering qualifications so they include mandatory training for textured and Afro hair.

The Hair Equity Taskforce brings together educators, stylists, accreditation bodies, cultural voices and industry leaders with a shared mission: to ensure everyone – and every hair type – is properly represented in UK education and employment.

In an open letter to The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister of State for Skills, the Taskforce warns that current training standards leave thousands of students graduating each year without the skills needed to serve the full diversity of the UK population.

Back in 2020, industry experts helped update the National Occupational Standards (NOS) to ensure all hair types were represented. Five years later, these updates still haven’t been properly implemented across government-funded qualifications. This gap has real-world consequences: people with textured and Afro hair continue to struggle to find trained professionals, while students are entering the industry underprepared.

The letter highlights how the lack of inclusive training affects both individuals and the wider industry:

• Access and equality: Clients should be able to walk into any salon and feel confident they’ll be cared for – no matter their hair type.
• Safety and wellbeing: Without proper education, clients with textured and Afro hair face higher risks of damage and negative experiences.
• Career barriers: Students who invest in training deserve qualifications that reflect today’s reality and support their earning potential.
• Economic impact: Skills shortages mean major productions in film, TV and fashion often look overseas for talent – a missed opportunity for UK professionals.

The Taskforce also raises concerns that excluding textured and Afro hair training could amount to indirect race discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

To close the gap, the British Beauty Council is urging the Government to:

• Release funding to implement the updated NOS.
• Give colleges the resources to train staff and update equipment.
• Commit to a clear, accelerated timeline for bringing inclusive standards into all qualifications.

Antoinette Ale, the Council’s Hair Equity Lead and founder of Tressly, said:

“I see how the lack of textured-hair education affects real people – their safety, their dignity, and their access to quality services. By bringing the industry together, we’re creating the momentum needed to finally embed textured-hair competence across all education and training pathways.”