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Virginia, until recently, was one of only two states to hold hair braiders to higher standards than those who slather chemical peels on sensitive skin. The General Assembly recently recognized that estheticians ought to fall under the same regulations as hair stylists, manicurists, body piercers and tattoo artists.

Including the practice of esthetics under the regulatory umbrella of things people do in search of beauty allows the law to keep pace with consumer trends. For those whose pursuit of young, firmer-looking skin stops just this side of plastic surgery, esthetics promises refreshed skin for far less money, time and recovery. In trained hands, processes such as micro-dermabrasion, intense light and chemical peels can work wonders.

But those same tools can also cause scarring and eye damage if applied by inept hands. The danger to consumers' health is as perilous as hairdressers' mixing volatile batches of hair bleach, or manicurists' spreading of bacterial infections through unsterilized equipment.

Although a bad haircut eventually corrects itself through new growth, burned skin doesn't rebound as quickly.

Consumers deserve to know that they aren't risking their health when they entrust their skin to the care of people purporting to be professionals. A group of estheticians recognized the value of licensing and, to their credit, lobbied lawmakers to regulate the industry. They have much at stake in keeping unscrupulous skin-care peddlers from marring their business.

The law's amendments place regulation of esthetics where it belongs, with the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, and it requires practitioners to obtain licenses. However, the required training for certification will take time to develop, as will setting up the regulatory bureaucracy.

Since the law won't go into effect until July 2007, consumers would be wise to check references and ask questions before placing their faces in the care of anyone claiming to be an esthetician.