As an editor on NAILS Magazine, I’ve done my fair share of navigating around state board websites. We publish a comprehensive state board listing each year in our annual Big Book and we use all of our resources (phone, fax, e-mail) to get in touch with the state boards to make sure the information we have is up-to-date. We often log on to the board websites to find the information we’re looking for. It’s a time-consuming process that involves reading through pages of legal mumbo jumbo. So I have to say I was happily surprised this morning when I logged on to the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners and saw how easy it was to navigate. In addition to the normal licensing information and all the rules and regulations, I also saw a Salon Self Inspection Checklist, so salons can make sure they’re ready for that visit from the state inspector. They also have a blank Foot Spa Cleaning and Disinfection Record for salons to download. And there’s a great listing of Continuing Education classes that are available — many of them online.

But I digress. I also easily found what I was looking for: information on North Carolina’s policy of “grading” salons. I live in California and here, all restaurants get graded by inspectors. You really only want to eat in restaurants with an A-rating (maybe a B). It’s kind of like that. All salons in North Carolina must get Sanitary Ratings once a year. (Cosmetology schools are rated three times a year.) The ratings have to be posted in a place where everyone can see it. An A-rating is given for establishments that receive a 90% or higher. A B-rating is given for establishments that receive an 80%-90%. If an establishment received less than 80%, the board can suspend or revoke the salon’s permit.

I’m not sure how many other states are doing this same sort of rating system. But North Carolina goes so far as to print the list of B-rated salons on its site and in the paper. I think this is a great way to enforce salon sanitation. It definitely keeps salons on their toes. I wonder how many salons I’ve been to that wouldn’t have passed. What do you think of the grading system for salons? Let me know below in Feedback.

— Hannah