May an esthetician or laser technician perform microneedling, state by state
The same question, answered for 51 states from each state’s own law. States disagree on this, which is the point — an answer that is right in one is wrong next door. Each entry links to its own statute or board rule and dated source check. Latest individual source check: Sep 20, 2026.
Who treats · part of The Practice Perimeter
| State | What its rule says | Cited to |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Only as a physician's Level 2 Delegate — estheticians, cosmetologists and laser technicians may perform non-ablative procedures below the stratum corneum only under a physician's written protocol and supervision; microneedling itself isn't named in the rules. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-11-.02(6) (definition of “Level 2 Delegate”) Sep 4, 2026 |
| Alaska | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics "appliances" exclude devices that ablate or destroy live tissue or incise beyond the epidermis, so dermal needling falls outside that definition; no cited rule puts needling in esthetician or laser-tech scope. | 12 AAC 09.990(b)(1)(A)-(C) (Definitions — “appliances” in the field of esthetics) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Arizona | The cited rules do not settle this — Arizona's aesthetics definition is a closed list of surface practices (cleansing, brow and lash work, hair removal) that says nothing about puncturing skin, and the separate certificate covers only lasers and IPL. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 32-501(2) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Arkansas | The cited rules do not settle this — Arkansas's esthetician definition covers cleaning, waxing, and externally manipulating or stimulating the body by hand or device, and says nothing either way about needles that penetrate the skin. | Ark. Dep't of Health, Cosmetology Section, Cosmetology FAQs ("Can cosmetologists or aestheticians perform Microneedling services?") Sep 20, 2026 |
| California | The cited rules do not settle this by name — esthetician scope covers esthetic devices only where they do not ablate or destroy live tissue, so needling that destroys live tissue falls outside it, but the rules given never address microneedling directly. | Cal. Bd. of Barbering & Cosmetology, Industry Bulletin, Micro Needling/Derma Rolling (June 5, 2014) Sep 20, 2026 |
| Colorado | The cited rules do not settle this — they don't name microneedling or set esthetician scope; they allow a qualified person to render medical services under a physician's personal, responsible supervision, but delegation cannot extend any license's scope. | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 12-240-107(3)(l) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Connecticut | No — esthetics expressly excludes cosmetic medical procedures, and dermarolling and dermastamping are classed as cosmetic medical procedures; at a medical spa only the physician, PA or APRN it employs or contracts with, or an RN, may perform them. | Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-265a(4) (“Esthetics” defined — exclusions) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Delaware | The cited rules do not settle this — none names microneedling or a needle depth; they establish only that an aesthetician may not give medical treatment as a dermatologist would, and that any medical act must be physician-delegated and supervised. | 24 Del. C. §5124(1) Sep 3, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | The rules never name microneedling, but DC bars cosmetology licensees from devices affecting more than the top epidermal layer, and work below the stratum corneum is the practice of medicine — so it is not an esthetician's to perform. | 17 DCMR § 3799.1 (Definitions — “Esthetics”; “Master esthetics”) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Florida | The cited rules do not settle this — Florida's facial specialty license reaches only mechanical or chemical treatment of the face for aesthetic rather than medical purposes, and microneedling is never named; what governs is whether the treatment is medical. | Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G5-18.00015(2)(h) Sep 20, 2026 |
| Georgia | Georgia's esthetics license excludes medical aesthetics and lasers by name. The statute doesn't name microneedling, so whether it falls inside that exclusion isn't settled by the text. | O.C.G.A. § 43-10-1(8) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Hawaii | The cited rules do not settle this — the esthetician scope is hands or non-medically prescribed devices for cleansing, exfoliating and similar surface work, with no mention of microneedling or skin penetration, and no laser technician license appears in them. | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 439A-2 ("Esthetician") Sep 8, 2026 |
| Idaho | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics is defined as noninvasive skin care with class I devices (class II only as directed and supervised by a licensed health care practitioner); microneedling is not named, and no cited rule defines a laser technician. | Idaho Code §54-5802(14) Sep 3, 2026 |
| Illinois | No — IDFPR names microneedling as the practice of medicine and outside the scope of a cosmetologist or esthetician, with no depth line that makes it lawful; anyone doing it under physician delegation may not hold out as an esthetician while doing so. | IDFPR Statement on Prohibited Practices (IDFPR/IDPH med spa memo) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Indiana | Not under an esthetician license — that closed scope list (facials, makeup, skin care, cosmetic preparations, hair removal by depilatory, wax or tweezers) includes no puncturing. The cited rules define no "laser technician" title and don't address delegation. | Ind. Code § 25-8-2-9.5 Sep 2, 2026 |
| Iowa | The cited rules do not settle this — they never name microneedling; they only require delegated medical aesthetic services be supervised, with weekly on-site review and 10% of charts reviewed, and bar unlicensed laser techs from anything but lasers. | Iowa Admin. Code r. 481—655.6(5)(d) (Supervision) Sep 4, 2026 |
| Kansas | No — an esthetician's licensed scope covers only noninvasive processes on the skin surface and expressly excludes electric needles, so needle-penetrating microneedling falls outside it; the cited rules recognize no separate laser technician license. | Kan. Stat. Ann. §65-1901(f) Sep 3, 2026 |
| Kentucky | The cited rules do not settle this — they cap esthetic practice at cosmetic purposes only and bar treating any physical ailment, but they never mention microneedling, set no depth limit, and name no laser technician license. | Ky. Rev. Stat. §317A.020(1) Sep 3, 2026 |
| Louisiana | No — in a cosmetology-board-licensed salon, no license or permit authorizes microneedling, and estheticians may only perform services affecting the epidermis; the cited rules do not address laser technicians or settings outside such a salon. | La. Admin. Code tit. 46, pt. XXXI, § 717(A)(3)-(5) (Prohibited Services) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Maine | The cited rules do not settle this — Maine's aesthetics scope covers beautifying, cleansing, toning and skin care with cosmetic preparations or devices and excludes treating any dermatological condition, but says nothing about needling through the skin. | 32 M.R.S. §14202(7) Sep 3, 2026 |
| Maryland | Yes — Maryland counts cosmetic microneedling as an esthetic service, so an esthetician licensed to provide esthetic services may perform it, provided it does not ablate the dermis or hypodermis; the cited rules do not address laser technicians. | Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §5-101(o)(1)(i), (3) (“Provide esthetic services” — cosmetic microneedling included; ablation of the dermis excluded) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Not settled by statute: Massachusetts limits aesthetics to minimally invasive methods posing minimal risk and leaves the Board to define that line; the statute doesn't say whether microneedling clears it. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 87T (definition of “Aesthetics”) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Michigan | Not on an esthetician license alone — skin care services are capped at the stratum corneum and microneedling isn't in the list that defines the license; the cited rules leave open only performance as a physician's delegate under the delegation statute. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.1210(3) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Minnesota | The cited rules do not settle this — none of them names microneedling, and while treating a defect by any device can count as practicing medicine, the licensee exemption applies only within that license's own scope, which these rules never define. | Minn. R. 2105.0105, subp. 5 Sep 20, 2026 |
| Mississippi | No — esthetics covers surface work such as facials, waxing and tinting, not treatment of dermatological conditions, and board rules bar any tool that penetrates below the epidermis, so a cosmetology-board licensee may not perform microneedling. | Miss. Code Ann. § 73-7-2 (“Esthetics”) Sep 8, 2026 |
| Missouri | The cited rules do not settle this — Missouri's Class E esthetician scope covers surface work with mechanical or electrical apparatus and cosmetic preparations on the skin, but says nothing about microneedling, needle depth, or penetrating the skin. | Mo. Rev. Stat. §329.010(5)(d) Sep 3, 2026 |
| Montana | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics is defined open-endedly as "skin care of the body," and no cited rule names microneedling or sets a penetration depth for estheticians; the cosmetology chapter also creates no laser technician license. | Mont. Bd. of Barbers & Cosmetologists, Med Spa FAQ (Jan. 2024), Question 6 / Response 6 Sep 20, 2026 |
| Nebraska | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics is bounded to the skin or epidermis and never names microneedling, so needling below the epidermis falls outside the license; lasers and injectables are excluded from esthetics and cosmetology outright. | Neb. Admin. Code tit. 172, ch. 36, § 002.02 (esthetics is practiced UPON THE EPIDERMIS) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Nevada | Among cosmetology licensees, only a licensed advanced esthetician, with needles no deeper than 1.5 mm unless a health care professional directly supervises, and never to inject anything or for an ablative procedure. This rule doesn't address laser technicians. | Nev. Admin. Code §644A.790(1)(c), (3) (Prohibited invasive procedures; exceptions) Sep 7, 2026 |
| New Hampshire | The cited rules do not settle this — the esthetics scope covers facials, skin care, hair removal and makeup and never mentions microneedling, while any procedure that cuts or structurally alters human tissue is defined as the practice of medicine. | N.H. Rev. Stat. §313-A:1, VIII (“Esthetics” defined) Sep 3, 2026 |
| New Jersey | Not as a cosmetology licensee: New Jersey bars them from working below the stratum corneum, where it affects living cells, and from using a lancet or comparable implement. These rules don't address laser technicians. | N.J.A.C. 13:28-2.15(a), (b)(2) Sep 2, 2026 |
| New Mexico | No for estheticians — the esthetician license is a closed list that excludes invasive techniques, and microneedling is not on it. The cited rules do not settle it for laser technicians, whose scope no supplied rule defines. | 16.34.5.12 NMAC (a CLOSED list, and invasive techniques are excluded by name) Sep 7, 2026 |
| New York | The cited rules do not settle this — New York's classification table grades energy devices by depth (Class I surface-level is open to trained non-licensees; Class IIIb and IV are the practice of medicine) and says nothing about needle-based microneedling. | NY Dept. of State, Appearance Enhancement Licensees — Procedural Service Determinations (Procedure Licensure Chart), row “Microneedling/Dermalrolling”, column “NYS Education Dept. License” Sep 3, 2026 |
| North Carolina | Not under the esthetics license — that definition covers only surface skin care with topical preparations and names no puncturing act. The cited rules leave the rest open: licensed nurses may perform cosmetic dermatological procedures on a prescriber's order. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 88B-2(11a) Sep 2, 2026 |
| North Dakota | Only an advanced esthetician — microneedling is "advanced esthetics," excluded from the plain esthetics license, and needs board-approved added training and certification first. Board rule may also require physician, PA, or APRN supervision. | N.D. Cent. Code § 43-11-01(3) (“Advanced esthetics” defined — microneedling) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Ohio | Not under an esthetics license as written: Ohio's definition of esthetics covers nothing that breaks the skin and doesn't name microneedling, and the board ties estheticians to it. These rules don't address laser technicians. | Ohio Rev. Code § 4713.01(GG) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | No — microneedling deeper than 0.25 mm counts as puncturing the skin and sits outside the cosmetology/esthetics scope; the cited rules don't say which licensed professional may do it, and devices at 0.25 mm or less fall outside that definition. | Okla. Admin. Code § 175:10-7-29(a), (a)(1)(C) (Scope of practice for Cosmetologists and Facialists/Estheticians — microneedling is puncturing the skin) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Oregon | Yes — an esthetician may use microneedling and nanoneedling devices, but only within the epidermis; exfoliating, removing or damaging the dermis or muscle is outside the license. The cited rules do not address laser technicians. | Or. Admin. R. 817-015-0040(1), (2)(f) (Definition of Esthetics Device) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | The cited rules do not settle this — Pennsylvania's esthetics definition covers surface work only (massage, creams, antiseptics, waxing, lash work) and never mentions puncturing skin, and no cited rule names microneedling or assigns it to any license. | 49 Pa. Code § 7.1 (definition of “Esthetics”) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics is defined only as cleansing, stimulating, manipulating and beautifying skin, and no cited rule names microneedling; the surgery definition reaches needles that alter tissue, only for disease or conditions. | R.I. Gen. Laws §5-10-1(8) Sep 3, 2026 |
| South Carolina | The cited rules do not settle this — South Carolina's esthetician license covers skin care for the sole purpose of beautifying the skin, and neither that definition nor the cosmetology list names microneedling or any act that punctures the skin. | S.C. Code §40-13-20(5) (definition of “Esthetician” — skin care for the SOLE PURPOSE of beautifying the skin) Sep 7, 2026 |
| South Dakota | Not for an esthetician — esthetics is confined to the stratum corneum, with living cells never altered, cut, or damaged, so needling below that layer falls outside it; the cited rules don't define a laser technician or say who may perform microneedling. | S.D. Codified Laws §36-15-2.2(1) Sep 3, 2026 |
| Tennessee | The cited rules do not settle this — Tennessee's aesthetics definition covers only surface work (massaging, cleansing, facials, skin care, hair removal, cosmetic preparations) and contains no act of puncturing the skin, but it states no prohibition. | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0440-02-.16 (rev. Dec 2025) Aug 29, 2026 |
| Texas | The cited rules do not settle this — TDLR never names microneedling, but treatments penetrating the dermis (living tissue) are outside esthetician scope and must be administered or delegated by a physician; a laser certificate covers hair removal only. | TDLR, MedSpas at a Glance, Service/Who Regulates chart (Microneedling) Sep 20, 2026 |
| Utah | The captured provisions do not settle which microneedling procedures an esthetician may perform. The retained device rule names master estheticians; its relationship to cosmetic medical procedure classification and supervision remains unresolved. | Utah Code § 58-1-506(3)(b) (Supervision of cosmetic medical procedures) Sep 4, 2026 |
| Vermont | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics covers skin-care treatments using hands or mechanical/electrical devices but excludes anything that is the practice of medicine, including injections and lasers; microneedling is not named either way. | Vt. Stat. tit. 26, §1(4)(A) (“Esthetics” defined) Sep 3, 2026 |
| Virginia | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics covers surface acts (cleansing, toning, exfoliating) with nonlaser devices and excludes anything that is the practice of medicine; microneedling is not named, so it turns on whether puncturing skin is medicine. | Va. Code § 54.1-700 (definition of “esthetics”) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Washington | The cited rules do not settle this — esthetics covers superficial peels, skin stimulation and pore extraction by any device except laser, and excludes injections; microneedling is not named, and master esthetics' medical-device work still turns on supervision. | Wash. Rev. Code § 18.16.020(30) Sep 2, 2026 |
| West Virginia | Not for an esthetician — aesthetics is a closed list of surface acts applied to the skin, so a procedure that breaks it sits outside that license. The cited rules do not name microneedling or say who else may perform it. | W. Va. Code § 30-27-3(a) (aesthetics is a CLOSED list of surface acts, and none of them break skin) Sep 7, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Yes — but only as a delegated medical procedure: microneedling is named by rule, so an esthetician may perform it only as directed, supervised and inspected by a physician, never on the esthetics license alone; the training-based exemption does not reach it. | Wis. Admin. Code § Cos 2.025(1), (2)(d) Sep 2, 2026 |
| Wyoming | No for estheticians — Wyoming's esthetics scope treats any procedure piercing the epidermal or dermal layer as invasive and prohibited. The cited rules don't settle laser technicians; none defines that category or says who else may perform microneedling. | Wyo. Bd. of Cosmetology Rules ch. 1 § 6(c)(v)-(vi) (Scope of Practice — Esthetics; ref. 033.0001.1.04012026) Sep 7, 2026 |
Every state, in its own words
Alabama
(6) Level 2 Delegate - A Level 2 Delegate is a licensed practicing nurse (LPN) or medical assistant to include Medical Examiners Chapter 540-X-11 Revised 3/16/26 11-3 aestheticians, cosmetologists, and laser technicians authorized in a written job description or protocol to use a specific laser/pulsed light device or other energy source, chemical or other modality for non-ablative procedures, as designated in the written job description or protocol, and who has met the educational requirements for a Level 2 Delegate as stated in these rules.
Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-11-.02(6) (definition of “Level 2 Delegate”) · verified Sep 4, 2026
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For the purposes of AS 08.13.220 (5), (1) "appliances" in the field of esthetics means only those devices used to stimulate natural physiological processes intended to improve the health and appearance of a person's skin; a device (A) operates within the manufacturer's guidelines; (B) does not directly ablate or destroy live tissue; (C) does not involve an incision into skin beyond the epidermis;
12 AAC 09.990(b)(1)(A)-(C) (Definitions — “appliances” in the field of esthetics) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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ARIZONA’S DEFINITION OF AESTHETICS WAS READ IN FULL AND IS A CLOSED LIST OF THREE SURFACE PRACTICES. “AESTHETICS” MEANS “MASSAGING, CLEANSING, STIMULATING, MANIPULATING, EXERCISING, BEAUTIFYING OR APPLYING OILS, CREAMS, ANTISEPTICS, CLAYS, LOTIONS OR OTHER PREPARATIONS, EITHER BY HAND OR BY MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES”; “ARCHING EYEBROWS OR TINTING EYEBROWS AND EYELASHES”; and “REMOVING SUPERFLUOUS HAIR BY MEANS OTHER THAN ELECTROLYSIS OR THREADING” — each qualified as performed “FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES”. Nothing in the definition describes puncturing skin. An absence in this definition, not a finding that Arizona prohibits microneedling.
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 32-501(2) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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The Arkansas Department of Health's Cosmetology Section addresses whether cosmetologists or aestheticians may perform microneedling services. Its answer: “Yes, cosmetologists and aestheticians can perform microneedling services if the service does not penetrate or pierce the skin beyond the epidermis.”
Ark. Dep't of Health, Cosmetology Section, Cosmetology FAQs ("Can cosmetologists or aestheticians perform Microneedling services?") · verified Sep 20, 2026
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The state board's bulletin says that “The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (Board) would like to remind its licensees that the practice of Micro Needling/Derma Rolling is not within the scope of practice for any Board licensee.” The bulletin describes the procedure as one that involves using a small roller with fine micro needles over the skin, producing micro punctures in the skin. The Board treats it as an invasive procedure.
Cal. Bd. of Barbering & Cosmetology, Industry Bulletin, Micro Needling/Derma Rolling (June 5, 2014) · verified Sep 20, 2026
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⚠️ AND THE SAME SENTENCE CLOSES TWO LOOPHOLES. “NOTHING IN THIS EXEMPTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO EXTEND OR LIMIT THE SCOPE OF ANY LICENSE” — delegation cannot enlarge what a nurse or esthetician may already do. And the exemption “SHALL NOT APPLY TO PERSONS OTHERWISE QUALIFIED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE BUT NOT LICENSED TO PRACTICE IN THIS STATE” — a physician unlicensed in Colorado cannot work as somebody’s delegate.
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 12-240-107(3)(l) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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“Esthetics” means services related to skin care treatments, (A) including, but not limited to, cleansing, toning, stimulating, exfoliating or performing any similar procedure on the human body while using cosmetic preparations, hands, devices, apparatus or appliances to enhance or improve the appearance of the skin; makeup application; beautifying lashes and brows; or removing unwanted hair using manual and mechanical means, and (B) excluding the use of a prescriptive laser device; the performance of a cosmetic medical procedure, as defined in section 19a-903c ; any practice, activity or treatment that constitutes the practice of medicine;
Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-265a(4) (“Esthetics” defined — exclusions) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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An aesthetician is not authorized to prescribe medication or provide medical treatment in the same manner as a dermatologist.
24 Del. C. §5124(1) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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Esthetics – the application of creams, lotions, scrubs, polishes, waxes, cosmetics, eyelashes, and other beauty treatments directly onto the skin to bring about a temporary improvement in appearance, excluding peels and microdermabrasion; and the removal of superfluous hair from the face and neck area of any person by the use of depilatories, waxing or tweezers. Master esthetics - esthetics and more specialized skincare treatments, including microdermabrasion, resurfacing, and chemical peel.
17 DCMR § 3799.1 (Definitions — “Esthetics”; “Master esthetics”) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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Florida's Board of Cosmetology defines microneedling, also called “collagen induction treatment or therapy,” as a procedure using a multi-needled device to create microchannels in the skin 0.25 – 2.5 mm deep. The rule states that “This piercing of the skin is beyond the scope of a Florida licensed cosmetologist or registered full or facial specialist.” Skin-care staff holding only a cosmetology license or a full or facial specialist registration therefore cannot perform this service.
Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G5-18.00015(2)(h) · verified Sep 20, 2026
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✅ GEORGIA EXCLUDES MEDICAL AESTHETICS FROM THE ESTHETICS LICENSE BY NAME, IN THE DEFINITION ITSELF. After listing the four practices an esthetician may perform, the statute closes: “SUCH PRACTICES OF ESTHETICS SHALL NOT INCLUDE THE DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, OR THERAPY OF ANY DERMATOLOGICAL CONDITION OR MEDICAL AESTHETICS OR THE USE OF LASERS.” Few states name “medical aesthetics” as a category and put it outside the license; Georgia does.
O.C.G.A. § 43-10-1(8) · verified Sep 2, 2026 · read at FindLaw Codes
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"Esthetician" means a person licensed in the State who, with hands or nonmedically prescribed mechanical or electrical apparatus or devices or by use of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams, engages for compensation in any of the following practices: (1) Massaging, cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exercising, beautifying, or doing similar work on the scalp, face, neck, hands, arms, bust, upper part of the body, legs, or feet; (2) Cleansing, exfoliating, wrapping, or doing similar work upon the entire body, without direct contact by the hands and utilizing gloves, loofah mitts, or brushes; or (3) Removing superfluous hair about the body of any person by means other than electrolysis.
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 439A-2 ("Esthetician") · verified Sep 8, 2026
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"Esthetics" means noninvasive care of the skin by application of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, creams and essential oils to cleanse, massage, exfoliate, hydrate and stimulate; makeup application; pore extraction; use of chemical exfoliants approved for professional esthetic use; particle exfoliation; use of any class I medical device, as classified by the United States food and drug administration, designed for care of the skin, except that a class II medical device designed for care of the skin may be used as directed and supervised by an authorized and licensed health care practitioner.
Idaho Code §54-5802(14) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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✅ ILLINOIS NAMES MICRONEEDLING AS THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, AND SETS NO DEPTH THAT MAKES IT LAWFUL. IDFPR has stated that the following are the practice of medicine and outside the scope of a cosmetologist or esthetician: botulinum toxin, chemical peels other than superficial peels, collagen injections, colonics, liposuction, microblading, microneedling and radiofrequency. Unlike the states that draw a depth line, Illinois puts the procedure itself on the far side of the license.
IDFPR Statement on Prohibited Practices (IDFPR/IDPH med spa memo) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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INDIANA’S ESTHETICIAN DEFINITION WAS READ IN FULL AND IS A CLOSED LIST WITH A MEDICAL CARVE-OUT. An esthetician is “A PERSON WHO ENGAGES SOLELY IN ONE (1) OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES”: “GIVING FACIALS, APPLYING MAKEUP, AND GIVING SKIN CARE”; “BEAUTIFYING, MASSAGING, OR CLEANING THE BODY WITH THE USE OF COSMETIC PREPARATIONS, ANTISEPTICS, TONICS, LOTIONS, OR CREAMS”; and removing superfluous hair “BY THE USE OF DEPILATORIES, WAXING, OR TWEEZERS”. The term expressly “DOES NOT INCLUDE PERFORMING ANY OF THE ACTS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (A)… IN TREATING AN ILLNESS OR A DISEASE” No act of puncturing appears — an absence in this definition.
Ind. Code § 25-8-2-9.5 · verified Sep 2, 2026
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Provide on-site review of medical aesthetic services performed by qualified licensed or certified nonphysician persons or qualified laser technicians each week and review at least 10 percent of patient charts for medical aesthetic services performed by qualified licensed or certified nonphysician persons or qualified laser technicians;
Iowa Admin. Code r. 481—655.6(5)(d) (Supervision) · verified Sep 4, 2026
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"Esthetician" means any person who, for compensation practices the profession of cosmetology only to the following extent: Eyebrow and eyelash services, cleansing, stimulating or performing any other noninvasive beautifying process on any skin surface by means of hands or mechanical or electrical appliances, other than electric needles, provided for esthetic rather than medical purposes; temporary hair removal from the face or any part of the body by use of the hands or mechanical or electrical appliances other than electric needles; or using cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, lotions, creams or other preparations in performing any of the practices described in this subsection.
Kan. Stat. Ann. §65-1901(f) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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No person shall engage in the practice of cosmetology, esthetic practices, or nail technology for other than cosmetic purposes nor shall any person engage in the practice of cosmetology, esthetic practices, or nail technology for the treatment of physical or mental ailments. This chapter does not apply to persons authorized by the law of this state to practice medicine, podiatry, optometry, dentistry, chiropractic, nursing, or embalming who perform incidental practices of cosmetology, esthetic practices, and nail technology in the normal course of the practice of their profession.
Ky. Rev. Stat. §317A.020(1) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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No license or permit issued by the board authorizes the performance of any of the following services in a salon licensed by the board: micro-needling; micro-blading; services or procedures which penetrate or invade the live tissue or dermis by any means including but not limited to the use of instruments or product insertion, puncturing, cutting, needling or chemical exfoliation.
La. Admin. Code tit. 46, pt. XXXI, § 717(A)(3)-(5) (Prohibited Services) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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The practice of aesthetics under this subsection does not include the diagnosis, treatment or therapy of any dermatological condition.
32 M.R.S. §14202(7) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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“Provide esthetic services” means to provide to an individual, for compensation, the service of: (i) cleansing, exercising, exfoliating, massaging, cosmetic microneedling, stimulating, toning, or performing any other similar procedure on the skin or scalp by electrical, mechanical, or any other means; “Provide esthetic services” does not include: (i) the diagnosis of illness, disease, or injury; or (ii) performing ablation of the dermis or hypodermis.
Md. Code, Bus. Occ. & Prof. §5-101(o)(1)(i), (3) (“Provide esthetic services” — cosmetic microneedling included; ablation of the dermis excluded) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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⚠️ MASSACHUSETTS PUTS A CEILING ON AESTHETICS WITHOUT SAYING WHERE IT SITS. The defined acts are “CLEANSING, STIMULATING, MANIPULATING AND BEAUTIFYING OF THE SKIN USING HANDS, MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES, COSMETIC PREPARATIONS, TONICS, LOTIONS OR CREAMS” — and then the limit: “PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT AESTHETICS ONLY INCLUDES METHODS THAT ARE MINIMALLY INVASIVE AND POSE A MINIMAL RISK TO THE PUBLIC’S HEALTH AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD.” The statute does not itself say whether a needling device clears that bar; it hands that judgment to the board.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 87T (definition of “Aesthetics”) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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✅ MICHIGAN ANSWERS THIS WITH A HARD DEPTH CEILING, IN ONE SENTENCE. Having listed the skin care services an esthetician or cosmetologist may perform, the statute closes: “AS APPLICABLE, A SKIN CARE SERVICE DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (2) MUST BE LIMITED TO AN INDIVIDUAL’S STRATUM CORNEUM.” Microneedling is designed to puncture past that layer, and it appears nowhere in the list of permitted services.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 339.1210(3) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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Minnesota's cosmetology rules set out a separate advanced practice esthetics scope: “Subp. 5. Advanced practice esthetic services. The practice of advanced practice (AP) esthetics is the cosmetic treatment of the epidermal layer of the skin. AP esthetics includes esthetic services in subpart 2 and:” the services listed in that subpart. That list includes “skin needling,” along with advanced exfoliation and advanced skin care treatments. The same subpart also provides that laser, as identified in Minnesota Statutes, section 147.081, subdivision 3, as the practice of medicine, “is not an advanced practice esthetic service.”
Minn. R. 2105.0105, subp. 5 · verified Sep 20, 2026
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“Esthetics” means any one (1) or a combination of the following practices: (i) Massaging the face or neck of a person. (ii) Arching eyebrows to include trimming, tweezing, waxing, threading or any other method of epilation. (iii) Tinting eyelashes or eyebrows. (iv) Waxing. (v) Stimulating, cleaning or beautifying the face, neck, arms or legs of a person by any method with the aid of the hands or any mechanical or electrical apparatus, or by the use of a cosmetic preparation. The terms “cosmetology,” barbering,” “esthetics” and “nail technology” shall not include the diagnosis, treatment or therapy of any dermatological condition.
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-7-2 (“Esthetics”) · verified Sep 8, 2026
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"Class E - estheticians" includes the use of mechanical, electrical apparatuses or appliances, or by the use of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions or creams, not to exceed ten percent phenol, engages for compensation, either directly or indirectly, in any one, or any combination, of the following practices: massaging, cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exercising, beautifying or similar work upon the scalp, face, neck, ears, arms, hands, bust, torso, legs or feet and removing superfluous hair by means other than electric needle or any other means of arching or tinting eyebrows or tinting eyelashes, of any person.
Mo. Rev. Stat. §329.010(5)(d) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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In Response 6, which addresses cosmetic treatments like “microdermabrasion, microneedling, and chemical peels”, the Board states that “A licensee with the proper training can perform microdermabrasion and chemical peels.” It also states that “Any procedure that compromises the germinative or basal layers of the skin are prohibited for individuals licensed by the Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.”
Mont. Bd. of Barbers & Cosmetologists, Med Spa FAQ (Jan. 2024), Question 6 / Response 6 · verified Sep 20, 2026
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THE BOARD BOUNDS ESTHETICS TO THE SURFACE, WHICH IS WHERE A MICRONEEDLING QUESTION IS ANSWERED. 002.02 ESTHETICS . The definition of esthetics is set out in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-1026. The practice of esthetics is upon the skin or epidermis. The rule bounds the license to the epidermis and does not name microneedling.
Neb. Admin. Code tit. 172, ch. 36, § 002.02 (esthetics is practiced UPON THE EPIDERMIS) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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Except as otherwise provided in this section, a licensee shall not perform any invasive procedure that includes, without limitation: (c) The penetration of the skin by needles; The provisions of paragraph (c) of subsection 1 do not apply to the use of needles by a licensed advanced esthetician for the purpose of microneedling, microchanneling or dermarolling if: (a) The gauge and penetration of the needles do not exceed 1.5 mm, unless the advanced esthetician is being directly supervised by a health care professional; and (b) The needles are not used for an ablative esthetic medical procedure, to remove blood or to inject any substance, including, without limitation, a controlled substance.
Nev. Admin. Code §644A.790(1)(c), (3) (Prohibited invasive procedures; exceptions) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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Esthetics means giving facials, applying makeup, giving therapeutic skin care treatments, removing superfluous hair, or applying eyelashes to any person; beautifying the face, neck, arms, and shoulders, by use of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams; massaging, cleansing, or stimulating the face, neck, arms, and shoulders, by means of the hands, devices, apparatus, or appliances, with the use of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions, or creams; or providing pedicure and manicure services.
N.H. Rev. Stat. §313-A:1, VIII (“Esthetics” defined) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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✅ NEW JERSEY DRAWS THE LINE AT THE STRATUM CORNEUM, WHICH IS THE LAYER MICRONEEDLING IS DESIGNED TO CROSS. A cosmetology licensee shall not “PERFORM OR OFFER TO PERFORM MASSAGING, CLEANSING OR STIMULATING OF THE SKIN, WITH OR WITHOUT COSMETIC PREPARATIONS, BY HAND, MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES, BELOW THE STRATUM CORNEUM, THEREBY AFFECTING THE LIVING CELLS OF THE EPIDERMIS.” Doing so “SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE ENGAGED IN UNLAWFUL PRACTICE PURSUANT TO N.J.S.A. 45:5B-13(E)”.
N.J.A.C. 13:28-2.15(a), (b)(2) · verified Sep 2, 2026 · read at Cornell Legal Information Institute
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NEW MEXICO CLOSES THE ESTHETICIAN LIST, WHICH IS HOW THE MICRONEEDLING QUESTION IS ANSWERED. 16.34.5.12 ESTHETICIAN LICENSE: an esthetician license permits the practitioner to use cosmetic preparations on the skin for cleansing and stimulating, apply massage and manipulation techniques using the hands or mechanical apparatus, use specialized skin care and facial machines in applying facial treatments, apply cosmetic makeup preparations, and remove superfluous or unwanted hair from the body of a person by any means except electrolysis or other invasive techniques and shaving. An esthetician shall not perform any services other than those listed above. To do so may lead to revocation of the license or other disciplinary action by the board.
16.34.5.12 NMAC (a CLOSED list, and invasive techniques are excluded by name) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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Microneedling/Dermalrolling (Collagen Induction Therapy) Cosmetic procedure that involves repeatedly puncturing the skin with tiny, sterile needles to induce collagen and elastin production; penetrates into the deep dermis.
NY Dept. of State, Appearance Enhancement Licensees — Procedural Service Determinations (Procedure Licensure Chart), row “Microneedling/Dermalrolling”, column “NYS Education Dept. License” · verified Sep 3, 2026
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NORTH CAROLINA’S STATUTORY DEFINITION OF ESTHETICS WAS READ IN FULL AND REACHES THE SURFACE ONLY. It covers “GIVING FACIALS; APPLYING MAKEUP; PERFORMING SKIN CARE”, hair removal “BY USE OF CREAMS, TWEEZERS, OR WAXING”, eyelash work, beautifying “BY USE OF COSMETIC PREPARATIONS, ANTISEPTICS, TONICS, LOTIONS, OR CREAMS”, “SURFACE MANIPULATION IN RELATION TO SKIN CARE”, and “CLEANING OR STIMULATING” the body “BY MEANS OF HANDS, DEVICES, APPARATUS, OR APPLIANCES ALONG WITH THE USE OF COSMETIC PREPARATIONS, ANTISEPTICS, TONICS, LOTIONS, OR CREAMS.” Every device use in the definition is paired with a topical preparation; no act of puncturing appears. An absence in the definition.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 88B-2(11a) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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"Advanced esthetics" means the practice of advanced cosmetic preparations or procedures using the hands or a mechanical or electronic apparatus for esthetic purposes. a. The term includes: (1) Advanced chemical peels; (2) Microneedling; (3) Nonablative procedures; and (4) Extractions using lancets. b. The term does not include: (1) Procedures to treat a medical, physical, or mental ailment; or (2) Ablative esthetic procedures.
N.D. Cent. Code § 43-11-01(3) (“Advanced esthetics” defined — microneedling) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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OHIO’S STATUTORY DEFINITION OF ESTHETICS WAS READ IN FULL AND AUTHORIZES NOTHING THAT BREAKS THE SKIN. “PRACTICE OF ESTHETICS” MEANS “THE APPLICATION OF COSMETICS, TONICS, ANTISEPTICS, CREAMS, LOTIONS, OR OTHER PREPARATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SKIN BEAUTIFICATION AND INCLUDES PREPARATION OF THE SKIN BY MANUAL MASSAGE TECHNIQUES OR BY USE OF ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, OR OTHER APPARATUS; ENHANCEMENT OF THE SKIN BY SKIN CARE, FACIALS, BODY TREATMENTS, HAIR REMOVAL, AND OTHER TREATMENTS; AND EYE LASH EXTENSION SERVICES.” Microneedling is not named, and neither is any act of puncturing. This is an absence in the definition, not a finding that Ohio prohibits it.
Ohio Rev. Code § 4713.01(GG) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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Scope of practice for Cosmetologists and Facialists/Estheticians: cosmetology expressly does not include services that puncture the skin or that are within the scope of practice of the healing arts pursuant to 59 O.S., § 199.1 and OAC 175:1-1-2. “puncturing the skin” is defined as perforating the skin by any means, including, but not limited to: (C) Microneedling or “collagen induction treatment or therapy,” which is a procedure that uses a multi-needled device to create microchannels in the skin at a depth greater than 0.25 mm to stimulate the body’s natural healing process while minimizing cellular damage;
Okla. Admin. Code § 175:10-7-29(a), (a)(1)(C) (Scope of practice for Cosmetologists and Facialists/Estheticians — microneedling is puncturing the skin) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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An esthetician is limited to performing services with mechanical or electric apparatuses, appliances, or devices that do not penetrate beyond the epidermis except through natural physiological effects as defined in OAR 817-015-0045. An esthetician may use mechanical or electrical apparatuses, appliances, or devices that include, but are not limited to, the following: (f) Mechanical or electrical apparatuses, appliances, or devices used for nanoneedling, microneedling, and similar procedures;
Or. Admin. R. 817-015-0040(1), (2)(f) (Definition of Esthetics Device) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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PENNSYLVANIA’S DEFINITION OF ESTHETICS WAS READ IN FULL AND DESCRIBES SURFACE WORK ONLY. It is “THE PRACTICE OF MASSAGING THE FACE, APPLYING COSMETIC PREPARATIONS, ANTISEPTICS, TONICS, LOTIONS OR CREAMS TO THE FACE, REMOVING SUPERFLUOUS HAIR BY TWEEZERS, DEPILATORIES OR WAXES, EYELASH PERMING AND THE DYEING OF EYELASHES AND EYEBROWS”, and “THE TERM INCLUDES THE USE OF INDUSTRY STANDARD MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES IN THE PRACTICE OF ESTHETICS.” The apparatus clause carries no depth or penetration language, and nothing in the definition describes puncturing skin. An absence in this definition.
49 Pa. Code § 7.1 (definition of “Esthetics”) · verified Sep 2, 2026 · read at Cornell Legal Information Institute
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“Esthetics” means the practice of cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, and beautifying skin, including, but not limited to, the treatment of such skin problems as dehydration, temporary capillary dilation, excessive oiliness, and clogged pores.
R.I. Gen. Laws §5-10-1(8) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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⚠️ SOUTH CAROLINA DEFINES THE ESTHETICIAN BY PURPOSE, AND THE PURPOSE IS THE SURFACE OF THE SKIN. "Esthetician" means a person including, but not limited to, an independent contractor, who is licensed to practice skin care, make-up, or similar work. Skin care is for the sole purpose of beautifying the skin. Nothing in that definition reaches puncturing the skin, and microneedling is not named anywhere in Chapter 13. An operator should read this as the limit of the COSMETOLOGY license, not as a statewide ban — the medical side of the line is §40-47-20(36).
S.C. Code §40-13-20(5) (definition of “Esthetician” — skin care for the SOLE PURPOSE of beautifying the skin) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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A person is engaged in the practice of esthetics if that person, for compensation, a fee, or any valuable consideration, engages in beautifying, massaging, cleansing, exfoliating, stimulating, or applying oils, creams, cosmetic preparations, make-up, facial treatments, body treatments, body wraps, antiseptics, scrubs, clays, lotions, masks, waxes, or other preparations for the noninvasive care of the skin. For purposes of this subdivision, noninvasive means confined to the nonliving cells of the stratum corneum of the epidermis. Such practices shall be in a superficial mode and not for the treatment of medical disorders, and living cells may never be altered, cut, or damaged.
S.D. Codified Laws §36-15-2.2(1) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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Only the non-living, uppermost layers of facial skin, known as the epidermis, may be removed, and only for the purpose of beautification. Skin removal techniques and practices which affect the living layers of facial skin, known as the dermis, are prohibited. Only commercially available products may be used, and mixing or combining skin removal products is prohibited except as required by manufacturer instructions. Licensed aestheticians may use alphahydroxy acid salon exfoliation products that do not exceed thirty percent (30%) concentration. Such products should have a pH of 3.0 or above.
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0440-02-.16 (rev. Dec 2025) · verified Aug 29, 2026
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TDLR's medspa services chart lists each service offered at a med spa alongside the agency that regulates it. The entry reads “Microneedling (Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections/Vampire facials) Texas Medical Board”, placing that service under the Texas Medical Board rather than under a TDLR license.
TDLR, MedSpas at a Glance, Service/Who Regulates chart (Microneedling) · verified Sep 20, 2026
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For a nonablative cosmetic medical procedure other than hair removal under Subsection (2), Subsection (3)(b) states: the supervisor supervising the procedure shall: (i) have an unrestricted license to practice medicine or advanced practice registered nursing; (ii) personally perform the nonablative cosmetic medical procedure or: (A) authorize and provide general cosmetic medical procedure supervision for the nonablative cosmetic medical procedure that is performed by a registered nurse or a master esthetician; or (B) authorize and provide supervision as provided in Chapter 70a, Utah Physician Assistant Act, for the nonablative cosmetic medical procedure that is performed by a physician assistant; and (C) authorize and provide direct cosmetic medical procedure supervision for the nonablative cosmetic medical procedure that is performed by an esthetician or a practical nurse; [continuing Subsection (3)(b):] (iii) verify that a person to whom the supervisor delegates a procedure under Subsection (3)(b): (A) has received appropriate training regarding the medical procedures to be performed; (B) has an unrestricted license and is acting within the person's scope of practice under this title; and (C) is qualified under Subsection (2)(f)(iii).
Utah Code § 58-1-506(3)(b) (Supervision of cosmetic medical procedures) · verified Sep 4, 2026
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Esthetics means services related to skin-care treatments to enhance or improve the appearance of the skin, including cleansing, toning, stimulating, manipulating, beautifying, exfoliating, or performing any similar procedure on the human body using only cosmetic preparations, hands, mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances, tonics, lotions, creams, or makeup; beautifying lashes and brows; and removing unwanted hair using manual and mechanical means.
Vt. Stat. tit. 26, §1(4)(A) (“Esthetics” defined) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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⚠️ VIRGINIA SETTLES THIS BY DEFINITION RATHER THAN BY NAMING THE PROCEDURE. “ESTHETICS IS NOT A HEALING ART AND SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY PRACTICE, ACTIVITY, OR TREATMENT THAT CONSTITUTES THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, OR CHIROPRACTIC.” The licensed acts are surface acts — “CLEANSING, TONING, PERFORMING EFFLEURAGE OR OTHER RELATED MOVEMENTS, STIMULATING, EXFOLIATING, OR PERFORMING ANY OTHER SIMILAR PROCEDURE ON THE SKIN” — and every device permitted is qualified as “ANY NONLASER DEVICE.” Microneedling is nowhere in the definition, so the question in Virginia is whether puncturing skin is the practice of medicine, not whether an esthetics license lists it.
Va. Code § 54.1-700 (definition of “esthetics”) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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⚠️ WASHINGTON HAS TWO ESTHETICS LICENSES, AND THE ANSWER DIFFERS BETWEEN THEM. The ordinary “PRACTICE OF ESTHETICS” is surface work — “SUPERFICIAL AND LIGHT PEELS”, “SUPERFICIAL SKIN STIMULATION”, “PORE EXTRACTION”, by any device “EXCEPT LASER” — and it closes with a flat exclusion: “UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DOES THE PRACTICE OF ESTHETICS INCLUDE THE ADMINISTRATION OF INJECTIONS.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 18.16.020(30) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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WEST VIRGINIA ENUMERATES WHAT AESTHETICS IS, SO THE MICRONEEDLING ANSWER IS READ OFF THE LIST RATHER THAN INFERRED. “Aesthetics” or “esthetics” means any one or any combination of the following acts when done on the human body for compensation and not for the treatment of disease: (1) Administering cosmetic treatments to enhance or improve the appearance of the skin, including cleansing, toning, performing effleurage or other related movements, stimulating, exfoliating, or performing any other similar procedure on the skin of the human body or scalp; The list is closed — "any one or any combination of the following acts" — and every act on it is worked ON the skin. Microneedling punctures it. Nothing in this definition describes penetrating the skin, and the whole definition is bounded by "not for the treatment of disease".
W. Va. Code § 30-27-3(a) (aesthetics is a CLOSED list of surface acts, and none of them break skin) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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✅ WISCONSIN ANSWERS THIS DIRECTLY — AND IT IS ONE OF THE FEW THAT DOES. Microneedling is listed by name as a DELEGATED MEDICAL PROCEDURE, and the rule that governs those says licensees “MAY PROVIDE CLIENT SERVICES CONSTITUTING MEDICAL PROCEDURES ONLY AS DIRECTED, SUPERVISED AND INSPECTED BY A PHYSICIAN WHO HAS THE POWER TO DIRECT, DECIDE AND OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLIENT SERVICES PROVIDED IN LICENSED ESTABLISHMENTS.” So an esthetician may perform it, but only under that physician relationship — not on an esthetics license alone.
Wis. Admin. Code § Cos 2.025(1), (2)(d) · verified Sep 2, 2026
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Within the esthetics scope of practice: (v) Procedures which pierce the epidermal or dermal layer of the skin are considered invasive and are prohibited. (vi) Using the term or title of "Medical Esthetician" is not allowed.
Wyo. Bd. of Cosmetology Rules ch. 1 § 6(c)(v)-(vi) (Scope of Practice — Esthetics; ref. 033.0001.1.04012026) · verified Sep 7, 2026
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