Professional Ethics, Regulations, and Career Development
Professional Ethics, Regulations, and Career Development tests scope of practice, licensing, insurance, truthful advertising, and continuing education. Expect questions on referrals, confidentiality, and what a makeup artist legally may not do.
Core rules
- Work within scope. Makeup artists do not diagnose skin disease, prescribe medication, perform injectables, or do permanent makeup without the required license and training. Refer medical concerns.
- Follow local licensing, sanitation, and business rules. Carry liability insurance and keep certificates current.
- Obtain informed consent for services and image use. Protect client privacy, including messages and photographs.
- Advertise truthfully. Do not claim cures, permanent results, or official certifications you do not hold. Cosmetic claims that alter structure or function can cross into drug claims under FDA rules.
- Continue education in sanitation, skin safety, and new products; keep product knowledge current and document training.
Worked example
A client asks you to inject lip filler because she likes your makeup. Reasoning: injecting is outside a makeup artist's scope and illegal without a medical license. Decline, explain the boundary, and refer to a qualified clinician. Do not sell an unapproved product as an alternative.
Traps
Promising permanent results, using before-and-after photos without consent, practicing outside scope, ignoring insurance, and making medical claims for cosmetics.