GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Estheticians and cosmetologists are objecting to a proposed rule change in Michigan that would prevent them from performing certain procedures that they say are a large part of their business.

The suggested changes from the Michigan State Board of Cosmetology include prohibiting the use of a blade to cut, shave or remove any layer of the skin; limit microdermabrasion, dermaplaning and hyrdodermabrasion procedures to health care professionals only; and prevent the use of any device, apparatus, appliance or product that abrades and resurfaced the skin.

“These rule changes will put our industry out of business,” Rachel Harned, owner of Bombshell Blow Dry Bar and board chair member for the Michigan Association of Beauty Professionals, said. “Services that now estheticians are performing that weren’t illegal prior to this, they’re now making them illegal and they’re doing this without anybody knowing.”

The board, which meets four times a year, held its second session Monday. It previously drafted the rule change language, which will be presented Tuesday morning to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

There are several petitions circulating among independent beauty professionals that encourage licensed members to participate in Tuesday’s public hearing. Harned said she will petition the board to pause the changes. If approved, they would go into effect seven days after they’re submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office.

“My main focus is to ask them to pause what they’re doing,” she said, “to not pass this new rule or revision and to really consider that they have not utilized their stakeholders, which are the estheticians and cosmetologists, to look at and revise the law together to make sure that this law makes sense for everybody and it actually follows the scope of practice.”