Personal Care, Beauty, and Cosmetology Insurance

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Insureon has helped small businesses secure over 1.5 million policies.

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Recommended insurance policies for beauty and personal care professionals

From barbershops and nail salons to microblading and massage body work, your business can survive costly accidents with the right coverage. Gain financial protection against property damage, injuries, and lawsuits with policies designed for personal care professionals.

General liability insurance icon

General liability insurance

This policy covers common cosmetology and personal care risks, such as a customer injury at a salon. Bundle it with commercial property insurance for savings in a BOP.

BEST FOR
  • Slip-and-fall accidents
  • Damage to a customer's personal property
  • Product liability insurance
Business owner’s policy icon

Business owner’s policy

A BOP bundles commercial property insurance and general liability coverage at a discount. It's typically the most cost-effective way to insure a personal care or cosmetology business.

BEST FOR
  • Customer bodily injuries
  • Damaged business property
  • Business interruption incidents
Professional liability insurance icon

Professional liability insurance

Professional liability insurance for estheticians and other beauty professionals, also called malpractice insurance, covers lawsuits related to work quality.

BEST FOR
  • Lawsuits over harm caused by a treatment
  • Failure to produce promised results
  • Mistakes, such as wrong hair dye
Workers’ compensation insurance icon

Workers’ compensation insurance

Most states require workers' comp for beauty industry businesses that have employees. It also protects sole proprietors from work injury costs that health insurance might deny.

BEST FOR
  • Employee medical expenses
  • Disability benefits
  • Lawsuits over employee injuries
Cyber liability icon

Cyber insurance

Cyber insurance covers costs related to data breaches and cyberattacks. It's strongly recommended for personal care businesses that handle credit card numbers, email addresses, and other personal information.

BEST FOR
  • Data breach notification costs
  • Fraud monitoring services
  • Cyber incident investigations
Commercial auto insurance icon

Commercial auto insurance

Commercial auto insurance covers the cost of accidents involving a vehicle owned by your personal care business. Most states require this coverage for vehicles owned by a business.

BEST FOR
  • Property damage caused by your vehicle
  • Legal costs from auto accidents
  • Vehicle theft and vandalism
Looking for different coverage? See more policies.

How much does personal care, beauty, and cosmetology insurance cost?

Personal care professional calculating the cost of business insurance.

Several factors contribute to the cost of insurance coverage for barbers, med spas, and massage therapists, including:

  • The type of services offered, such as permanent makeup or spa treatments
  • Business equipment and property
  • Your annual business revenue
  • Where your business operates
  • Number of employees on staff
  • Deductibles and other insurance options
View Costs

How do I get personal care business insurance?

It's easy to get business insurance for estheticians, barbers, makeup artists, and masseuses if you have your company information on hand. Our application will ask for basic facts about your small business, such as revenue and number of employees. You can buy a policy online and get a certificate of insurance with Insureon in three easy steps:

  1. Complete a free online application
  2. Compare insurance quotes and choose a policy
  3. Pay for your policy and download a certificate for proof of insurance

Insureon's licensed insurance agents work with top-rated U.S. companies to find the right insurance plan for your personal care business, whether you're an independent contractor, salon owner, or run a day spa.

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Common questions about personal care and cosmetology insurance policies

Do I need cosmetologist insurance if I'm self-employed?

If you’re a self-employed hairdresser or makeup artist, you might not be required by law to carry insurance. However, having coverage can help you fulfill the terms of a contract, such as renting a booth in a salon or barbershop. It also boosts your credibility and protects your business from financial risks in the event someone sues you.

Depending on your line of work, your state might require you to carry a professional liability insurance policy to provide specific beauty services or work at certain facilities. A type of cosmetology liability insurance, this policy covers lawsuits from clients who claim your services caused harm.

Your personal auto and health insurance policies likely won’t cover work-related incidents, such as a car collision involving a business-owned vehicle or an on-site work injury. That means you might have to pay hefty medical bills or state penalties for not having the proper insurance.

If you drive your own vehicle for work, you may want to consider hired and non-owned insurance (HNOA). And if you operate a mobile salon business with a company-owned van, you'll likely be required to carry commercial auto insurance.

Carrying a workers' compensation plan, even if you have no employees, can financially protect you if you're unable to work due to an on-the-job injury or illness, as well as cover your medical expenses.

Do I need a license for my personal care business?

Every state has licensing requirements for personal care providers, beauticians, and cosmetologists.

Most professional cosmetologists and beauty providers are required to complete schooling, such as cosmetology school, nail technician school, or esthetician school, before applying for a license. Some professions require additional licenses depending on the services you intend to offer.

In fact, a few states require a specific license if hairstylists offer braiding services. And to work as a nail technician, either as your own boss, at your own salon, or as a manicurist for someone else, you must obtain the proper license.

Failing to meet your state’s requirements and working without a license or certification could result in hefty fines from your state board of cosmetology or your local department of health.

Do I need social media insurance for my personal care services business?

Sharing customer photos on social media can be a great way to promote your business. People love to see the final outcome of your services, from shampooing to hair styling, waxing to skin care, and health care treatments.

However, sharing photos of your customers also comes with unique risks. You must get permission to use the photos on your website or social accounts.

Selfies are popular, and can give your business some organic social media attention. However, unless an image has a Creative Commons copyright, which is rare, you could face legal action if you share something that was taken by another person without their permission.

It’s essential to protect your business with social media insurance. Even a frivolous claim of invasion of privacy or copyright infringement can be financially devastating to defend.

Commercial general liability coverage typically protects against copyright and privacy issues, as well as advertising injuries if your business is forced to defend legal actions or pay a settlement.

If I sell beauty care products, do I need cosmetic product liability insurance?

If a product you sell or apply to your customer causes an adverse reaction, cosmetics product liability insurance can help pay your legal defense fees and the cost of a settlement.

For example, a hair salon might sell another company's bottled hair dye. If a customer has a serious allergic reaction to the dye, this policy would cover the salon's legal fees.

Specifically, product liability insurance can provide coverage for:

  • Injury caused by a product. If a beauty or personal care product you made or sold causes a bodily injury, product liability insurance can cover the cost of hiring an attorney. It would also cover the resulting settlement or court-ordered judgment.
  • Illness caused by a product. This insurance coverage protects against illnesses caused by products sold or manufactured by your business. That includes a beauty product that causes an allergic reaction.

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