Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday suggested a slight trim to the legislative effort to end the requirement that hair braiders get a state cosmetology license to give their customers African-style braids.

Critics say the rule is costly and time consuming, and has little to do with the act or styling of braids, a centuries old technique created in West Africa.

Currently, the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling requires all hairstylists and barbers to be licensed to operate, which means enrolling in beauty school.

But hair braiders say the $17,000 price tag of beauty school along with the 1,200 hours of training, most of which are topics not devoted to braiding, does not benefit them.

People who braid hair without the necessary license run the risk of arrest.

The legislation sought to fix the problem.

However, Murphy conditionally vetoed the measure on Monday and recommended some changes he said would benefit braiders and the consumers.

"I believe a more equitable approach to balancing regulatory relief with consumer safety is to reduce -- rather than remove -- the requirements necessary for hair braiding licensure," Murphy said in his veto message.

The governor suggested 40-to-50 hours of training, far less than the 1,2000 hours the cosmetology license requires.

State Assemblywoman Shanique Speight, one of the prime sponsors of the bill, A-3754 said Monday she agrees with the governor's recommendations.

"I wasn't upset at all," Speight, D-Essex, said. "I totally understand that there are some things that need to be changed on it."

The bill had bi-partisan support in the Legislature.

In May, NJ Advance Media reported on Melek Ustunluk, a hair braider based out of Clifton who makes a living off of creating unique designs on her clients' heads. Ustunluk was arrested in 2014 for braiding hair without a license.

"It was crazy, they treated it as if it was a drug bust or something," Ustunluk said. "They had a list that said I did bleaching, coloring and curls, but I'm just a braider."

A Passaic judge later dismissed the charges.

The law requiring a license for cosmetologists or barbers, which many argue unfairly affects hair braiders, has been in effect since 1984.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Taylor Tiamoyo Harris and Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.