Salon staff in a US state will soon be trained to recognise signs of domestic abuse.

A new law about to be introduced in the US state of Illinois means that licenced beauty professionals will be trained to recognise signs of domestic abuse and sexual assault in their customers.

Hairdressers, cosmetologists, nail technicians and barbers will be required to take an hour-long course that is designed to teach them to recognise the signs of abuse and ways to address it with their customers.

The state Representative who sponsored the bill, Fran Hurley, believes there is a unique "openness and freeness" to the relationships such workers have with their regular customers.

"[The] relationship...last years or decades between the client and the cosmetologist. They're in a position to see something that may or may not be right," Hurley told the Chicago Tribune.

While the training won't require them to report any incidents, it will allow workers to be better equipped at dealing with such sensitive situations.

It also offers victims one more place they are able to turn to for help and support. Some see their hairdressers, or the beauticians they see on a regular basis, as a close friend and someone they are able to share the goings-on of their lives with.

Chicago Says No More, an organisation dedicated to addressing the challenges of domestic violence and sexual assault in the Chicago metro area, are considering efforts to include other professions - like bartenders - in domestic violence training.

While many salon workers have welcomed the change, others are wary about having the power to "make or break somebody's family".

"It's heavy on the heart," said Analie Papageorge, the owner of a Salon and Beauty Academy in the state.