Michigan Laws and Administrative Rules Governing Natural Hair Culturists
Licensing and scope
Michigan licenses natural hair culturists through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) under the Public Health Code, Article 15, Part 161, with the Board of Cosmetology. The license authorizes shampooing, conditioning, and styling natural hair: braiding, cornrowing, twisting, locking, weaving, and hair extensions. Training is 400 hours at a licensed school, followed by written and practical exams; the license must be displayed at the licensed facility.
The scope stops short of haircutting, hair coloring or bleaching, chemical relaxing, and permanent waving. Those services need a cosmetology or barber license. A natural hair culturist may use non-chemical styling preparations, but must not diagnose or treat scalp disease and must refer suspicious conditions.
Worked example
A client asks for “just a tiny trim” before cornrows. The culturist explains that cutting is outside the natural hair culturist license, even for split ends, and refers the client to a licensed cosmetologist or barber. She then shampoos, conditions, detangles, and braids. The reasoning: scope is set by license type, not by the size of the cut; performing it would be unauthorized practice.
Traps
Do not assume “natural” means any service without a relaxer. Do not let an unlicensed assistant braid for pay. Do not treat a license as transferable to another facility without proper establishment licensure. Keep the license and establishment license current and displayed.