How to Become a Trichologist in Georgia: License Guide

To become a trichologist in Georgia, you complete trichology education, pass a certification exam through the AMCA, and gain supervised experience. Georgia has no state exam for the title. What the state does regulate is hands-on work, so learning how to become a trichologist in Georgia also means learning what the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers licenses and how the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) describes scalp services.

This article reports the Board's page, its rules and the text of O.C.G.A. 43-10-1 as revised by Senate Bill 354 (2024), all opened on October 3, 2026. The code may have been amended since that bill, so check the current version. This is education, not legal advice.

Who regulates hair and scalp services in Georgia?

One combined board does. The Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers sits within the Licensing Division of the Georgia Secretary of State's Office. O.C.G.A. 43-10-1 defines "Board" as the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers, and the Board's rules are published as Department 240 of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia.

The Board's page lists hearings and meetings at an office in Macon. It also carries a notice that paper applications are no longer accepted and that applicants must use the GOALS portal.

Is there a trichologist license in Georgia?

The Board's license list does not include a trichologist license. Its how-to guides, read October 3, 2026, cover master cosmetologist, hair designer, esthetician, nail technician, master barber and barber II, plus instructors, apprentices, salons, barber shops and schools. The definitions in O.C.G.A. 43-10-1 do not use the word trichologist.

Board Rule 240-6-.03 describes the same set. It says any person who wants to practice "at the master cosmetologist, master barber, barber II, hair designer, esthetician or nail technician level" in Georgia must apply for a license.

So "trichologist license Georgia" is not something the Board issues. Trichology certification is a professional credential earned through education and an exam. The national background is in do trichologists need a license.

How does Georgia law define scalp services?

Georgia's code ties scalp work to barbers and cosmetologists by name. O.C.G.A. 43-10-1 defines barbering to include "giving facial or scalp massages" and "giving facial or scalp treatment with oils or cream or other preparations made for this purpose, either by hand or by means of mechanical appliances." The cosmetologist definition uses nearly identical words.

What makes Georgia distinctive is how unevenly the scalp appears across its license levels. The table summarizes the definitions as printed in Senate Bill 354 (2024, as passed).

Two other lines in the Georgia text are worth knowing:

• Esthetics and medical conditions. The code says the practices of esthetics "shall not include the diagnosis, treatment, or therapy of any dermatological condition."
• Shampooing and blow-dry styling. Senate Bill 354 added that the cosmetologist definition does not apply to a person whose activities are limited to applying cosmetics, shampooing and blow-dry styling, and "no other practices requiring a license."

For anyone searching "scalp services license Georgia," that last point needs care. A shampoo exemption is not a scalp treatment exemption. Scalp massage and scalp treatment with preparations remain in the barber and cosmetologist definitions.

What are the steps to become a trichologist in Georgia?

There are four: work out your license position, complete trichology education, pass a certification exam, and practice under supervision. The Board governs the first. The other three are about trichology knowledge and apply equally in Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta or Macon.

1. Work out your license position. Master cosmetologists, master barbers and barber II licensees have scalp language in their definitions. Hair designers and estheticians should ask the Board before adding scalp services. If you hold no license, build your plan around education and consultation.
2. Take trichology classes. USTI's pathway has three steps: the Hair Loss Practitioner course, then Associate Trichologist, then Clinical training. See the trichology pathway.
3. Sit the certification exam. USTI certification exams are through the AMCA (American Medical Certification Association). AMCA lists the Associate Trichologist Certification exam at 100 questions in 2 hours, and the Trichologist Certification exam at 200 questions in 3 hours 30 minutes. Our Associate Trichologist exam guide explains how to prepare.
4. Build supervised experience. Clinical training and mentorship develop consultation, scalp imaging, documentation and referral skills.

Is there a trichology school in Georgia?

You do not need one nearby. USTI's Hair Loss Practitioner course is a 2 day live virtual class with educators, so it can be attended from anywhere in the state. Trichology school is not one of the school types defined in O.C.G.A. 43-10-1, which covers schools of barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hair design and nail care, and it does not lead to a Board license.

Georgia barbers can also look at the barber trichology course and our article on trichology for barbers.

What can you do with and without a Georgia license?

Certification gives you knowledge and a credential. It does not change what the Board lets you do with your hands for compensation. Georgia's definitions are built around services performed for pay, so sort your work into three groups and ask the Board about anything that is not clearly on one side.

Education and consultation. Teaching hair and scalp science, taking a client history, looking at the scalp, explaining cosmetic options and recommending a medical visit are knowledge-based. If you hold no Georgia license, ask the Board whether any step in your consultation counts as a listed service.

Hands-on services. Scalp massage and scalp treatment with oils, creams or other preparations are in the barber and cosmetologist definitions. Offer them under a license level whose definition lists them, in a licensed salon or shop where one is required.

Medical matters. A trichologist is not a physician. Do not diagnose, treat or prescribe. Recognize what you see, support the client, and refer. Our guide on when to refer a client to a dermatologist covers the warning signs.

How do you check Georgia rules before you offer a service?

Go to the Board's page on sos.ga.gov. It links to FAQs, Rules and Regulations, how-to guides for each license, application status through Georgia Online Licensing, and a list of Board-issued cease and desist orders. Read the current text of O.C.G.A. 43-10-1, then put scope questions to the Board in writing.

Before you add a scalp service in Georgia:

• Find your exact license level in the 43-10-1 definitions.
• Check whether "scalp" appears in that definition.
• Confirm the facility license for the location.
• Keep your trichology certification and your Board license described separately in marketing.

Becoming a trichologist in Georgia takes education, a certification exam and supervised practice, with the Board's license levels deciding which hands-on scalp services you may offer. The Hair Loss Practitioner course is the starting point, and the full list is on the all courses page.

New to the field? Start with What is trichology? or look up a term in the trichology glossary.

Sources

• Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers, Georgia Secretary of State (opened October 3, 2026)
• Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, Department 240, Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers
• Rule Chapter 240-6, Licensure by Examination
• Georgia Senate Bill 354 (2024), as passed, revising O.C.G.A. 43-10-1 and 43-10-17
• AMCA Associate Trichologist Certification