The Michigan Board of Cosmetology was created under Article 12 of Public Act 299 of 1980, as amended, to license and regulate the practice of cosmetology in Michigan. Article 12 defines cosmetology as one of the following services or a combination of the following services: Hair care services, skin care services, manicuring services and electrology.

The members of the cosmetology industry who are licensed by the department include schools of cosmetology, both public and private, beauty shops, cosmetologists, manicurists, cosmetology instructors, electrologists, estheticians (skin care specialists) and natural hair culturists (braiders).

The board currently oversees the practice of approximately 75,076 cosmetologists, 1,663 cosmetology instructors, 520 cosmetology limited instructors, 796 electrologists, 16 electrologist instructors, 2 electrologist limited instructors, 1,921 estheticians (skin care specialists), 33 esthetician limited instructors, 14,044 manicurists, 46 mancurist limited instructors, 108 natural hair culturists, 1 natural hair culturist limited instructor, 8,573 cosmetology shops, 914 limited cosmetology shops, 24 public cosmetoloty schools and 80 privately owned cosmetology schools.