Dual Usage of Rooms for Massage and Cosmetology

Published: May 15, 2015

Our Lobbyist, Mark Molloy, shares some very encouraging news in regards to the dual usage of rooms for massage and cosmetology. We'll continue to provide you with the most current information impacting your massage therapy practice. In order to ensure you see this information, we urge you to sign up for our AMTA-MA Chapter emails. Sign up here today.

What is the current law?

The Massachusetts Board of Registration for Cosmetology has historically prohibited the use of a room in a licensed establishment for both cosmetology and massage therapy services. Under Board Policy 06-03, massage therapy services could be provided in a cosmetology establishment, but not ever in the same room at any time. Accordingly, massage therapy businesses and cosmetology businesses had to spend more money on rent or the purchase price of a facility in order to accommodate this policy.

What will change?

The AMTA-MA has been working with established businesses in the massage industry to change this onerous and unnecessary regulation. As a result, Chapter 236 of the Acts of 2014 (Section 36) contained language requiring the Massachusetts Board for Cosmetology (“Cosmetology Board”) to pass regulations allowing for the dual use of rooms for massage therapy and cosmetology services. As the same law reconstituted the Cosmetology Board, there was going to be a significant delay before massage therapists and cosmetologists could benefit from this change in the law. As such, the Cosmetology Board recently passed an interim policy allowing for the dual use of rooms provided the location had both a massage therapy establishment license and cosmetology establishment license and otherwise met the required regulations governing such establishments.

How does this potentially impact your practice?

This interim regulation will allow massage therapy and cosmetology establishments to reduce costs by allowing for the use of the same room for different services. Since this is an interim policy, the newly formed Cosmetology Board will eventually promulgate (put a law into effect by official proclamation) formal regulations allowing this practice as well.

What you need to do if this applies to you?

This interim policy (2015-02) may impact your practice if you provide both cosmetology and massage therapy services in your establishment. To learn more about this interim policy, please visit: http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/docs/dpl/boards/hd/policy-2015-02-hd.pdf.