The profession · 1540 – today
Hair was always a little medicine
From the man with the razor and lancet to the specialist with a trichoscope.
- 1540
The Company of Barber-Surgeons
Henry VIII unites barbers and surgeons in one London guild. The striped pole advertises bloodletting.
- 1745
Surgeons break away
Surgeons form their own company. Barbers keep the chair and the razor.
- 1770s
The perruquier and the friseur
Wigmakers and hairdressers build the towering court styles of the Rococo.
- 1872
The Marcel wave
François Marcel's heated iron makes hairdressing a technical craft.
- 1902
Trichology is founded
The Institute of Trichologists forms in London to study hair and scalp in health and disease.
- Today
The trichologist
Specialists examine the scalp, read the hair and work alongside doctors.
Read the full story in 500 years of the hair professional, or learn more about the history of trichology.
Pre-Trichology Foundations Certificate · Trichologist Academy
Know the hair behind the hairstyle.
You know hair. Discover the science beneath it.
For stylists, barbers and salon owners who want to understand what they see in the chair: the structure of the strand, the growth cycle and how the scalp behaves — so you can talk to clients with confidence and know when to refer.
An introductory certificate and a first step towards further study; it is not a clinical qualification.
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Deep histories of the trade
The History of the Barber Pole
The spinning stripes outside a barbershop are an advertisement for a medical service most barbers stopped offering centuries ago.
The History of Trichology
For most of history, hair loss was treated with hope and ointments. The science of hair is barely a century old.