Tattoo as a Medical Procedure? Exploring Health Benefits and Beyond – Insights from Kim Do-yoon on Eyebrow Tattoos and More

When I first read the headline about a tattoo artist being convicted for practicing medicine without a license in South Korea, my initial reaction was skepticism. How could injecting ink under the skin be considered a medical act? Yet, digging into the details of the case involving Kim Do-yoon, the head of the Tattoo Union chapter who appealed his conviction only to receive a suspended sentence in December 2025, revealed a nuanced legal and cultural tension that resonates far beyond Seoul’s courtrooms. This isn’t just about tattoo regulations in East Asia—it’s a global debate about who gets to define what constitutes medical practice, and it’s playing out in unexpected ways right here in neighborhoods like Logan Square in Chicago, where the intersection of art, health regulation, and small business licensing creates daily friction for practitioners trying to operate legally.

The core of the Korean case hinges on interpretation: courts there determined that because tattooing involves areas near functional body parts like the face and neck, and because the proposed “Tattoo Artist Act” (set to take effect in 2027) includes stipulations like mandatory liability insurance and specific hygiene standards, the state is effectively treating it as a regulated health-adjacent profession—not unlike how Illinois oversees massage therapy or acupuncture. This perspective contrasts sharply with how many in the U.S. View tattooing, particularly in creative hubs where artists see themselves as craftspeople akin to painters or sculptors. Yet, even in Chicago, the line blurs when procedures like cosmetic eyebrow microblading or scar camouflage enter the conversation—services that clients often seek for reconstructive or confidence-building reasons, not purely aesthetic ones. The Korean courts’ emphasis on anatomical sensitivity (“the act itself targets areas related to multiple functions”) finds echoes in Illinois Administrative Code Title 77, Chapter I, Subchapter r, which governs establishments performing procedures that penetrate the skin, classifying them under “body art” regulations requiring specific sterilization protocols and operator training.

What makes this internationally relevant is the growing momentum behind formalizing tattooing as a licensed trade. In South Korea, the legislative push—led ironically by artists like Kim Do-yoon who’ve faced prosecution—aims to move the practice out of legal gray zones by establishing clear hygiene benchmarks, age restrictions, and shop licensing requirements. Similar conversations are gaining traction in U.S. State legislatures, where bills periodically emerge to standardize tattoo artist education beyond the current patchwork of county-level inspections. In Chicago, this manifests practically: even as the City of Chicago Department of Public Health oversees licensing for tattoo establishments through its Body Art Program, individual artists often navigate a complex web of zoning laws (particularly in manufacturing-heavy corridors like Kinzie Industrial Corridor), fire safety codes for occupancy limits, and evolving standards around bloodborne pathogen training—all administered by different agencies. A artist setting up shop near Milwaukee Avenue might require approval from both the Department of Buildings for structural changes and the Department of Business Affairs for their commercial license, illustrating how fragmented oversight can create barriers even for those eager to comply.

The socio-economic ripple effects are significant. When legal pathways are unclear or overly burdensome, artists may operate informally, limiting their access to small business loans, commercial leases that require proof of licensing, or participation in events like the Chicago Tattoo Arts Festival at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. Conversely, overly restrictive regulations could push talent toward underground markets where hygiene accountability vanishes. This tension mirrors debates in other creative-medical adjacencies, such as the regulation of doulas or lactation consultants, where advocates argue for recognition of specialized skills without imposing full medical licensure burdens. Notably, the Korean court’s acknowledgment that the Tattoo Artist Act doesn’t fully decriminalize tattooing as non-medical—but instead creates a “special management” category—parallels how some U.S. States license electrologists or permanent makeup artists under cosmetology boards rather than medical boards, acknowledging procedural risk without equating it to surgery or diagnosis.

For residents of Chicago’s diverse communities—from Pilsen’s vibrant mural corridors to the South Side’s growing entrepreneurial incubators—understanding how these regulatory frameworks evolve matters because they directly impact who can open a storefront, what services they can legally offer, and how consumers verify practitioner credibility. Given my background in analyzing the intersection of public policy and urban small business ecosystems, if this trend impacts you in Chicago, here are the three types of local professionals you need to realize:

• Health-Compliant Tattoo Establishment Consultants: These specialists (often former health inspectors or licensed artists with regulatory expertise) assist new studios navigate Chicago’s specific Body Art Program requirements, including autoclave validation, sharps disposal protocols, and OSHA-compliant exposure control plans. Appear for providers who maintain active relationships with the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Environmental Health and can demonstrate recent success helping shops pass initial inspections in neighborhoods like Uptown or Humboldt Park.
• Small Business Attorneys Specializing in Creative Industry Licensing: Focus on lawyers who understand the overlap between intellectual property protection (for original flash designs), lease negotiations in arts-zoned districts, and compliance with both state-level Illinois Body Art Act provisions and municipal ordinances. Ideal candidates will have represented clients before the Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings regarding license renewals or variance requests for home-based studios attempting to transition to commercial spaces.
• Urban Zoning and Land Use Advisors for Creative Enterprises: These professionals decode Chicago’s complex zoning map—particularly relevant if considering locations near industrial/residential boundaries like the Fulton Market District or along the 606 trail—where special use permits or planned manufacturing developments (PMDs) might affect eligibility for body art establishments. Seek advisors with portfolios showing successful navigation of the Department of Planning and Development’s processes for conditional uses in B3 (Community Shopping) or C2 (Motor Vehicle-Related Commercial) districts where tattoo shops often seek to locate.

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