Marion to adopt body art regulations

Jul 6, 2021

MARION — The Board of Health approved license fees and regulations for body art establishments at a July 6 meeting.

The board set operating regulations for body art establishments, specifically for a beauty establishment that looks to add microblading to its services. However, the regulations cover procedures such as tattooing and piercing, alongside microblading and other permanent makeup procedures. 

Microblading is a process in which a person is tattooed with small needles to semi-permanently color skin. It is typically done to color one’s eyebrows.

License fees for a business wishing to perform body art are $150. Practitioners and apprentice licenses were set at $75 and $50, respectively.

“A bit below the average, but in line with surrounding communities,” board member Dr. Ed Hoffer said.

Health Agent Anna Wimmer, who drafted the fees and regulations, said she “didn’t want to go too crazy” on licensing fees, as the microblading and other permanent makeup processes are already expensive.

Restrictions to body art practices include the inability to tattoo, pierce genitalia, brand or scar any person under the age of 18.

Those under 18 may be pierced, but must be accompanied by an adult or guardian who must sign a permission form.

The regulations won’t go into effect until at least the beginning of August, as Wimmer said the microblading business won’t begin training its staff until the fall.

“They won’t be able to open their establishment until winter anyway,” she said.

“If they need to get moving I could always step in and do the inspection” ahead of time, Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarias added.

The board voted unanimously to adopt the regulations.