Larimer County, Colorado, is moving closer to a public discussion over how body-art practitioners should be licensed and tested, a proposal that could affect permanent makeup artists and raise broader questions about public health, professional standards, and the role of private certification bodies. After an industry meeting held on October 2, county officials clarified that any future licensing or examination system would remain under government control. Private industry...

What a San Bernardino County records request revealed about the missing middle between public-health compliance, practitioner classification, and actual competency. I called San Bernardino County expecting a list. I ended the call with a different question: What, exactly, does it mean when California says a body art practitioner is registered? The request itself was straightforward. I have been trying to assemble a statewide picture of practitioners who perform...