문신사법 제정 이후 대구⋅경북 지역 중⋅고등학생의 반영구화장과 서화문신에 대한 관심도와 위험 인식 분석

Analysis of Interest and Risk Perception toward Semi-Permanent Makeup and Artistic Tattoos among Middle and High School Students in Daegu-Gyeongbuk after the Tattooist Act

The enactment of the Tattooist Act in 2025 transformed semi-permanent makeup and artistic tattoos into licensed professional practices in South Korea. Despite legal restrictions on procedures for minors, adolescents’ interest in beauty practices has increased under the influence of social networking services (SNS), while empirical research on their perceptions remains limited. In particular, differences in interest, risk perception, and career intentions according to gender and procedure experience may have important implications for youth protection policies following this legal change. This study aimed to examine adolescents’ interest in and risk perception of semi-permanent makeup and artistic tattoos after the enactment of the Tattooist Act, and to analyze differences according to gender and procedure experience among middle and high school students in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. An online survey was conducted in September 2025 with 232 middle and high school students (68.5% female; 43.1% 12th graders). Measurement instruments were developed based on previous studies and demonstrated adequate content validity (I-CVI = 1.0) and reliability (Cronbach’s α > .80). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, paired t-tests, and chi-square tests with SPSS 24.0. The results indicated that adolescents perceived artistic tattoos as riskier than semi-permanent makeup, and female students tended to report higher levels of risk perception for both procedures than male students. In addition, adolescents without procedure experience showed higher risk perception across all items, whereas those with procedure experience expressed stronger support for legalization and greater career intentions related to semi-permanent makeup and artistic tattoos. In particular, perceptions of hygiene- and infection-related risks were more prominent for semi-permanent makeup, whereas concerns regarding social stigma and potential disadvantages were relatively greater for calligraphic tattoos. These findings suggest that adolescents’ perceptions remain differentiated by procedure type, gender, and experience even after the enactment of the Tattooist Act, and may serve as foundational data for the development of beauty safety education, risk perception improvement programs, and related policy initiatives targeting adolescents.