"Not Safe"

No Children Allowed in the Studio: High Praise for the Owner

Studio owner Melanie Ziemke says, “My goal isn’t to exclude families. This decision is intended to protect everyone involved.”(Bild: Krone-Collage/zVg, facebook.com/inkvictustattooandnails)

Being loud and running around is part of being a kid—but it should be obvious that a nail and tattoo studio isn’t the right place for that. Yet because this apparently isn’t clear to some people, a studio owner in Germany has now taken decisive action and imposed a ban. 

Melanie Ziemke is 46, “happily married and a mom of three,” as the Chemnitz resident told the “Krone”: “So I know the challenges that family life brings.” Nevertheless, the owner of a nail and tattoo studio has now drawn a line in the sand. In the future, minors will no longer be allowed to accompany customers to appointments. 

Customers’ children would wander into the living quarters
“Unfortunately, however, we’ve had to deal with repeated incidents over the past few years that have significantly disrupted our daily operations at the studio. Even during consultations, cabinets were ransacked, our doorbell was damaged, or chocolate was smeared all over the light-colored couch in the waiting area. In the nail studio as well, work materials were repeatedly scattered or spilled, food brought in was spread throughout the studio, and furniture was even painted on,” Ziemke explains. 

It was also particularly stressful that children repeatedly left the studio and went onto the private property or even into the house to use the children’s rooms or the playground equipment: “Since our nail salon and tattoo studio are located directly on our private property, this area is expressly not a public playground.” 

My intention here is not to exclude families or judge parents. On the contrary: As a mother, I know the challenges all too well.

Studiobetreiberin Melanie Ziemke

“It’s not about excluding families”
As an empathetic person, she also knows that childcare is a challenge: “It’s not about excluding mothers or families.” Unfortunately, there were several instances where parents did not intervene—or intervened only to a very limited extent—which in turn led to interruptions in her work: “It’s very important to me to give every client my full attention. Only then can I work professionally and responsibly and deliver the quality my clients expect and deserve.”

On Facebook, Ziemke received a lot of support, but also some hostility: “Everyone has different ideas and priorities—and that’s perfectly fine.” Nevertheless, she decided to “go my own way and work with people who align with my approach and my values”: “If that doesn’t work for someone, then we’re probably just not the right fit. That’s neither good nor bad—it’s simply a connection that works or doesn’t work. And that, too, is perfectly fine.”

“I wouldn’t even think of doing that in a million years”
In fact, many users emphasize that the decision is absolutely right and understandable: “Children under 18 generally have no business being in tattoo studios,” writes one user. “It would never occur to me to take my child to appointments like that,” reads another comment. Some mothers even noted that visits to the nail salon without their kids were a welcome “break” for them. 

But there’s also criticism: “Luckily, my child is allowed to come with me to my appointment. As a single parent, I wouldn’t be able to make such appointments at all otherwise.” Others even accuse the salon owner of being unfriendly toward families. 

“Most people are understanding”
In any case, the reactions from her customers have been “mostly understanding,” according to Melanie Ziemke: “Of course, it wasn’t easy for some to accept the situation, but my decision was respected nonetheless. Most people were understanding and didn’t argue with me, for which I’m very grateful. That meant a lot to me during this time.” 

The fact is: Neither in Germany nor in Austria are there regulations specifying at what age a child is allowed in a nail or tattoo studio. The studio owner has the right to set the rules here. In principle, there’s no age limit for nail services either, but it’s generally recommended not to apply gel nails or similar treatments on children. In Austria, the age limit for getting a tattoo is 16—those between the ages of 16 and 18 need a parental consent form.