Tween Bikini Wax: What?!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
First, we told you about the latest tween beauty trend: hair coloring. Then, we reported that tweens were spending millions on beauty products. Now, they're going in for bikini waxes at 8 years old.
Are moms just protecting their little girls or encouraging them to be supermodels? MSN reports.
Aesthetician Melanie Engle is used to waxing her clients, but when one mom came in and asked for her 8-year-old daughter to get a bikini wax, Engle flipped. It wasn't as if the girl was developing early, it was simply "the mother's obsession with wanting the daughter to be perfect." MSN reports that it is not at all uncommon for mothers around the U.S to take their tween (girls 10-12) to salons to get body hair removed: "12 years old is the new normal." Engle said. On one hand, we understand for certain moms to take their kids for waxing if they are being teased at school: "One 10-year-old had thick hair coming down her leg, and she had a bikini and leg wax because she couldn't go to camp like that without getting teased," says Nance Mitchell, owner of a Beverly Hills salon. Engle however, has a different story, explaining that moms are sometimes overcritical of their kids. She bears moms comments like "look at those blackheads, you need to have a facial."
Should girls be taught THIS early to focus on how they look, makeup and money--instead of what's really important? Should young girls be allowed to wax?
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Email16 comments so far | Post a comment now >>
Well, I was allowed to start waxing my eyebrows at 11 or 12 - I was at 6th grade at the time, and middle school girls can be very, very vicious if you don’t keep up with what should be done to look “right”. I put up with it for a year or two until I learned how to shape my eyebrows well with a tweezer - I have very sensitive skin and Von Willenbrand’s and the waxing would leave me red, inflamed, and even bruised for a few days afterward. It’s so not worth it to me! I knew a girl who started shaving her arms and legs in the first or second grade, because she had very thick black hair and was teased at school. If it makes the child happier, I’m all for shaving, nairing, waxing, whatever - but not if the child doesn’t want it done.
- Kirstie
Um, are we all reading that this is about a BIKINI wax? On an 8-yr-old?! SICK! Why would a mother put her daughter through that kind of pain? I still cannot bear the thought of ever doing that to myself, even at 33. What the heck is this world coming to?
- Anonymous
If it’s nessisary, why not. I remmeber when I was in 3rd grade and there were very oevr developed girls. But you seriouisly can blame that on the food were eating. Before you blame parents & kids & the industry, blame the people injecting hormones into our children’s food. Honestly, the 8 year old shouldnt HAVE bikini hair problem at such a young age. But whatever get’s that chicken sold, right?
- Casey
My sister recently was planning a day of beauty for my daughter’s 4th birthday present. Then she says to me and then I’ll shave her legs. WHAT???!!! Yes my daughter does have very hairy legs - like a sweater my sister said. She even offered to use Nair on sensitive skin b/c my girl has eczema. But no way too young. As far as 8 for a bikini wax this may happen to my girl as she is quite hairy but i’ll just buy her a skirted swim suit. I think we all have learned already why not to put girls in bikini’s at young ages.
- mom22
I understand the reasoning if someone is going away to camp and is going to get teased or is the only person in the class not to shave, but the bikini area??? RIDICULOUS! Moms, you really need to take a long hard look at yourselves and figure out why you would put your daughters through that hell! Don’t they have enough to deal with already?
- jackie
Mothers are dumb enough to let the kids do it.
- Anonymous
ABSURD!! Girls already have enough self esteem issues!
- praying4baby#2
While I agree and believe that teaching children (both girls and boys) the importance of hygiene, I do not agree with an 8 year old getting a bikini wax. I think this mother is sending the wrong message to her daughter and setting a precedence that could possibly have catastrophic consequences; i.e. image/self-esteem issues.
- TMD
When I was a “tween” I’m pretty sure I was getting my hair dyed (I missed that article apparently). My sister in law was in one of those classes to learn to cut and dye hair, so I started early as one of her practice guinea pigs. I didn’t know what my true natural color was from about grade 7 until just a few years ago. As for waxing… I got my EYEBROWS waxed starting around 12 years old. I will let my daughter do the same thing. But a bikini wax? I haven’t ever gotten one myself, and I don’t see a need for a “tween” to be getting one.
- Katie
I have an 11 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. My eleven year old just got his first (ONLY 1) armpit hair, lol!!! The only thing I would say maybe to is eyebrow waxing on the unibrow. Other than that forget it. Who’s looking at an eight year olds bikini area, anyway? Not only is this ridiculous, it’s ridiculously expensive as well. Some people have more money than sense!
- Anonymous
i have a 10 yr old and she is bearly getting any hair there. her legs have lot of hair but under her arms and there it’s bearly growing in . even so at 8 yrs theres not much there any way that mom has lost her mind.
- mom 5
An 8 year old with pubic hair? Is that a typo? How sad— makes me really want to feed my baby organic foods.
- Allison
I have to weigh in on this subject because I have personal experience to share. I began showing signs of puberty when I was in the 3rd grade-I developed hair under my arms as well as pubic hair. It was not because of anything I was eating, either. The specialist my Mom took me to said that some girls just start developing early. Our neighborhood had a community pool and we went there almost every day. After the first time another little girl made fun of the hair under my arms, my Mother shaved them for me. You cannot imagine how much more confident I felt about going to the pool after that. I also went to Girl Scout Camp that summer. I was too embarassed about the pubic hair I had developed to change clothes in front of the other girls, so I changed inside my sleeping bag. One night I had to go to the bathroom after dark, and we were required to go in pairs. The girl that went with me was holding the flashlight while I was sitting down, and she flashed it over my privates. She saw the hair and actually screamed. She then told EVERYONE at camp that I had “fur” between my legs. I spent the rest of the time at camp ostracized and humiliated. I wish my Mom HAD shaved or waxed my pubic hair, because I have never forgotten the humiliation. Please don’t be too judgemental, people. Kids can be CRUEL.
- Elizabeth
When I was 10 my mom made me go to a salon and get an eyebrow waxing because I almost had a unibrow.I am glad because if I was getting teased because I had sparse blond hair on my arms and legs then think what would happen if I had a unibrow.I don’t believe young 8 y/o girls should be getting bikini waxings though.
- Marisa
OMG, I was shocked to read this. I feel like I am up on the latest trends, but for a 8 year old. I have a 6 year old. I have no intention of having her waxed in the nest few years. Here I was thinking ahead about junior high and how girls are mean. I see an enormous amount of “yep its ok” at that age. WOW.
- jm
well, waxing is now the thing to do. so what if she’s only 8 years old and has no hair there? her and mom go to the salon and do girl things together, spend time together and bond a little more. people who are attaching sexuality to this are a bit off I think. would you be against an 8 year old boy and his Dad shaving together in the bathroom?
- Jonathan
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