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I'm a blog editor, illustrator/designer, writer, mom, dispenser of unsolicited advice, slave to three dogs, and an Etsy artist at two shops: LunaBlue...
 
 
 
 

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Should an 8-yr-old get a bikini wax?

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What happened to childhood? A new salon trend has girls before they reach puberty getting a "virgin" wax. Sounds outrageous to me. My big question is why? 

Evidently moms are scheduling virgin waxes for their young girls because they think getting a wax treatment at an early age will prevent future hair growth. That's news to me. I have never heard my pediatrician bring up virgin waxing as an option.

According to an article in Gothamist, Wanda Stawczyk, who runs Wanda's European Skin Care on West 57th Street:

"Virgin-waxing for children 8 years old and up who have never shaved before. Virgin hair can be waxed so successfully that growth can be permanently stopped in just 2 to 6 sessions. Save your child a lifetime of waxing... and put the money in the bank for her college education instead."

And this makes me ask again... WHY? Does an 8-yr-old even have pubic hair? According to dermatology.com, the barely noticeable pre-puberty hair is called vellus. This fine, non-pigmented hair covers the body of children. 

Except for the advice of the salon worker quoted above, I'm not sure this shaving will prevent hair growth in the future. Besides, if vellus is not noticeable, why should anyone shave it?

What happened to childhood? Virgin waxing is one more way very young girls are asked to grow up way too fast.

- Chris Olson writes the blog Momathon Blog and is a freelance writer and illustrator. She also answers to the names of chief dog walker, grocery hauler, and "the one with the keys to the car."

(Shoes illustration above © Chris Olson)

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Chris--MomathonBlog.com 5 pts

Thanks for your comments.

A friend just sent me an interesting link to a recent NYTimes article by Jan Hoffman, Girls, Uninterrupted. It's a fascinating article about a camp where middle school girls learn "Girlworld" survival tactics

NYT article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/fashion/15Girls.... ( http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/fashion/15Girls....,%20interrupted&st=cse )

WhitGrlwaFatAss 5 pts

Sounds like a handy way to fear people into paying for a useless and kind of gross service.

To get the message that young that you need to alter your body to make it 'pretty'

UGH is RIGHT

Saving the World One Fat Ass at a Time!

www.jellykean.wordpress.com ( http://www.jellykean.wordpress.com/ )

DevoKess 5 pts

Why do I need to wax in the first place? What's wrong with pubic hair?

AmberS 5 pts

Wow. I can't see that it's my place to 'save my child a lifetime of waxing'. There are just so many assumptions in that statement that I take issue with.

I suspect the science is shoddy, and the message you're giving your daughter is even worse.

Keeping it real in the suburbs at www.strocel.com ( http://www.strocel.com )

Hey Jen 5 pts

No thank you. That is one of the more ridiculous things I've heard.

mbteaches 5 pts

I'm with you Chris! My 8 year old daughter will NOT be heading to the salon for a waxing.

I do wonder if they are talking about girls who have started getting pubic hair. According to my pediatrician, which all the growth hormones and over exposure to soy, it's getting more and more common for girls to start their periods as early as 8-9. Personally, I'm doing all I can to prevent that!