As a child, the biggest issue with swimming was figuring out which cat print I wanted on my one piece. While I did feel occasional twinges of self-consciousness for being slightly chubby, going to the pool was really not a big deal. (Until I hit my late teens, which is another story.) And it certainly wasn’t something I got primped up for. Now, however, one waxing salon is targeting girls 15 and under by offering them huge discounts. So should these young women be concerned about appearances this early in life, or could such a treatment be detrimental to their well-being?
It looks like the salon isn’t exactly offering their services to boost girls’ self-esteem, either. Instead the owner said that, “Girls get bored when they go out with their Moms to do errands…At our centers, the daughters often come along and look at their mothers getting waxed and they have questions and they’re not part of the fun and it just becomes a regular activity.” So…getting a painful bikini wax is supposed to be part of a fun day with mom? That could make for some therapy fodder. [via Buzzfeed]
What do you think of this offer?
guest
I don’t know. Should beauty publications continue making posts about what so-and-so group *should* do, or does it make people overly anxious to fit in? Good questions.
daisy / 603 posts
Quite frankly if a girl wants a bikini was, has the money && a way to get to the salon to get one done, she’s gonna do it. Younger girls are being targeted because they probably are the only age group of women who hasn’t had one done or at least considered it.
I just hate the “should this person being doing this based on age or whatever. All people are different and what works for them and is allowed by their parents if they aren’t adults, is what they should be doing.
guest
I don’t see what the big deal is? What difference does it make whether they shave it or wax it? When I was 15, I was definitely concerned with looking hot in my swimsuit, but I doubt anyone could have talked me into getting hot wax poured on my vagina to have it ripped off. I feel like this conversation has happened before on Lovelyish. Some 15 year old girls are more mature, some are less. There is nothing wrong with either side of the coin so long as there are parents that are there to teach them right from wrong.
How ]is getting a bikini wax with your mother therapy fodder? Remember the story about the father that gave his daughter bikini waxes? That story is therapy fodder.
orchid / 149 posts
It’s not about sex appeal. Girls who are on swim teams, gymnastics teams, dancers.. none of them want a weird hair bulge.
guest
omg..
guest
it doesnt say bikini wax anywhere…
guest
@foreverdiet@xanga - Haha I noticed that.
Let it be. My sisters are 13 and 16 and go and get their eyebrows waxed with my mom. I’m 19 on the other hand and don’t really like waxing. It’s a personal preference and I know how hard it is being a self-conscious teenager. I had to beg to be able to start shaving my legs at 12.
guest
I think that a younger teenager should be able to get a wax if that’s what she wants done, but I don’t think it’s right to advertise it to young girls specifically. It just puts more pressure on young girls who otherwise might not want to have it done.
guest
lol do they check IDs ?
hope i look young enough to pass as 15
guest
Nothing wrong with it. Kinda odd to target them directly, but meh still not bad. Considering the benefits of waxing opposed to shaving, it’s probably actually better for people to start waxing young. Wish I’d waxed first rather than shaved, though I didn’t grow much hair till 20-ish.
guest
Um, yes. I remember being so embarrassed about pubic hair when I was about thirteen or fourteen. I had to take swimming lessons in school and it made my friends and I really self-concious. I know body hair is natural, but when it’s a bit unruly and you have swim class with the boys, you’re going to feel self-concious and reluctant to take part – if a bikini wax helps them feel better, then I don’t see a problem. It’s not sexualising anyone, it’s stopping kids getting bullied and teased at school.
guest
Hmm.. If I had a 15-year-old (or under..), I probably wouldn’t let her get a bikini wax. At that age it’s like, you’ve just recently started to grow hair. I was all excited about hitting puberty & becoming a young woman. Of course, once I hit 17 I started shaving it off & did for years because, well, society told me I needed to to be beautiful & I believed it.
Nothing wrong with keeping everything neat & tidy but anyone who wants me to look like a prepubescent girl.. no thanks, we probably won’t be dating for long.
guest
I would’ve loved to had the luxury of waxing at that age. I hate hair.
guest
The ad just says “waxing.” It could mean bikini, but it could also mean upper lip, eyebrows, arms, legs, etc. I don’t know how much hair girls at 15 could have…but if there were some sticking out from my bathing suit, I would have liked to remove them at that age. I think it would be better if the girls went to place that specializes in waxing rather than trying something from the drugstore on their own and possibly hurting herself.
guest
I personally feel any one wearing a bikini should get a bikini wax….I dont really see the problem with age…its simply a wax, not peircings or tatoos…..
guest
oh god, absolutely. i hit puberty early and needed to start waxing ASAP.
no one wants to see someone’s bush peaking out of a swimsuit… i don’t care how old they are. it’s not about being attractive or sexy.
hydrangea / 97 posts
Just to be fair, the earlier you start waxing, the less likely it is to have the hair grow back. A while back there was an article here on lovelyish about girls starting bikini waxes as young as 12 and possibly never having the hair grow in. It’s not for everyone, but I definitely wish I’d had that option. Shaving can be a bit of a pain. :/
rose / 980 posts
The article didn’t say bikini waxes for 15-year-olds, not at all. In fact, I’m not sure that region of the body is completely covered with an adult cover of pubic hair yet. But I doubt there will be many teens willing to expose that part of themselves for strangers to pour hot wax on them and then rip it off.
Anyway, our society is too damn obsessed with stupid pubic hair. It’s natural. I’m not saying wear plastic windows in your pants so all can see your pubic hair, but damn we should get over it if a bit peeks out of a swimsuit or something. (Though even I gagged a bit writing that! lol)
guest
It’s one of those things where in general, no big deal. If the girl asks for it, and my parents are willing to allow it, then I see no issue. Only issue is when you have mothers pushing their daughters into it, or you are taking a kid to get anything waxed before they hit puberty.
I think it’s all silly, honestly, but I didn’t at 15 so I understand a girl wanting to. If people want to spend money on hair removal, so be it.
rose / 786 posts
no…
guest
@lifeonacitybusem4@xanga - exactly!
guest
Just plain no. That is too young.
guest
It doesn’t say “bikini” waxing, just waxing. I don’t really have an issue with it, but a “buy one get one half off” offer may have made more sense, rather than aiming for younger teenagers. Honestly, it would have saved me a lot of time and pain had I been able to get someone else to rip my hair off any of the times I tried to wax. Who wants to have to bother with shaving while on vacation?
guest
@TiredSoVeryTired@xanga - My swimsuits at that age didn’t even show my bikini line anyway
But times have changed, and they’re getting skimpier and skimpier. Sigh.
guest
id say this isnt so bad, girls are maturing much quicker now a days. .and their hormones have given them things that we had at 18-21 years old.. so in order for them to feel comfortable I think its a great idea.