Trend Watch: Tween Waxing

Recently, a New York Times articles reported that several New York City salons have seen an increase in the percentage of hair removal services in customers just under the age of 16. We reposted this story on our Facebook page and asked our fans for their thoughts on this trend.

 

We can all recall our first waxing experience. The New York Times piece claimed insecurities with their teens’ recent hair developments as a main reason to strip them of their hair, and many mothers are willing to let their offspring experiment with hair removal. But before this goes any further, its important to note that many of these procedures are often very mild. The most common areas for teenagers and tweens to wax are the lower legs, underarms, eyebrows and outer bikini line; steering clear of the more adult versions, like the Brazilian.

Although some still prefer to have their teens wait until they are over 18, many parents see this as a harmless way to safeguard their teenager from unnecessary bullying and help provide a confident passage into adulthood.

Not only are salons across the country seeing an increase in teen and pre-teen waxing at their salons, many salons are also starting to cater to youngsters by giving out promotions to clients whose age falls below 16. One Florida salon in particular recently ran an ad with a bikini-clad adolescent promoting a 50 percent discount on all waxing services for young teens during the month of July. A blog post on their website featured this ad, along with a post on when the “right time” is for girls to begin waxing.

A reason behind many salons endorsing discounted services for teens is that it provides a bonding experience for both mother and teen. And why not? Since many teens end up coming along with their mother to appointments, having a discount available for the younger ones can turn a waxing experience into a ritual mother and daughter share.  

Although this recent trend has brought out some criticism, the main question still remains, when is it appropriate to start waxing? One question for our fans out there then is- are you a teen who gets waxed? How old where you when you first got waxed? And for the mothers out there- would you take your daughter to get waxed? Share your stories with us!

- Alex