Baby bikini waxing: A sticky situation

You're gonna stick hot wax WHERE?

In the last week, no fewer than four people have emailed me links to a story about young girls getting bikini waxes. Literally, my in-box has been quasi-flooded with messages starting:

"Leslie, So-and-So thinks you would be interested in the following story:"

Moms are bringing daughters to spas for hair removal before puberty

I'm not sure what I've done to deserve a reputation for paying close attention to toddler bikini lines (oh, wait, yes I do—I crusade against this kind of Little Lolita stuff all the time!), but I'll accept your challenge.

In the Today Show story I linked to above, the following anecdote is given by Diane Fisher, owner of Eclips Salon and Eclips Kids Day Spa in the Washington, D.C., suburbs:

“I had a mother who brought her daughter in, pulled up her shirt and asked us to wax the girl’s back. The hair didn’t seem to be bothering the little girl, but the mom was embarrassed and wanted it done. I told the mom to wait until the child wanted it, but she refused.” The girl, Fisher added, was 6 years old. SIX. Isn't that barely past Dora the Explorer age? (Poor Dora, with her coarse, jet black hair. Plus, her olive skin makes her a poor candidate for laser hair removal.) I should add that Fisher and her salon do not wax the bikini lines of ridiculously young girls, though she does have a handful of clients between the ages of 10 and 14 who come in for eyebrow waxing.

A society of (role) models

Ai yi yi. OK, so little girls are clearly hitting puberty earlier and earlier, which means changes like pubic hair and boobs are going to emerge ahead of the schedule most of us were on. And today's girls are growing up in a society where vaginal rejuvenation and breast implants are advertised on TV and pictures of Maxim models pop up on their computer screen screaming, "Click me!" and they see their mothers pretty-fying via highlights or getting Botox or shaving their legs. Even something like the "OHH! Kelly Clarkson!" chest-waxing scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin is common knowledge for youngsters. So it's really no wonder that tots not only know about these services, but are clamoring for them - getting pedicures at age 8 or hair extensions at 13. And can we blame them? This is what they see. This is what WE do.

How young is too young?

But WE are adults, and they are little beings growing up too soon. Of course parents want to help their daughters and their hearts break at the thought of them being made fun of for, say, dark upper lip hair or ears that stick out. But I just feel like a bikini wax at age 8, while not harmful per se, has the potential to lead to very bad things. It's like a gateway drug—if they are having aestheticians rip the hair from their vaginal area...an act often associated with forthcoming sexual activity (ie a honeymoon or hot third date)...then who's to say they won't be more apt to engage in these acts at an earlier age? No, I don't think giving teenagers condoms will make them have sex (I am PRO PRO PRO giving out condoms. They should hand 'em out with milk at lunchtime.) so I know what I'm saying might sound a bit off. But the act of donning a paper bikini and having someone spread hot wax so close to your genitals, ripping off the wax and attached offending hair, just doesn't seem like something we should be subjecting girls to prior to junior high graduation. It seems too sexualizing, too intimate. And wouldn't some little girls with a newly bare vaginas, just like the sexy ladies in their fathers' hidden magazines, want to maybe show them off?

Is bare beautiful?

Of course, I remember the agony of being embarrassed by my body, of desperately not wanting to wear a bathing suit in front of my classmates because I was chubbier. I am sure having body hair at a young age is just as heartbreaking (OMG this is totally bringing me back to summer camp in sixth grade when my very brunette friend Erica taught me how to shave with those round razor things behind our shower barracks). But is bikini waxing the answer? What about a cute boy short bathing suit? Or, I suppose, a gentle razor and mother-to-daughter shaving lesson if the hair truly is causing the girl to stay away from the beach or ditch gym class or turn down pool party invitations. If I think this latter suggestion is OK, it looks like my problem isn't with hair removal so much as it is the method.

Let's not forget, early bikini waxes instill a sense in little girls that body hair is bad, that being dark is bad, that blonde and bare is where it's all at. Which, of course, is totally true in our Pam Anderson, media-saturated society...but that doesn't mean we have to force-feed it to our girls with an even bigger spoon.

So, what do you think?

Am I making any sense here? I don't have kids so I need to hear from parents what you think. Is the problem here that bikini waxing is too adult, but shaving could be OK? Or do we need a moritorium on indulging little ones in grown-up beautification rituals, like push-up bras (hello, Ali Lohan) or sexy photos (hi, Miley!). Should we let them live with a little heartbreak (after all, my mom didn't get me lipo the second kids started calling me Cow) and do our best to instill in them an iron clad sense of self love and worth? And am I off-base in thinking bikini waxing could be the marijuana of adult sexual behaviors?

PS There's a lot of discussion going on at the iVillage Message Boards on this topic. I thought luvmygirls2007 had an interesting point of view—she writes, "My 12-year-old daughter has been shaving since she was 11. I allowed her to shave her legs when she started her period. I figure if she had to deal with that part of being a girl, she should be allowed to shave. Their dad is Italian so needless to say, they are very hairy! Now she shaves her entire leg, and grooms her bikini area as well. I am impressed that she takes such good care of herself. If she were to want to get waxed, and would pay for it herself (I don't get waxed because I can't afford it) I don't think I would object. But, I look at that as being part of her hygiene. She is not allowed to get her nails done, or get her hair dyed...because I feel she is too young."

Comments

I started getting my bikini line waxed after college. Going in to get a wax was more embarrassing than having my pubic hair show in a bathing suit I guess, lol.

I think I get where you're coming from Leslie. Maybe shaving seems more appropriate because you can take care of it independently, whereas getting a wax involves another person? I don't know. I'm eager to see what other people have to say. :)

Yeah, I heard about this yesterday. It just seems like we're allowing little girls to grow up way too fast! I probably would have never gotten the idea to shave my legs in the first place if it hadn't been for my favorite cousin, who is 10 years older than me.

The part that gets me the most, though, is the idea that the parents are doing their kids a favor. One article I read pushed waxing before puberty because it increases the chances that the hair won't grow back ever. Shouldn't that be a decision left to an individual when they are mature enough to decide on such cosmetic procedures? Especially painful ones?

What scares me about this, on top of the obvious, is that sometimes being hairy is a sign of bigger, more serious issues. Having abnormal hair growth on the back (note to Fisher's "client's" mother), chest and face is a classic symptom of a hormonal disorder called PCOS (I know, I have it, and all the hair growth to go with it). If mothers advocate their daughters' hair removal at such an early age, how can they be so sure there aren't underlying health issues?

For the record, I also had very hairy arms in high school. The hair was blonde and barely noticeable, but I was so self-concious I shaved it off one morning with a Daisy pink razor. My mother, who didn't realize my self-conciousness over the issue, read me the riot act before explaining that it would most likely grow back darker and coarser. Guess what? She was absolutely right.

I also agree with luvmygirls2007 point of view. Though I would have to say, I wouldn't allow the professionals in until my daughter was 16.

I don't have kids, but here are my thoughts anyway...

The six year old being taken in to have her back waxed? Wrong!

However, once it gets to the point of needing to remove hair at the bikini line in order for a girl to feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit, I'm not sure the method matters. Mind you, I would leave it up to the girl. Happy as she is? Fine. Wants it gone? Fine. Method is up to her.

Shaving may seem like less of a big deal, but as someone with extremely sensitive skin, I find waxing (which needs to be done less often) causes less skin discomfort than shaving. So I think if I had a daughter, and she wanted to wax rather than shaving, I wouldn't have a problem with it.

But, I would never force a young girl to do either one. Though, I would probably try to talk her into waiting to start either one for as long as I could. Who wants their children to grow up any faster than they have to?

Well, my elder daughter hit puberty very early - so I taught her to shave at around 10, at her request. But WHERE she shaves is totally up to her.

If hair is bothering the girl, and she wants to do something about it, then her options should be explained to her. I have a hard time thinking that a 6-year-old is that bothered by back hair, unless she's part Yeti.

The bottom line is that I will teach my daughters to take care of their bodies, and to be well-groomed. But I want them to learn to evaluate themselves on what makes them comfortable, not what someone else tells them. And encouraging them to make changes because they're being teased is pretty much the same as telling them the only thing that matters is what other people think. I'd try first to talk with them and help them decide if it's a change they feel is necessary or if they're just bowing to outside influences. No, I don't want them to be teased. But I don't want them to be robots, either. Mostly, I really want them to love themselves.

V.

Oh my God, waxing at 6? Waxing is PAINFUL, and to do it to a young girl who isn't even requesting it seems like child abuse.

And pre-pubescent bikini waxes? That is just so wrong.

Puberty, and all the issues that go along with it, is a tough subject (to put it mildly, lol!), but I also think it's an opportunity for parents to help their kids learn to appreciate and love their bodies. IMO, the girls whose parents are encouraging them to go in for waxing, plucking, pedicures, extensions, etc. at such a young age are going to run into trouble later on. My guess is that they will have some pretty serious body issues as they get older. And it will take a loooooong time to get over them, if they EVER do.

I'm a mom. The LAST thing I want to do is push my own insecurities onto my kids. It's too bad these mothers can't put their kids' best interests first.

I know that I shouldn't fixate on just one thing, but you get paper bikini bottoms when you get waxed? I just get a towel.

If my (non-existent) kid came to me asking for a bikini wax, I'd rather talk about other ways to make her comfortable.

I agree Leslie, somehow there seems a huge difference between shaving and waxing. I think what makes me so uncomfortable with the whole thing is that the mother has to have a much larger role in the waxing, and what kind of lesson is that teaching the girl? I'm sure it's different today, but when I was 10 I sure had no idea that waxing even existed, let alone that people waxed "down there". Teach them how to shave, sure, and let them take care of the places they feel insecure about, but taking them to be waxed just sends the message that they SHOULD feel insecure about it.

This is the sort of thing that makes me not want children. So sad.

This may be slightly off-topic, but is it just me, or can anyone else just not wait until being natural comes back into fashion? As more and more women start to look exactly the same with obnoxiously over-stuffed lips, botox-induced perpetually surprised looks, and gravity-defying rock-hard boobs, the cycle will inevitably come back around to once again revere those that have not tinkered with the features that make each of us so fantastically unique.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m going to happily teach my daughter how to shave when she’s old enough to ask me if it’s okay. I’ll just also have a conversation about how sometimes NOT doing the things that others pressure you to do is what makes a person beautiful.

It's going to happen - if leg-warmers can come back into style (who knew?!), then so can curves and real boobs (even if they require a $74 push-up bra from Vicki’s and some Hollywood tape). Those of us who aren’t getting nose jobs and lipo and extensions and are just ahead of our time. :)

I'll have to echo the other opinions here that 6 is way too young, and it shouldn't be the parents making the decision to have the waxing done, especially at that age. If a girl really wants to have it done, she's already hit puberty, and it's for herself and not just bowing to peer pressure, then I don't have a problem with it. I also this that if there is peer pressure, it's a prime opportunity for parents to teach their daughters how to make up their own minds and how to deal with pressure constructively.

I see the mom trying to get her daughter's back waxed in the same light as the mom who okayed the lipo in her 16-year-old girl post you had earlier -- they are projecting their issues and insecurities on their daughters.

They are also not-so-subtly telling these girls that they do indeed have flaws and can and should do everything within their power to change them. That's perhaps what I find most offensive about it all.

I'm on the fence about waxing in the preteen set. On the one hand, I do look at it as more of an adult thing. However, that's partially because it wasn't in vogue until I was an adult. Perhaps girls these days don't see it as anything more of a means to an end that they would otherwise get to with their trusty Bic in the shower?

I started shaving the summer between 5th and 6th grade, I was 10. I have VERY fair skin and VERY dark hair, so it was noticeable. My mom stayed in the bathroom with me the first time I shaved, and I didn't go above the knee for about a year. I think it all depends on the maturity level of the kid as to how old she is when she shaves her legs...but I would only let her shave and only her legs and only when SHE asked ME.

Anyway, I heard something about this that waxing that early can prevent hair from growing (they touted it as a plus), but I can't help but think about how sensitive kids' skin is the younger they are... isn't that in itself bad?

here's my question about it all.. why are young girls wearing clothing that they would even need to think about waxing their bikini lines?

one of the few times I have so many thoughts and none at all.
I already look at my dear sweet DARK LIKE I AM daughter and think: when will you beg me to shave your legs? what will I say?
(the back thing is just horrifying. ACROSS THE BOARD...and the bikini line? um no)

I so lean toward saying yes as soon as SHE asks....
hard to know till it happens though.

Miz.

This is when I am GLAD to have all boys. I find that waxing a gil of 6 is just.... wrong/twisted.

I think the point made by the person who left the comment is a good one: once you start having your period, you enter a certain realm of womanhood, and yes if you want to shave, why not.

I highly doubt a 6-year-old is going up to mom asking to shave or get waxed. It's terrible that a mom would think a girl needs to be "fixed." There should be an age limit...and it should be "when she asks"!

I think I started shaving around the time I started my period (11 1/2), and that seems about right to me, unless it's one of the increasingly rare girls who doesn't get her period until 15, 16 years old.

My daughter is almost 13, and doesn't shave. She started her period about 6 months ago. She also lives with her dad, a long way away (by her choice, because I had to move for my husband's job, and she wanted to stay closer to her friends and family), which makes it more complicated.

When she was here for her visit, she had visible hair in her armpits and bikini area. My mother (who lives closer to her) pushed me to get her to shave. I was really torn on the issue, but ultimately decided to let it be. I don't think she had any business wearing a bikini yet, and don't see armpit hair as a big deal, especially in such a young girl. We already push kids to grow up too fast, and I'm not going to push any harder.

I've never even had a wax. It's never even occurred to me, so no way for a kid.

This makes me so sad. I have a 12 month old daughter, and I can't imagine dragging her into a spa when she's six and having her back waxed.

If my little one went through puberty early and asked if she could shave, then I'd show her how to shave. But only if she asked. If she's hairy and happy, then who am I to say anything. It's not like being hairy makes you dirty.

And I totally agree that waxing is different. Waxing is painful. I don't even get waxed.

holy crap. This again, is why i am thankful to have boys. I have no words for this one!

it's not just a matter of girls growing up too fast...it's a matter of sexualizing them too fast, of telling them there is something inherently wrong with their bodies, of teaching them that they must sacrifice pain for beauty.

I was ashamed of my upper lip hair because my mom didn't allow me to get it waxed till I was 19! Boys making fun of my "mustache" has broken and left a scar in my heart forever. I think whenever a girl wants to get rid of her unwanted hair, she should be allowed. It depends on her and her willing.

In my house my mom had a rule that we weren't allowed to start shaving until seventh grade. That was the rule, I knew it (probably because I had asked about it once before) and I didn't ask again. On the last day of sixth grade, the very start of summer vacation I started my period and asked my mom if I could start shaving and she said "okay" because technically I was going to start 7th grade and I had my period. It was exciting at first. But now...I'll go as long as I can without doing it. Sometimes I'll shave my pubic area, sometimes I won't (it's nice being with a guy who doesn't mind me au naturale). Waxing sounds painful and I'm a wuss (though I have a friend who swears by it).

I'm not a mother yet, but I hope that when I am I will be able to teach my girls (and boys) to love themselves as they are, and to take care of themselves. And I'll make the shaving call as I see it. But I think, like my own mom, I probably wouldn't allow it until 7th grade. And it's certainly not something I'd force them to do.

Um, I STILL don't regularly wax my bikini line. I figure if nobody but hubby sees it (and he doesn't care) then why bother unless I have to be in a swimsuit for an extended period of time or plan on flashing random people at the gym. I think there is a huge difference between letting a girl get her unibrow or lip hair waxed - it is SO visible - and her vag done. Seriously, NOBODY should be looking at an 8-year-old's pre-pubes but her.

And since I ran out of space in the last part of my response to comment back to other people--

Monique--good call on the PCOS. I wouldn't have thought of that, but that is a very valid point.

Trish, Kyla--I'm soo with you on this.

Aisa--I'm sorry you suffered. Let this teach us to listen to our children and take their feelings and experiences into account when making these decisions.

What ever happened to child nudity laws? Wouldn't this fall under that, or is it okay if mommy thinks it's a good idea? This is sick, and there is no reason for a little girl to get a bikini wax.

Wow. I just had a baby girl, and I cannot imagine exposing her to getting ANYTHING waxed at the age of 6. And I agree that if its facial hair on a girl, and it makes them uncomfortable, its ALOT different than a bikini wax. I'll let my daughter start shaving her legs when shes ready...as long as its after age 10, but probably around period time. And after 15, if she wants her LEGS/EYEBROWS waxed, and she has a job to pay for it, thats fine too. But I think bikini waxes for my lil girl are going to wait until shes legally an adult. Shouldn't they need parental consent to do that?

My daughter is 6 and has a little blonde hair on her back, and very hairy (very blonde) little arms. She has been teased a couple of times about the arm hair, but we work really hard on self-esteem and that "this is how God made you." We are all different, and the thought that because a child has a little extra hair makes them somehow not beautiful or special in their own right is appalling. My husband and I work hard to not turn out a "Bratz doll" child - which is hard enough these days. I just can't imagine who would put their child through this. I know that kids can be cruel - but I think it will serve my daughter better in the long run to learn to deal with that - and build her own self-esteem instead of buying in to whatever their comments are.

As far as I'm concerned, forcing any child to have the hairs ripped from her body with hot wax is CHILD ABUSE. Somebody call Child Protective Services on that sicko!

As far as I'm concerned, forcing any child to have the hairs ripped from her body with hot wax is CHILD ABUSE. Somebody call Child Protective Services on that sicko!

Waxing little girls is ridiculous; that lady has issues. But shaving around puberty is a good idea, I think. I know the way I grew up I didn't feel I could talk to my mother about hair removal. And I was right, because when the topic came up after she noticed I shaved my legs, she was totally against it. She couldn't understand that it was so embarrassing to be light-skinned and have dark hair, probably because she was basically hairless, and darker skinned anyway. Maybe if I had blonde hair, I wouldn't have cared so much, but it was noticeable on my legs and face, so she was the one who had to get over it, as far as I was concerned.

Charlotte, I'm with you. Yes, pluck or wax a young girl's moustache if it bothers her, but her pubes should stay as is and covered up till she can successfully shave them herself as a teen. The vast population of women worldwide do not go to the ridiculous trouble of remaining hairless, legs or pits, let alone pubes. My skin is sensitive and my husband does not care so I trim to keep things neat, but I rarely bother shaving my bikini area. My quality of life does not suffer for it one bit. I won't allow painstaking hair removal for my two daughters till puberty at the earliest because seriously, body hair should not be such a main concern for children.

Aisa, I think you make an excellent point. If removing some hair helps a girl to feel more self-confident I see no problem with it as long as it is her decision and isn't being pushed on her by parents. It can be emotionally scarring to suffer from daily teasing and bullying. I was bullied as a child and if something as simple as a little wax would have stopped it I would have done it in a second. I don't believe in having a set-in-stone rule about when girls can or cannot start shaving or waxing. I have sons, but if I had a daughter who told me that she was feeling self-conscious about hair on her upper lip, eyebrows, or legs I would allow her to make the decision to shave or wax (although I would explain to her how painful waxing can be). I understand why a lot of people have reservations about shaving or waxing the bikini area, but if a girl goes through puberty early and has hair sticking out of her bathing suit I see nothing wrong with shaving or waxing whatever hair would show in a bathing suit.

I wonder if the mom who took her 6-year-old in to get her back waxed against her will (and who even sees that?) puts as much energy into fostering her daughter's education, character development, or personality? Probably not. What a sad message she's sneding her -- all that matters is being hair free? Not to mention how is this girl going to feel when she really hits puberty and does start growing hair (gasp!) down there? Will she feel pride in her growing womanhood, or shame? Airbrushed women may be hair free, but real women aren't. Get used to it!

There's no doubt that hair removal on a child can be akin to the sexualization of that same child -- especially when we're talking about the bikini area. But here's another thought: does it occur to anyone else here that the removal of hair from a woman's body is suggestive of the INFANTILIZATION of that same woman? After all, we are most hairless when we are babies and young children. I've often suspected that men who prefer a woman with a hairless cootch do, perhaps, have some pedophilic tendencies. After all, pubic hair (as well as armpit hair, leg hair, etc.) are characteristic of an ADULT female. Now to be clear, I'm not arguing that we should all go German-80s-pop star, 99-Luftballoons hairy-pitted on principle or anything. Most women shave to attract and please sexual partners. And it does make for a softer, more touchable leg, that's for sure. But let's just entertain the thought for a moment: might our partners who insist on baby-smooth privates really just want a BABY? Hmmm...

I am of Northern European ancestry and my husband's family came originally from India. I have always had a lot of hair on my arms, but it is blonde, so I've never waxed my arms. However, my sisters in law both wax their arms and face. My daughter is almost 7, and I would not encourage her to wax, but she has complained to me that she has very long dark hair on her legs and arms. I would not take her to wax any part of her body until she 1.goes thru puberty and 2. asks for it, and as for a bikini wax, I would wait until right around high school graduation, but I'll reserve that right for her and what would make her comfortable. I would be more concerned if she was the only girl with dark body hair in her class, but we have a very diverse neighborhood and school with children of all colors and shapes, so that hasn't been an issue.

I just wanted to mention that I don't feel a pedicure is the same as a bikin wax or even dying your hair. My daughter loves to go get her nails painted when I get a mani-pedi.

Wow! I thought I was appalled when my step daughter's bio mom let her 8 year old dye her hair and bought her 11 year old thong underwear. What are we teaching these girls?!? I would definitely say NO WAY to waxing, even as a teenager. Once they're out of the house they can make their own decisions, but that would not go on with the children in my home.

Wow! I thought I was appalled when my step daughter's bio mom let her 8 year old dye her hair and bought her 11 year old thong underwear. What are we teaching these girls?!? I would definitely say NO WAY to waxing, even as a teenager. Once they're out of the house they can make their own decisions, but that would not go on with the children in my home.

i think this is really sad. just when the girls are getting into puberty they should be shown how to take care of it themselves not have strangers come in and rip their skin up! i have a 2 yr old and a 5 yr old and i would NEVER take them anywhere to get waxed for anything. if it is painful for an adult how do u think the poor little 8 yr olds feel?! showing their naked bodies to strangers almost sounds like baby pornography! its sickening to me and these psycho mothers need to have their children taken away from them! its sad that ppl are showing our children that it is okay to look a certain way without giving them a choice.

I personally can't believe that a salon would allow it's employees to perform waxing on a child. But, I guess if the moms are whacked out enough to take pre-pubescent girls there....

I'm still a few years away from having children, but my thoughts are definitely in line with those who find it more important to instill a sense of self-love into impressionable childern that should be more concerned with playing hopskotch than body hair.

Oh, and just a response to the poster who went to the whole "maybe men you prefer no hair are pedophiles" thought...really? My guess is that some men prefer it because it's hammered at them from a societal stand-point, and possibly because some women just feel sexier hair free (and hey, what man doesn't like a women with confidence?).

Bottom line (for me): I think it's a matter of knowing your daughter, and being a parent and positive role model, instead of the well meaning "friend" that so many parents saddle their poor children with.

Ok. I agree with too sexual but its one of thos things where you have to ask yourself honestly "How mature is my daughter?" I have always been very mature so I started shaving, waxing, bleaching and all that fun stuff at a yound age. The only reason I started was because I was teased. If your daughters are self-concious and being teased then please please please give them the option IF THEY ASK FOR IT. WE do all sorts of things to boost our self-esteem, why can't our daughters? As a last note, we know it is awful to feel self-concious all the time so do you really want to put your daughters through that pain?

When I was in college, I used to go to salons to be professionally waxed - it very expensive on my shopgirl/student wages. My friend, a Brazilian transplant, said it would be much cheaper for me to do it myself like she did. Duh!

I went to a beauty supply store for the essentials. Buying the heater was the greatest initial expense, but all of the supplies were still cheaper that one waxing session. Full leg and bikini now take me 20 minutes every four to six weeks. The wax and cotton strips are degradable, unlike plastic razors. Also, I'm not using the water I was when I was shaving.

I would encourage my daughter to wax her legs when the time came, and if she expressed a desire to do so (I remember growing underarm hair in 5th grade). As for bikini waxing - what is there to wax before puberty? If a young woman started waxing the bikini area earlier (than say in her 20's) -the hair wouldn't get as thick or coarse- it would be an easier process for removal.

I started puberty early, and with my mixed ethnicity was blessed with a head of gorgeous curls and light skin. Unfortunately, this hair did not end at the neck, and I was forced to deal with constant taunts of mustache and more. I was also forced to wear shorts, even though the hair on my legs was dark, unable to shave per house rules. I think that if it's causing a child anxiety (and I was by no means contemplating sexual activity) it should be allowed. No brazilian waxes though! Waxes often thin out hair, if begun early enough. I'd say opt for laser hair removal though.

I bet that most of the outraged moms posting have never been waxed and are reacting to anecdotes of how painful it can be and that one has to be nude while getting waxed. Untrue. Look at shaving vs waxing like mowing a lawn. When you mow a lawn, it encourages the grass to grow back thicker and stronger. The same thing goes for shaving hair; it encourages vigorous, thicker growth in response. If, however, whenever the grass began to grow someone went outside and pulled it out by the roots it would grow back finer and more sparse. This analogy is true. If hair gets pulled out at root level it NEVER grows back as thick or dark or strong. This is why waxing is superior to shaving. It actually gets rid of hair instead of encouraging stronger, coarser re-growth. And yeah, the younger you get waxed the easier hair removal is and the faster hairy areas get "cleared." Remember, your daughters are maturing in a different era than you did, and body hair is NOT cool to them. So what if you never got waxed? That was your day.