Laser Hair Removal for Children Ages 5+ Is a Thing in Japan
Reasons to hold off until they’re older.
Recently, I came across a laser hair removal advertisement for children as young as five. The image was of a child lying down with towels over her chest and eyes. Her arms were up over her head and the clinician appeared to be dabbing gel on her skin with a cotton swab. Five?! I dug around and found an article about a 5-year-old girl’s experience, in 2017.
How does semi-permanent hair removal make sense for a child who hasn’t erupted any permanent teeth?
Parents buy into it and children agree to it. More and more. My friend’s sister took her 8-year-old daughter to torch her arms and legs. I thought that was young, only to discover a site ranking places that offer laser hair removal for elementary-aged children, some starting as early as 3 years old.
Why is this growing in popularity in Japan?
Dark hair on light skin. Some girls have more body hair than others. I can think of peer pressure and comparisons starting early, such as in the locker room. Swimming is part of the school curriculum and they undress in front of their peers. There’s also the communal bathing culture here. Ironically, I learned to accept my body as an adult at hot spring…
