TOKYO, Jun 06 (News On Japan) – Hair removal for men has become commonplace, but in recent years attention has shifted to hair removal for children, also known as ‘child hair removal’. Some children start as early as 4 years old. We have investigated this trend.
In a hair removal salon in Chuo Ward, Tokyo…
Girl: “Hello. (Question: How old are you?) 4 years old.”
This salon offers hair removal from 3 years after consultation.
Dione Ginza Main Store Manager Yumiko Sano: “Some come because their friends say things like ‘You have a beard like your father’ or ‘Why do you have so much hair?’ And they’re worried.”
A mother, who brought her 4-year-old daughter, explained why she had her hair removed…
Mother of child being eliminated (30): “Of course she’s happy with smooth skin, but I found it difficult to talk about it during my adolescence, so I don’t want her to go through the same thing.”
The hair removal method uses special light on the hair roots, which causes the hair to grow more slowly. Full body hair removal for children costs about 300,000 yen for 12 sessions.
This was her 6th session. After treatment…
Girl undergoing hair removal (4): “It felt good.”
Another 4-year-old came to visit for the first time.
First visitor for hair removal (4): “I came to get cute.”
Mother of first visitor (30): “I think the hair on her back bothers her most. But that’s not too bad.”
She experienced hair removal for the first time in her life.
Mother: “I couldn’t imagine that primary school students would get hair removal, but…”
What do people on the street think of “child hair removal”?
Woman in her twenties: “I understand the parents’ feelings, but I wonder if it is necessary to do it so early.”
Mother (30) and daughter (6): “(Question: If your child asks for hair removal?) I think it would be fine to handle this yourself until about high school.”
Another mother and her 11-year-old daughter…
Mother (40) and daughter (11): “About a year ago she told me she was interested in hair removal because she was bothered by the hair on her shins and legs, so we went to a salon.”
What was the reason?
Daughter (11): “I felt like my hair stood out when I put on a swimsuit for pool or gym classes, and that made me want hair removal. (Q. Do any of your friends get hair removal?) One or two do .”
Mother (40) and daughter (11): “In my time, hair removal in primary school was unthinkable, so I hesitate and still haven’t figured it out.”
About 80% of children are concerned about body hair
Caster Wataru Ogasawara: The hair removal salon we examined in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, offers treatments from age 3. We interviewed Mirichan (5), who has been going there since he was four years old.
Why hair removal? We asked her mother, who said, “She came home from kindergarten one day with her father’s razor and said, ‘I want to use this.’ When I asked why, she said a friend asked, ‘Why do you have so much hair?'”
Her mother was looking for a place where children could get hair removal and asked, “Do you want to go?” Mirichan eagerly replied, โYes, yes.โ
According to a Benesse Education Information survey of parents of elementary, middle, and high school students, they were asked, โDoes your child care about body hair?โ 77.3% answered โYes,โ while 20.5% said โNo,โ indicating that about 80% of children are concerned about body hair.
57% of parents of first graders and 77% of parents of third graders said their children were worried. Areas of interest included facial hair, arm and leg hair, armpit hair and peach fuzz between the eyebrows.
Source: TBS
