the beauty industry is unregulated. Anyone is allowed to carry out almost any treatment, on anyone. At the same time, creeps interest for a variety of treatments, such as waxing, down through the ages. On the web is teeming with forums for discussion of mothers who wonder at what age it is okay to shave or wax their daughters – some as young as ten years.
Annica Joensuu, chairman of the Swedish Hudvårdsterapeuters Association, says it’s becoming increasingly common to her medlemssalonger calling to ask for advice when it comes to young people.
” My feeling is that it is usually the mothers who press on hair removal, not the children themselves. I say to the lounges: you are not allowed to say yes. Tell them that they can try to shave or use hårborttagningskräm, and then they come back when they are 18.
But only a small part of Sweden’s all therapists are members of the SHR, and those who do not are putting up their own rules. The question is how far down in the ages they are prepared to go.
Okay for a elvaåring
We decide to call around to the beauty salons in Gothenburg and ask if they can think of to wax the reporter’s soon twelve-year-old daughter’s legs and between the legs. The salons we are calling are just ordinary saloons, which lands high up on a Google search. Of the ten salons says five no, and refers to the range of age limits they themselves have set up. But the five say yes.
a Few days after the first rundringningen we will call those who said yes, to hear how they reason. Refräsch Skin & body Care in Önnered, giving a new message:
” no, no, No. We would never say yes to it, she who answered the phone did not understand that you said twelve, without the teen, says owner Anna Eriksson.
She says that a 14-15-year-old would be able to be current for the waxing – of the legs. Bikini may have to wait a couple of years. And brazilian waxing, therefore, waxing in which you remove just all the hair, making the salon is not on any.
“we will never do, we don’t think it feels good for us,” she explains.
That other salons can think of to wax tolvåringar think she is sick.
” Yes, I think really. Have you even any hair then? And everything must start so early, can’t get the desire to do something when you’re a little older?
First yes, then no
In Frölunda gave a salon a peremptorily yes at the first call. When we call up again they change. The owner seems to at first not understand what it is about:
– if you Want to book a time?
No, I’m calling to hear a little bit how you’re thinking about waxing, as you said, yes, to wax an eleven, soon twelve, the between the legs when I called about a week ago.
– No, we do not. Not a twelve.
Okay, so there has been no misunderstanding?
– Yes.
One of the lounges that said yes is located on the island of Hisingen, göteborg. The owner sighs when we call up again.
” I thought it was a strange mother. It is the first time I get the question if one so young, ” says the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Why did you answer yes, then?
– For I have friends from other countries whose daughters think it’s really hard to have a lot of hair. You’ll see from individual to individual, I think. Has just a little lint, it is very unnecessary, I think.
there Should be age limits?
I find it hard to see, it is so individual. And it seems that society is becoming more brutal. Sure, you can be roughly teased if you have too much hair.
Also a clinic in Angered says yes – if the parent gives permission. The owner who runs the salon said that it is unusual that so young going to the salon, but 14-15 year-olds is not so unusual.
” Then it is not so often about the wax, but more about the laser treatment that removes hair permanently.
it Is reasonable, do you think, that so young want to remove all the hair?
” When I was twelve, I had a lot of hair. I showed me not for the people, dressed never of me in front of others. Had someone offered me to remove the hair I had been very happy”, says the owner.
So you feel with the children?
” Yes, I know that you can feel psychologically bad to have too much hair. And since you called me as a mother, I think that you know how your child is feeling. But one should be aware that young people have thin skin, and that it can cause a lot of pain on them.
hardcore
"did you Know that anyone can call themselves a skin therapist," it says on a brochure Annica Joensuu is enough. She is chairman of the Swedish hudterapeuters association, SHR, and we have an appointment at a salon in Kungshöjd who is not in the GP survey. She becomes furious when she hears that there are salons that say yes to wax tolvåringar.
” Our organisation has set an 18-year minimum age for waxing. At our salons waxing we no one under the age of 18. We can carry out laser treatments on the young people who received a referral from the health services, usually because they have a lot of hair in the face, but would never do it if the customer asked.
All members
But far from all the beauty salons are members of the SHR. None of those came to the top of Google – and which we therefore called – is a member. Therefore, they can put exactly which rules they want to. It is not required any special training to perform the waxing.
– It is so frivolous. I can see lots of risks with waxing a child. They have thin skin, it has not grown ready when you are twelve. The risk of scarring for the rest of your life. And if something goes wrong they have this lounges often with no behandlingsskadeförsäkring, so you can’t even get the money back, ” says Annica Joensuu, finland.
Unregulated industry
But even if SHR have their own age limits, it is nothing to be discussed on the lagstiftarnivå. The beauty industry is, as I said, unregulated. And it’s growing fast. Between 2008 and 2015, it has grown by 108 per cent, and currently have a turnover of 1.8 billion in Sweden. Last year there was a government inquiry into the beauty industry, the so-called Skönhetsutredningen. In it was the question of age limits. Like this, write the investigators:
A body treatment is a consumer service and a personal matter and from a consumer perspective is the issue of whether children under the age of 18 years may make a body treatment or not is primarily a matter between the custodian and the child. On a general age limit of 18 years would be introduced for body treatments, it would among other things mean that children who have troublesome hair growth on the body, children with protruding ears or unsightly scars, or with severe acne would not be able to do these treatments before the age of 18.
But on the SHR’s salons made such treatments only after referral from the doctor. Annica Joensuu tell her that her medlemssalonger sometimes call asking what to do when moms nag their children to get the treatments, including hair removal.
Is it not better that you are waxing, then, so they do not go to any unserious instead?
– No, I do not think we are. They may use other methods until they are old enough to come to us. You have a lot of problems, you can go to a doctor and get a referral. But none of our salons will ever wax a child.
“Hard to see that you would get damage,”
Therese Zetterqvist Eriksson is a midwife AT.see, then, the youth clinic on the web, and 1177 Vårdguiden.
She sees not the direct medical risks associated with waxing the genital area of a young person.
” that can happen is that you get the red dots, introverted hair follicles, just as usual, if you remove the hair. But I have a hard time to see that you would get lesions in the genital area, ” she says.
this is not to say that it is a good idea.
” I think it’s inappropriate to do this on such a young person, and it feels really weird that they say yes to a elvaåring. But it is, of course, subjective. I can’t see that it would be good with a threshold. But it is sad to hear, ” she says.
Therese Zetterqvist Eriksson is also working on a reception. She says that there is a strong norm to remove the hair from the genital area.
– This applies to both guys and girls. It is very seldom I meet people that have not removed the hair in some degree. Generally start many with this at the high school.
do you Have any advice for parents who want to talk with their children about this issue?
” Yes, you can read AT:s text to remove hair in the genital area, we have a great such on our website. It is about how to think, rather than on the advantages and disadvantages. And hopefully, it can strengthen those who do not want to remove the hair.
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