Hair removal is, sadly, something many women deal with on a daily basis.
Yes, it’s our choice, and sure, we could very easily decide to stop shaving/waxing/plucking/lasering/threading/bleaching/chemically removing our body hair if we wanted to. Except many won’t, thanks to the unrealistic beauty standards we’ve grown up seeing in movies, on TV and on the covers of magazines.
But what about our daughters? Do we want the next generation of girls to inherit our messed up facial and body hair complexes?
LISTEN: Mamamia Out Loud help a listener who’s worried her hair removal habits will rub off on her daughter (post continues after audio…)
Mum-of-one, Sturdy Mom Central has called out Parents magazine for an article titled ‘Normal or Not: Hair on a Preschooler’s Upper Lip’, which provided advice to parents on how to remove their child’s upper lip hair.
“I am APPALLED at @parents magazine for this article stating that it is okay to wax or pluck your PRESCHOOLER’S ‘mustache’ (sic),” the mum from Wisconsin wrote in an Instagram post addressing the article’s suggestion that cutting, waxing and plucking are safe ways to remove your preschooler’s moustache – “if they can handle the discomfort”.
“The featured picture even makes me angry. What is this teaching our young children about appearances? It is absurd!”
A fellow user agreed with Sturdy Mom’s point, commenting, “100 percent agree. What the heck?!”
Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, Sturdy Mom reiterated her thoughts on how such an article could send the wrong message about teaching our kids they’re more than their appearance.
“I love Parents magazine but I was appalled when I saw this. What is this teaching about body image? And for preschool?” she said.
And we’re inclined to agree – is a bit of a fluffy upper lip really something parents need to be concerned about?
While the idea of waxing a child’s upper lip seems extreme, Parents magazine’s paediatric dermatologist, Dr Jody Levine made the point that “thick or coarse hair on a little girl or boy’s upper lip is only a problem when it starts to impact their happiness and self-esteem”.
The article also advised parents should talk to their GP or paediatrician to rule out hormone imbalances.
Parents magazine has not commented on the issue at this point in time.
So, do you agree with Sturdy Mom? Is Parents mag’s advice harmful, or helpful for parents of children who are self-conscious about their facial hair?