New Beauty Standards, Children In Japan Follow The 'Bulu-Free' Trend Early

Japanese child (Freepik/dulajdilshan124)

JAKARTA - In Japan, beauty standards continue to grow, and one of the trends that is now increasingly popular is the care for removing body hair for children. Treatment, which was previously considered a necessity for adults, has now spread to children, even since elementary school (SD).

Suzu Tanaka, a 6-year-old child, is undergoing hair removal treatment on her arms and feet at a beauty salon in Tokyo, Japan. This is the fifth treatment of a series of 12 sessions.

Suzu is a pseudonym to protect his privacy. He started this treatment at the Dione beauty salon branch in Shinjuku in June when he was 5 years old.

"He started to feel inferior after his friend mentioned that the hair on his lips made him look like he had a mustache," said his mother, who also goes by a pseudonym, Melodhi Tanaka, quoted by VOI from the website of The Japan Times on Friday, January 10, 2025.

"After discussing with my husband, we decided that it would be better if the hair could be reduced or removed before he starts elementary school, where there are swimming activities," said the 33-year-old mother.

In Japan, hair removal treatments at beauty salons and medical institutions, previously considered only for adults, are increasingly being offered to children, even for those aged three years. Fears of being ridiculed are the main reason for this treatment.

However, experts warn of risks that could be posed, such as the impact on the child's sensitive skin, as well as the social pressure that accompanies the treatment.

ruhi Aiba, professor at Meiji Gakuin University who researches hair removal among high school students, said that this practice has become a standard for body care, not an option for most Japanese people.

"Social costs to fight these norms are very high. In Japan, the loss of body hair is common, in many ways it becomes a form of basic care," he said.

"There is a tendency to associate poor body care with a lack of character or discipline," he continued.

A survey conducted by Benesse, a child education service company, between April and May last year of parents of elementary, junior high and high school students with 1,284 respondents valid, revealed that 77.3% of their children expressed concerns about body hair.

The survey shows that more than 70% of children in grades 2-4 of elementary school have similar concerns. This percentage increased to 80% among fifth to junior high school students, and peaked more than 90% among first and second grade high school students.

One of the respondents, the parents of a fifth grade student from Hokkaido, admitted that the dilemma between wanting to help their child overcome insecurity and introduce hair removal products at a young age.

"Sometimes, my son feels he has more hair than anyone else, so I think he's quite inferior about it," the parent said in the survey.

"I want to help him, but I'm not sure if I should take action or not. I also don't know if it's safe to use products like hair removal creams." he added.