“Like Lily, I had visible facial hair at her age and used to get called monkey lady,” Ms. Levin said. “Back then, there wasn’t a culture of young girls getting hair taken off so I dealt with it, but I wanted to spare Lily the same pain.”
But Dr. Shari Lipner, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, warned that children have to be able to tolerate the pain of lasering and sit still during the treatment. “The procedure can be painful, but a topical numbing cream can help,” she said.
Dr. Kohli-Seth said that her daughter never complained about the pain, while Lily said that it was uncomfortable but “not horrible.”
At least it’s fast, noted Mr. Karavolas, of Romeo & Juliette. “We do the lip in one minute, underarms in three minutes and arms in 10 minutes,” he said.
It’s important to go to a properly trained technician. “The setting has to take into account the person’s skin tone and how much sun exposure they’ve had,” Dr. Wechsler said. If done by someone who is not properly trained in laser hair removal, the treatment could cause burns and permanent scarring, she said.
Cost may also be a factor. Monthly waxing sessions, depending on the salon and body parts getting waxed, can run $100. Lasering is significantly pricier, but it can remove hair permanently in about six sessions. Dr. Wechsler charges $200 and up for a single session, and at Romeo & Juliette, a package of six sessions for the upper lip, along with six follow-ups to laser any leftover hairs, is $450.
For parents who don’t want to or can’t pay for laser or waxing, Dr. Wechsler said that a topical hair removing cream, such as Nair, is an easy and affordable alternative. And of course, shaving is an affordable option.
Whatever method they opt for, Dr. Nash emphasized that the initiation of hair removal should come from children, not their parents. “Don’t broach the topic with your daughter if her body hair is bothering you,” she said. “The most important thing is for her to feel good about herself, regardless of body hair.”
Source : Nytimes
