The Light and Shadow of the "Kids Hair Removal" Boom Starting at Age 8: Understanding Perspectives on Body Hair in Japan and the World, and Considering Self-Image and Medical Risks with Parents and Children

1. Introduction: Social Changes Indicated by the Age 8 Line

In June 2025, Will Be Clinic, which operates in areas like Ginza and Shinjuku, announced that it would lower the minimum age for medical hair removal from the traditional 12 years to 8 yearsj-cast.com. Similarly, Rize Clinic also announced in 2024 that it would begin treatments for those aged 8 and aboveprtimes.jp. With the spread of "smooth skin" among peers on social media, more children feel that body hair is a "cause for teasing," leading to an increase in cases where they seek counseling accompanied by their parents.

2. Current Status of the Kids Hair Removal Market

Japan's laser hair removal market is expected to grow from a scale of $28.6 million in 2022 to $126.8 million by 2030, with an annual growth rate exceeding 20%grandviewresearch.com. The increasing demand from younger age groups is driving this growth, and clinics are enhancing their appeal by improving the cooling performance of equipment and shortening irradiation time, emphasizing "painless" and "quick" treatments.

3. Why Start at Age 8? — The Medical Perspective

• Boundary for Willingness Confirmation: Around age 8 is when children start to verbalize and understand "pain" and "risk."

• Safety of Equipment: Advances in cooling mechanisms have reduced the risk of epidermal burns.

• Parental Requests: There is an increasing number of parents who want to "address it early to prevent self-care troubles."
  However, specialists emphasize that "treatment is not recommended if the child is not concerned about it."j-cast.comprtimes.jp.
  
  
  
  

4. Thorough Comparison of Benefits and Drawbacks

5. Different Views on Body Hair in Japan and Abroad

5-1. Japan: The Belief in Hairlessness and Cleanliness Culture

— In women's magazines and advertisements, "zero unwanted hair" is considered a virtue, and there is strong pressure that body hair is "something that should be maintained." The generation of parents also has a high rate of hair removal experience, making it easy for similar values to be projected onto children.

5-2. Europe: Differences in Tolerance by Country

According to a 2024 survey by Galaxus / YouGov, 67% of Swiss women answered that they are "concerned about body hair," while in Italy, around 60% of both men and women were positive, saying "it's fine as it is now."galaxus.at. Across Europe, younger women tend to be more dissatisfied with body hair, but tolerance increases with age.

5-3. North America: Diversifying Standards of Beauty

In U.S. beauty clinics, the guideline of "after menstruation begins" is generally considered a safety line, and age restrictions are often flexible depending on parental consentdermacarehr.com. On social media, the body positivity movement is on the rise, with hashtags promoting acceptance of "natural hair" spreading.

5-4. Middle East & Islamic Regions: Religion and Ritual

As an Iranian-American writer states, "Growing back my unibrow is an act of reclaiming identity," body hair can also become a political and cultural symbolallure.com. In Islamic societies, hair removal before marriage is customary, but recently, there is also a growing movement to respect individual decision-making rights.

6. Checklist for Parents and Children

1. Confirmation of the Child's Will: Carefully listen for the presence of complexes.
   
   

2. Growth Stage: Effects and regrowth rates vary before and after puberty.
   
   

3. Selection of Medical Institutions: Ensure that a dermatology specialist is on-site and can respond quickly in case of burns.
   
   

4. Cost and Continuity: Total cost if a 5-8 session course plus additional treatments are needed.
   
   

5. Long-term Value Formation: Avoid the fixed notion that hair removal is the correct answer and present it as one of the options.
   
   
   
   

7. The Responsibility of Clinics to Provide Explanations

• Specific Presentation of Pain and Side Effects

• Risk of Regrowth with Growth

• Ethics of Advertising Expressions (e.g., "You'll be disliked if you don't remove hair" is not acceptable)
  
  
  
  

8. Conclusion: Expanding Children's "Choices"

While kids' hair removal offers immediate relief from complexes, it also poses risks for children who are still physically and psychologically maturing. Parents should step back from the bias that "unwanted hair is bad" and gather information while respecting the child's will and future value formation.

How to handle body hair is a theme that crosses culture, religion, and gender, and a social consensus that equally values the "freedom not to remove hair" is required.

List of Reference Articles

• J-CAST News "Rapid Increase in 'Kids Hair Removal,' Clinics Accepting from Age 8... Why It's Still 'Unnecessary' if the Child Isn't Concerned" (2025-06-23)

• Medical Corporation Furin-kai Rize Clinic Press Release "Start Accepting Children Aged 8 to Under 14" (2024-09-30)

• Grand View Research "Japan Laser Hair Removal Market Size & Outlook, 2022-2030"

• Dermacare of Hampton Roads "For Laser Hair Removal, What Age Do I Have to Be?" (2022-09-19)

• Galaxus/YouGov "Which European country is most bothered by body hair?" (2024-06-04)

• Allure "I'm Iranian-American, and Growing Back My Unibrow Is an Act of Power" (2023-10-03)