Beauty and the child

When it comes to beauty, there is no ideal time to start going to the salon. Children tend to emulate adults and want to opt for treatments from an early age in the eagerness to look prettier. Research has shown girls in the west as young as seven and 10 demanding to go to parlours for manicures, pedicures, hair removal and even blow drys. Kid-friendly parlours and cosmetics specially created for them only encourage youngsters to be more image conscious. Hair colouring has also become popular with kids and research shows chemically altering a child's hair can damage the fragile locks. Wearing make-up too is no longer reserved for adulthood and school-going girls love to use lip gloss and kajal.

HAIRY TALES
Natasha Naegamvala, director, Nalini of Nalini and Yasmin salon, says there is no right or wrong time to colour a child's hair. "It largely depends on the family, their lifestyle and background. A certain family may allow a child to colour her hair at 15 and another at 13. However I would recommend it in the last year of school if the child is keen or better still in college. Children want to copy their friends and wish to fit in with their peers. Blow drying the hair is fine in their teens or even earlier when they go to a school function or a birthday party. Today's youngsters are very aware of the latest hairstyles that are in, as such it is good for them to learn when they are young as their appearance is important during their college and working years. I always advise them to care for their hair and skin so that they understand the importance later on."

SKIN ESSENTIALS
Tisha Khurana, executive director, Bottega di LungaVita feels kids should go to the salon only for a haircut initially. "In the later stage, girls of age 12-14, depending on their hair growth, go for upper lips/waxing. Some don't need it till even the tenth grade. Each and every individual is born with a different skin type and hair growth so most of the treatments are based on that. The benchmark ideally should be when they are finishing school. Early treatments can damage the skin and one can develop rashes, boils, pimples and redness. Skin is very delicate during that age, so the later the better. As for manicures and pedicures they can be started one they enter college."

MAKE ME UP
Children tend to be fascinated by make-up and often want to try out all sorts of cosmetics. Clint Fernandes, make-up expert says he's completely against kids wearing make-up. "Children need to be children. They shouldn't start thinking and behaving like adults. Painting nails once in a while is okay and kids should only put on make-up is on stage but always keep it minimal. I think all these little girl beauty pageants are completely wrong. Girls should be confident as intelligent beings and not for their looks. The right age to start wearing make-up is only after school according to me. If started earlier, the child loses her innnocence."