In many Asian countries, smooth and hairless skin is often considered the mainstream aesthetic, while excessive body hair is associated with shame. In China, body hair is often seen as a sign of being unkempt, lazy, too sexual and ageing. South Korean female celebrities are meticulous about “underarm management”.
When wearing sleeveless or short-sleeved clothes, they often cover their armpits with a hand if they become visible. In Japan, even toddlers are targeted as potential consumers of the hair removal industry. Japanese company Dione, offers laser hair removal for children as young as three.
It claims to use low-powered, gentle devices specifically designed for tender young skin. That is despite experts warning it may cause significant damage to children’s skin and hair follicles. Asahi, one of the leading daily newspapers in Japan, announced the arrival of the “minors’ hair removal beauty era” in the country as early as May 2010.
The number of primary and secondary school students having the treatment in Japan increased eightfold from 2016 to 2023, according to a survey by the hair removal agency Rize. Nearly 60 per cent of Japanese parents said their children wanted to have their body hair removed. Among teenagers, excessive hair can lead to bullying from their peers.
“When I was in secondary school, I was constantly called a hairball, people would lift my clothes to tease me,” one online observer wrote on Yahoo Japan. “My daughter does not want to go.