If you're headed off to summer camp this month, you're probably familiar with the basics of getting ready. Sunscreen? Check. Sleeping bag? Got it. But is a trip to the salon in the cards?
The New York Times reports that several salons in New York City are seeing an uptick in teen and preteen clients requesting waxes, keratin straightening and facials before leaving for camp. Procedures run the gamut from a quick eyebrow reshaping to a bikini wax.
"It's about making sure your child is comfortable," beauty guru Bobbi Brown, who has written two books for teens, told the Times. "If she's going to be a bunk with all these girls, and she feels insecure because she hasn't taken care of the hair on her lip or her legs, you know what? You do whatever you can to make her feel good when she gets there."
For girls who forgo the salon and instead take care of their beauty routine at home, magazines like Seventeen and Teen Vogue offer tips for maintaining a groomed bikini line.
But not all parents approve of letting their teenage daughters experiment with hair removal. A poll by The Stir asked moms at what age they would allow their daughter to get a Brazilian wax. Fifty-six percent said they preferred their daughter waited until she was over 18, 28 percent okayed the grooming routine between 14 and 17, and just two percent said they'd allow it between 11 and 13 years old.
Getting beauty treatments at a young age is common practice on certain television shows, like Toddlers and Tiaras. The popular reality show aired a video clip of a young beauty pageant contestant in tears while getting her eyebrows waxed. Although the wax was so hot it ripped her skin, the child's mother forced the procedure.
How do you feel about waxing? If you're going to camp or spending time at the beach this summer, are you planning a trip to the salon beforehand? Sound off in the comments below or tweet your thoughts at @HuffPostTeen!