A few decades ago, girls began (sometimes) to wear light makeup for special occasions ... around 15 or 16 years! Nowadays, it is not uncommon to notice much younger girls who do not leave their home without first having gone through a ritual of beauty ... What does it take to think?free makeup brushes
How old is it?
It can happen that girls in 5th and 6th grade do light makeup (lip gloss, for example), but the fact remains isolated. On the other hand, as soon as you enter secondary school, the vast majority of girls adopt a discreet make-up ... or not!
The more girls grow up, the more they wear makeup, and it is not uncommon for the vast majority of young people to wear makeup to go to school at age 13-14. Sometimes, it is still only a discreet embellishment (black pencil, mascara and gloss) and other times the face is "worked" like that of their favorite starlets: foundation, concealer, lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, etc. The total!
Of course, there are always some exceptions: some young girls decide not to follow the trend, or maybe it is more severe parents who forbid their makeup?
The reasons
As is the case for all women, regardless of their age, the reasons given to justify the use of makeup are varied. Here is an overview:
Camouflage imperfections (buttons, black spots),
Have the impression of being "ugly" in the natural
Look like models (stars or others),
Feel better about yourself,
Belong to a "group" (gothic, emo)
Feel beautiful and admired,
seduce
To please others (boys !!!),
Being confident in one's self,
Do like her friends,
Etc.
Is there a problem?
If one considers things in the first degree, all the previous reasons can be valid ... But the discomfort comes mainly from the fact that one speaks of very young girls (12 to 15 years).
Is it legitimate for a 12 year old to want to please the opposite sex at all costs? And above all, how is it that these young people love each other so little that they can not conceive of showing themselves to others without first "masking" their natural beauty?
In fact, far more than makeup itself, it is the reasons behind this practice that are especially worrying. Normally, our young people should grow up knowing their strengths and weaknesses, being proud of who they are. Of course, everyone is different, but it is precisely by becoming aware that each is unique that these young people can move forward in life.
Unfortunately, the media and the social pressure often push young girls to believe that one and only one model is "acceptable": that of the always perfect girl and in its best light, whatever the time of day and the opportunity. For this reason, our young people come to believe that to please those around them, they must adopt a whole series of "rituals".
In addition, when girls start to wear makeup on a daily basis, they enter a vicious circle and often become unable to go out (even at the convenience store) without dressing up. And if by chance they try it, the relatives will soon tell them that they look sick or tired ... Moreover, there are now complete lines of beauty products that specifically target this clientele . It's nothing to encourage them to stay natural!
Possible solutions ...
It is normal for all teenage girls to shape their personality. High school is a special passage in life, during which one learns "adult life". Even if the pressure of friends and the desire to be "like everyone else" plays a big role in the habits of our girls, they should also encouraged to be themselves and stay natural.
Of course, it is not by simply banning any form of makeup that we will help our youth, but it is necessary to talk to them about the true values, what really matters. And even if our young people take pleasure in making us understand that they are now "big" and therefore free to do what they want, this is not yet the case! These young girls still have a lot to learn and it is important as parents (teachers, educators, tutors, etc.) to help them value what is really important: their personality, their understanding of the world, their real needs and unique.
Waqas