By Catherine Redfern | 3 May 2005, 21:17

Over the weekend The Observer ran a story about a trend for girls as young as 5 being taken by their mothers to salons and spas for facial treatments, manicures, pedicures and makeovers. All together now: BLECCH!

Apparently, “eyebrow shaping is particularly popular with 13 year olds”. Remind you of anyone?

This is just the latest in a string of “girls growing up too soon” stories. A couple of years ago, Bhs and Argos came under fire for selling padded bras and thongs to pre teens (Bhs’s line was called “Little Miss Naughty”).

This brings to mind something Naomi Wolf wrote in The Beauty Myth: “For a contemporary seven year old, to climb onto the [bathroom] scale and to exclaim with horror is as much a ritual of femininity… as my generation’s posing provacatively in high heels in front of mirrors.”

Depressing, isn’t it? I tried to find something positive to link to, but I couldn’t. I just hope there are some organisations out there working to counter all of this.

By the way, if you haven’t read The Beauty Myth yet, you really must. Even Johnny Vegas is a fan. (It’s true! I read it in the Radio Times once. I know that’s not the greatest endorsement in the world, but still…)