The first time my hair cutter told me that she had customers, who were nine or ten years old, getting their hair lightened, I was shocked. But now, three years later, it's become commonplace to see young girls getting "mani/pedis," eyebrow waxing, massages, and other beauty "maintenance" measures.

Some mothers believe this is all harmless fun, a little pampering and a way to bond with their daughters. (Read an article in which some mothers make this case.)

There are so many reasons why I think this trend is dangerous, but let's start with the obvious: Remember the Beauty Myth, that early 1990s feminist tract on the beauty industry's pernicious effect on women? It's bad enough that we adult women have internalized the beauty industry's message so thoroughly that we no longer even notice it, but now we are passing it on to our young daughters? Stumble It!