Does This School's Ban On Makeup Go Too Far?

A school outside of London is banning its students from wearing makeup on campus, including heavy foundation, self-tanner, false eyelashes, and lipstick.

Gary Vyse, the headteacher of the Hundred of Hoo Academy in Kent, told parents that school isn’t the place for makeup. “A school is not a fashion parade,” Vyse said, according to Kent Online. “There are, however, far-reaching corners of our community who are not being supportive of their child by allowing them to arrive at the academy in makeup, which includes heavily drawn on eyebrows, heavy foundation, bronzer, fake tan, lipstick, and false eyelashes.”

The new ban starts Sept. 1, and students caught in violation of the rules will face disciplinary measures, according to Vyse. “I ask parents to not be surprised if your child is sanctioned for the above,” he said.

This isn’t the first school — and likely won’t be the last — to ban makeup. In 2011, Time.com reported that a British secondary school not only banned makeup for students ages 13 to 16 but also temporarily took down the mirrors in the bathroom so girls wouldn’t be tempted to primp.

While trying out makeup at a young age is often a rite of passage, it can also be a sign of low self-esteem. A 2013 survey from the Renfrew Center revealed that at least one in five young girls between the ages of 8 and 18 who have worn makeup have negative feelings about their self-image when they go makeup-free. They reported associating a “bare face” with feeling self-conscious and unattractive. Only five percent of the surveyed girls said that not wearing any makeup made them feel more attractive.

When Debate.org posed the question of whether teens should be allowed to wear makeup to school, the overwhelming majority (81 percent) voted in favor of allowing makeup. One teen pointed out that wearing light makeup can help boost self-esteem, especially since it helps cover up pimples — a common and often embarrassing problem in the teen years. “For us girls with imperfect skin, we make ourselves presentable through wearing makeup (light, not caked on) and when we are made to take it all off, it makes us feel ugly and worthless and it seems like everyone is looking at you and thinking ‘ew she had bad skin.’ Wearing makeup is a way to boost confidence and feel good about [yourself] inside.”

Another commenter agreed: “Personally, I wear makeup to cover up my acne as I’m really self-conscious about my skin. By wearing makeup, I feel more confident as I have a way of hiding what I hate most. Girls don’t wear makeup because they want to have sex or because they view school as a beauty pageant. We wear makeup because it makes us feel confident. We wear makeup because it makes us feel better about ourselves.”

Heather Russo, the site director at the Renfrew Center of Los Angeles, believes that banning all makeup in school takes things too far. “These blanket policies concern me,” Russo tells Yahoo Beauty. “When tweens start wearing makeup, it’s this sort of moment in their lives where their appearance takes on a bigger role and possibly more mental energy and concern. It’s developmentally appropriate. But what we do want to look out for is hiding and having anxiety that comes from being seen for who they are — if it becomes evident that there is a deficient amount of self-acceptance and seeing themselves as beautiful just as they are.”

Russo also points out that there’s a difference between applying makeup to hide blemishes and using it as a mask to hide behind. “We have to look at the anxiety level that results from not wearing makeup,” she says. “If you’re leaving the house without makeup on, are you consumed by self-consciousness or are you able to still enjoy your day and move throughout life?”

Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.