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What age to start shaving daughters legs
My daughter is coming up nine. However her leg hairs are very prominent due to the darkness of her hair. She is becoming self conscious of them so I was thinking of shaving them. My oh cannot remember when she started shaving. Is it a good idea to do this yet?
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Shaving hair doesn't make it grow...
Have you seen your GP to make sure your daughters hormones are all in balance?
Not ever.
No I was not going to do it her mum would do it when we need to
I disagree. I had hairy legs quite young (probably primary school age) but it didnt bother me. When i got to secondary school in year 7 i noticed i was the only one with hairy legs so i wanted to shave. My mum wouldnt let me and it was only when she realised that we did pe with bare legs so everyone could see my legs that she gave in.
I used veet cream which stank and was horrible but my legs were hair free for ages after using it. It helped my confidence because i wasnt the only hairy kid.
If the daughter has mentioned it then its probably wise to do something if its upsetting her. I wouldnt bring it up unless she asks. But even at nine she could be feeling self conscious.
It's definitely on the weird side regardless of which parent does it. Personal hygiene is a personal thing - unless someone is disabled or something then I think it would be really peculiar for a parent to be shaving their daughter's legs! Girls need to work it out for themselves. Let her see her mother shaving her legs. Leave the razor and the shaving gel out. She'll work it out if and when she wants to.
So if a 9 year old is feeling self conscious and embarassed about hairy legs (especially in summer when everyones wearing shorts) you would dismiss it?
At what age do people develop emotions and feelings then?
For the record i dont think theres anything wrong with a mother teaching their daughter how to shave if it involves actually shaving part of it for them. Surely thats better than them hurting themselves?
I would never say its ok to notice hairy legs and forcibly shave them or comment on it to cause the child to want to shave them, but if its their choice i think its unfair to say they have to wait another 4 years or so.
A few weeks ago i noticed she had underarm hair too and now that gets shaved,she doesn't like it being there and i have awful memories of my own mother refusing to allow shaving when i was that age,after a few months i just stole a razor and did it myself.
I honestly don't see the problem with it myself.
http://www.boots.com/en/Braun-5560-Silk-Soft-Ladyshaver_19962/
She could use it herself when she felt the need, without the risk of nicking or slicing herself.
Failing that, Nair or Veet removal cream would do the job painlessly.
I would let her remove the hair if she really doesn't like it, she may be doing it a few years earlier than her friends but so what.
They say kids are going through puberty earlier now so chances are she wouldnt be the only one.
Very true. Its such a horrid time, I say make it as easy for her as possible!!
My parents bought me a battery operated razor when I was 12. I'd have loved it earlier than that though as my legs were visibly hairy. Maybe that could be an option? Also a LOT less chance of cutting yourself with a battery/electric razor so it would be easy for her
Girls sometines hit puberty at that age and hair growth is one of the first signs so she will be noticing that and be thinking about it anyway. Most girls know about female shaving from tv adverts and their own mothers. Keep it open to normalise it rather than hide it. Shaving is no big secret surely.
If I had become aware and conscious of it earlier then presumably I would have started earlier. I don't think a parent should ever say 'right time to start shaving' as it's a personal choice and never shaving is fine. But if she is conscious of it herself, then perhaps reassure her that while it is perfectly acceptable to have hair on her legs, if she is feeling bad because of it then I wouldn't see any harm in her shaving.
I started off with veet when i was 11. It was thick and stinky and blocked the plughole! It also took ages because it had to be applied to dry legs, left on for 15 mins then scraped off with the scraper. If you missed a bit you had to dry your leg and start again!
The plus side was that it lasted ages! Smooth legs for ages and then when it grew back it was light and fluffy.
I got fed up of it and started shaving about 2 years later and wish i hadnt now. It grows back almost straight away and is prickly. I tried the new version of veet but it did nothing on shaved hair.
I wonder whether if i had kept using the cream i would be better off. Now with the cream you can have wet legs, it doesnt smell rank and there was a better removal method designed than the scraper. Also you dont get the irritation or cuts that you do with a razor. Of course at 13 everyone wanted to shave but probably that was the wrong decision. Although i suppose hair changes over age so it might not be as good a method in the long run anyway.
I remember one girl saying she wasnt allowed to shave but used these pad things that were like a soft sandpaper that broke down the hair and was completely pain free. I have never seen any before so not sure if they are a thing but that sounded like a good option rather than using chemicals or blades.
I had some of those years and years ago. They were like very fine sandpaper cones which slipped over your fingers and buffed the hair away - but did scratch your legs! Google hair removal pads - there is a modern version on sale, but not like the ones I used.