To ask about tweens/teen girls and leg hair

[Bimmy76]

My DD has been asking about shaving her legs. It seems v young to me- I wondered what other people’s experience was? When did your DD do this? What’s the earliest you would feel ok with?

I also wondered whether I should talk to her about other methods of hair removal- I wish I’d started off waxing rather than shaving. But 11 seems far too young for waxing and I don’t want her to think that I think she needs to remove hair.

I’ve been thinking about this today.

We have a lot of angst about our DD’s starting to remove their leg hair.

We don’t feel the same angst about our son’s removing their facial hair for the first time.

Boys shave for the same reasons of fashion/societal expectation.

I know the whole “boys aren’t objectified in the same way girls are” comes into play but perhaps we are further objectifying our DDs by making this such a big deal.

It’s hair, it grows back, it’s not a permanent decision.

I’m not sure of my own thoughts on this really.

she shouldn't need to be ashamed of her body hair, but other teen girls can be vile and/or insensitve and mention it.

let her remove hair if she wants.

an electric razor may be the gentlest way to do it.

My dd was 11 when she started shaving her legs. My mum wouldn’t let me shave mine and I remember being at school at 13 and all my friends had shaved theirs and I remember being really self conscious about it. I always said that as soon as my dd said she wanted to, I wouldn’t say no.

Hmmm... How about seeing your daughter as an independent person, with her own body, and minding your own business? Why should you even care?

We waxed DD1 for about a year but it was painful as she found us (Dd2 & I) better than the salon but it's long, messy and we got shouted at. She's not keen on an epilady thing sadly. Now she shaves as needed.

DD2s decided she's ok with hairy currently. Dd3 is fairly hairless.

A boy at school 'shamed' me for having leg hair when I was 11. I pinched my mum's razor and did it myself. I don't think you can pressure her not to do it. It's a shame that's she's feeling that external pressure but not surprising, and I think you'll just have to be supportive on this one.