To remove DD'S leg hair permanently....

[newmum0808]

So, my DD is ten and starting puberty (boobs, hair and hormones). She's asked to remove her leg hair which is already noticeable as she's pale with dark hair. My Mum refused to let me shave mine when I was her age. Instead she let me dye it - thick blond leg hair glinting in the sun still haunts me.....
Now I spent years dealing with my thick black body hair (shudders), until I invested in an IPL machine. I haven't had to shave my armpits for years.... (ditto, leg, bikini etc). Anyway, I don't really want DD to start shaving as it's a bind (when I think of how many hours I wasted hacking my leg jungle...). Waxing is a pain (literally and time-wise to getting her booked in to a salon (I work full time)), so I'm considering using my IPL machine on her. Now, I'm aware it might not be permanent (hormones etc), but on the other hand it might be. But is there any chance she'd want leg hair in the future? Am I overthinking this? What do you do?
Thanks!

It is a myth that hair grows thicker and faster once you start shaving. Think about it: the hair is dead, so it can't know you've shaved, and has no mechanism for changing the growth pattern.

I think ingrown hairs/rashes would be more of a worry.

I agree with 64s about not doing anything permanent. I'm also a hairy woman with pale skin, so I do get it, but it's not your decision to make IMO. Temporary measures such as hair removal cream or good razors, yes.

Epilator all the way. Its only a bit ouch for the first 3 or 4 times, then its just a slight ping feeling. Plus the hair grows back much sparser.

I think you're a fab mum by the way. I remember hating my mum refusing to let me remove hair and forcing me to have a fucking mono-brow at that age. I ended up stealing/shop lifting tweezers FFS and painstakingly removing leg hairs one hair at a time. School swimming lessons saw me up all night tweezing everything that sat outside my cossie legs.

I was an ipl therapist for many years. It’s a fantastic treatment. We were not allowed to treat anyone under 18 because of the permanency and the consent. The treatment kills the hair follicles so although it’s doubtful she would ever want to have hair back on her legs it’s a medical treatment and we were just not legally allowed to treat children.

"Once you start the hair just gets thicker and grows faster."

That's a myth. Google it.

Candymay - are you talking about permanent laser or non-permanent ipl?

I wouldn't permanently remove her body hair. She is a child so may agree with you now but may change her mind in years to come. Unlikely, but possible!

I love my lumea. My DD has unfortunately inherited my gorilla genes, pasty skin with dark hair.
I would happily use it on her legs in a few years when she asks.

Epilators are painful and caused me problems with ingrown hairs. IPL is quick, mostly painless and worked brilliantly for me.

Also if your hair is fast growing you would be getting through tubes of the stuff!

And yes it’s a total myth that hair will grow back thicker or faster if you cut it. Some people also insist that plucking hairs will make the hair grow back thicker or faster - and that waxing hair will slow and thin the growth. Both actions are exactly the same. pulling the hair from the follicle.
I encouraged my daughter to start shaving legs and underarms at age 11 or 12. That’s when she started to get hairy. Absolutely no need to have unwanted body hair. I’ll do her waxing when she’s a bit older if she wants it.

Gwenhwyfar permanent IPL. I have never heard of non- permanent. I worked with it for many years.

Candymay - we're always being told that the IPL you can use at home is not permanent. Is that wrong or have you just not heard of it?

IPL is not permanent.

IPL in a salon is not permanent either.

Surely you wouldn't make permanent changes to a child's body!

Use one of the usual hair removal methods.

"Surely you wouldn't make permanent changes to a child's body! "

No ears pierced until 18 then?

I've never had a big hair problem. Reasonably fair hair, small underarm area so not that noticeable but my DD 18 has thick hair and darker than me and she hates it as she has to shave every couple of days and even then you can see the dark dots under her arms in particular. She gets ingrown hairs too. I've always said you don't have to remove hair but she wants to.I'm thinking of buying her the lumea.Why suffer if you don't have to?

Both my dds starting shaving around 10 or 11 under my supervision. I think I’d let her do this for a few years before advancing on to your IPL.

I’ve used the Nair wax strips on my DD’s (13) legs with excellent results.

Laughing at some of the myths on here.

Im a medical professional ... children can consent if they can demonstrate capacity.

What is it with mums not wanting girls to sort hair out? My mum wouldn't let me shave, she asked my sister in law (well she was my brother's girlfriend then) to speak to me about it to try to persuade me out of it. SIL told me the facts of it but didn't influence (I think she thought mum wrong but had no confidence to say, she would now!) I ended up getting the piss ripped out of me for my hairy legs and hairy armpits. And I wasn't even dark haired, it affected my confidence terribly. In the end DM got me some veet, grudgingly. I will do what it takes for my 4 year old to avoid that in due course. The irony is I never shave my legs now and only occasionally I do my armpits, just literally cannot be arsed and DH isn't fussed not that I'd do it if he was!

I’d personally not do anything too permanent; I’d want to give my daughters the choice when they’re older on how they feel they want to deal with it!
I was bullied horrendously in late primary school / early high school as I have dark brown hair, and my mum wouldn’t let me do ANYTHING with ANY body hair. It actually took for my best friend to tell her mum, who then told my mum before she took it seriously. She refused to buy me any razors though or any form of hair removal and said if I wanted to get rid of it I’d have to ‘do it myself’.
I was bought my own razor with pocket money off my Nan not long after and hid it. But that’s just the controlling sort of mum I have (she is still awful to me).
If my daughters come to me asking to get rid, I’ll happily let them choose a way which suits them, and show them the way to do it the first few times (or as often as they need). Then when they are old enough to make their own decisions if they choose to go down the permanent route I’ll support their choice!

Never heard of IPL before this thread. Just been on Smaxin and there is a big difference in prices. From £80 to £400. Any idea if the cheap ones will work?

Amazon!

I’m an old pro here. I’ve tried everything. Honestly, even laser isn’t forever. 10 or 15 years after treatment, you’ll want to book yourself in for more. So I’d say patch test with IPL then if OK, go for it. It’s permanent reduction more than anything, which means the regrowth cycle will be extended and hair regrowth will appear sparser. That’s all. She’ll have all her full hair amount back in 5 or 10 years time if she wants it. You are super mum for letting her go straight to what us darker haired types all needed without years of dark stubble and ingrowing hairs first! And then for her 18th birthday she can have laser.