To shave my toddlers unibrow...?

[cactusdog]

I feel truly awful asking and I hate that it's even in my mind but the truth it he has one. DS 2.5, has a unibrow. It's not massive and bushy but you can see it.
Someone once made a comment about it when he was 8 months and I have irrationally hated that person since. However it did make me realise that it is noticeable.

So my question is, would you do anything about it? And if so, when?
Surely if I start now and it is just part of his routine then it won't raise any questions, but if I wait until kids start to make fun of him, then he asks, will that impact his self confidence more?

I wish it wasn't an issue and I know it's not a big deal in some ways, but also kids are mean and we've got to live in the real world.

Has anyone else had this experience?

Children are mean. In an ideal world people can look how they want and people will accept them. In reality, children will pick up on anything to tease others about.
Even if he’s a teenager he will have baby photos with a unibrow.

I’d probably pluck, it’s just a few hairs you can pluck out a few at a time, leave for a bit, do a few more. Do it quick enough he won’t notice.

It's not comparable to getting a haircut. Eyebrow hair won't grow into his eyes, get nits or food in it or need lots of maintenance if it grows too long. FormerBabe you're queen of the obtuse questions today

I'm absolutely baffled that people think this is a genuine, kind thing to do for a 2 year old, and that it will protect him from "mean" children. It's completely illogical and a very odd way of looking at the world.

@SmileyClare

It's not comparable to getting a haircut. Eyebrow hair won't grow into his eyes, get nits or food in it or need lots of maintenance if it grows too long. FormerBabe you're queen of the obtuse questions today

I'm absolutely baffled that people think this is a genuine, kind thing to do for a 2 year old, and that it will protect him from "mean" children. It's completely illogical and a very odd way of looking at the world.

Totally agree. It's completely twisted.

Agree that at age two this is not a 'let them fit in' issue- he's a toddler many of his peer group will still be in nappies and barely verbal

My son is 6 and always had a unibrow. In lockdown he saw me doing my eyebrows with the tweezers and he wanted me to do it to him (he isnt aware he has a unibrow). Now he asks me to do it every now and again but he is not concious or anything. He actually enjoys being pampered haha. At 2 years old i probably wouldnt.. yet

Don’t do it! But if you do, please don’t use a razor! You’ll always have to do it, what about sleep overs when he is older, or trips away. It’ll be worse to wake up with a surprise mono, let him decide when he’s older.

Most people very against it don't have kids with a unibrow I have noticed.

Good point, Thirtyrock most 2 year olds are walking around nursery with dried snot on their face, pooey nappies and breakfast in their hair. Not sure male grooming of eyebrows would be a barrier to friendship.

My 19 year old son plucks his monobrow if he's going "out" out. He tried Immac but it left a red welt. Let your baby grow up and decide.

My lo has a unibrow, it's fair but oddly noticeable due to its fairness. I plucked a few when lo asked me to do theirs as I was doing mine (3yo) but it was because they wanted to be like mummy not because I wanted to get rid of the brow. They said they liked it, I do too so I get that lol. But I wouldn't mention it to my lo even if I cringe a bit because we've all been told how important it is not to have natural eyebrows especially if they have a unibrow. My brows are thick and dark and I remember a girl in about year 10 asking me why I didn't pluck them (cos it hurt and I didn't want to!) and I've been very conscious about my brows ever since, so I understand you wanting to spare your ds from it op but I think it's best to leave it

@Suzi888 "surprise you have a mono" 🤣

I wish you had known about Frida Kahlo so you could embrace your unibrow as a feminine trait.

And excellent example of a woman who embraced both her own body and her sensuality.

In many cultures, hirsuteness is (or was - I don't know what effects the internet has had) equated with sexual prowess.

I wouldn’t judge you, if it is really thick and dark in the middle, as opposed to just imperfect.

Kids get picked on for anything. He is a bit young though, seems more hassle than it’s worth until at least school age?

I would use some sort of trimmer device and not wax it.. you could do it really quickly whilst brushing teeth or something, maybe tidy up his hair around his ears/neck at the same time so it’s just like a haircut. Don’t make a big deal of it.

I'm not usually one to comment but this is utter madness! Why on earth would you shave hair from a toddlers face because of the way it makes YOU feel!

I had a unibrow growing up and got teased for it. My daughter has one now. She has had a couple of comments.

I have told her clearly that bullies that make comments about your appearance are the ones with the problem - not that she should change to fit their ideals.

How are kids ever going to grow up to be comfortable in their skin if we start plucking at their faces when they are toddlers?

My daughter (8) has a unibrow. I am waiting for her to mention it then I will let her shave it off.

My son was born with thick eyebrows - not a unibrow but "interesting" enough for people to comment. They are extremely thick and black now, he can wiggle them very effectively!

You can get little eyebrow razors; I use them to tidy up the shape of my brows and they don't cause nicks. They are much smaller than normal razors.

However, if you start doing this, when will you stop? After a couple of years he'll be describing his morning in school "I washed my face, and then Mummy shaved my eyebrows, and I brushed my teeth..." Would you stop then, or wait until he is actually old enough to say "Mummy, why do you shave my eyebrows, because none of my friends' mummies do it?" And if he asked that, what would you say?!

You will think your DC is the most beautiful thing in the world (and quite rightly so). The playground is the cruellest judge of all though.

It's all very well saying 'Parents should teach their children not to make fun', the fact is, they don't. It's one thing saying 'Oh, just ignore them' but have you ever tried just ignoring them as they are chanting things like 'Hairy Mary, quite contrary'? I imagine it's the most unpleasant, shameful thing in the world.

We all remember the saying 'Sticks and stones...' It is of no comfort whatsoever when you are five years old.

I definitely would do it, but with sugar paste or cream. I probably wouldn't if he had fair hair but definitely would if he had dark hair. It's the first thing people notice on dark haired people

Sorry op but this has made me smile.

My first instinct is to say no way, he's so small. I can understand you might feel worried about him being teased when he's older. Is it hair that might fall out?

If it makes you feel any better by 5 year old appears to have a full beard 😂.

He's very fair though so it not noticeable unless in direct sunlight. He's still the most beautiful little thing to ever grace the planet!!

My children are mixed race, so they have quite fair skin but their dads Indian hair. Ds1 got me to do his with tweezers this week ready for senior school. I wouldn't have dreamt of at your child's age.

My husband said his mum always did his, now he does it himself or I'll do it if I'm doing my eyebrows as well.

I don't see the problem as long as you're doing it safely. It isn't child abuse, and you should always tell your kids that their body is perfect, and it's their choice to make the chance. Don't just do it because you want to.

@NewFactsEmerge

Don't we all make needless aesthetic choices for our young children every day?

I wonder how many of the posters who are up in arms at this have had their children’s ears pierced?

People are unrealistic on here, or perhaps just have different life experiences. Personally think 2 is a way too young to be doing it and wait until he mentions it - but I understand your predicament.

Plenty other social “norms” centred around appearance which are similar e.g Getting baby’s ears pierced (worse than shaving a monobrow IMO), Helmets or headbands for flat head syndrome (usually purely a cosmetic issue), hair bands on baby girls with no hair to make sure people know they’re female.

When they’re older, braces are used to straighten teeth, spot creams are used to clear up acne, school uniforms are worn to look “smart” etc etc. You can’t possibly keep up the mantra that appearance doesnt matter. Kids will learn themselves that it does. And some will learn the hard way by being bullied, it’s sad but it’s the way it is. I’d personally try to make things as easy as possible for my child.

I had a unibrow! It faded once I went to school and actually, I looked a bit like Bjork but strawberry blonde. I had an elfin face and my little ginger unibrow. I'm sorry, but I looked so cute!
You can dermaplane it later if it's an issue. Or now, if you must. You can buy a set on Amazon.

I have a very impressive unibrow, as an adult I wax/pluck it.

My son has a unibrow, hes five, it will remain on his face until he is able to make a decision to change that. If someone is nasty his unibrow isn’t the problem, the nasty person is. He has received nasty comments about having brown skin, I don’t use that as an excuse to lighten his skin. Just as I wouldn’t use a nasty comment as a poor excuse to remove his unibrow.

I think it’s important to recognise the different gendered expectations sadly. I have a small monobrow and was terribly embarrassed, plucked it as soon as I could, still do despite trend for bigger bows. DH has a huge monobrow, couldn’t care less, shaves it very occasionally when he remembers. Don’t project your own insecurities onto him especially as it’s likely that as a male, expectations of beauty are not at all the same.