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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

What is a good age to let your daughters shave their legs?

35 replies

bigbelle · 20/07/2011 18:26

Advice! Thanks!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

spudinvasion · 20/07/2011 18:39

Don't know but will watch with interest as DD (12) is begging me to let her do hers.

aliceliddell · 20/07/2011 18:42

No younger. And only with signed permission of both parents.

issynoko · 20/07/2011 18:45

No idea but I did it on a school trip - thighs and all and it was very painful - got my shaving rash glued to a coach seat. Also I didn;t know to use water or soap and did it on dry skin with old Bic razor - the orange and white ones. So a fine line between a bit of advice and telling her as soon as she starts it's a never-ending battle which she'll regret beginning FOREVER. My mum told me over and over again and I ignored her completely.

didldidi · 20/07/2011 18:50

as soon as they want to/feel it necessary?

Original poster

bigbelle · 20/07/2011 19:54

Thanks! Got called away from MN! I thought about creams but all those chemicals!! Once u start shaving it becomes heavy n black. What's the rush I say? She's so young!

OP posts:

ChunkyPickle · 20/07/2011 20:00

You know that that's total rubbish about the hair changing when you shave it?

How on earth would the hair know it's been cut?

It's her body, let her do it when she feels she wants to (she's going to anyway - better that she does it with a nice clean new razor and soap than figures out some other way to do it secretly).

Original poster

bigbelle · 20/07/2011 20:01

Thnx CP!

OP posts:

Mabelface · 20/07/2011 20:03

I bought my 12 year old girl some Veet. She's happy. If she's not allowed, they stand the risk of being laughed by their peers, very sad to say!

ravenAK · 20/07/2011 20:07

I wouldn't think it was something for me to 'let' them do.

I'd provide decent razors/foam/help if asked, other than that I'd stay out of it.

I only do mine in the summer months. No big deal either way!

ShowOfHands · 20/07/2011 20:11

Agreed, the grows back thicker/darker thing is nonsense. It just looks like that as it's stubble, not long and soft hair but the hair itself doesn't change.

My Mum bought me a decent razor and foam when I started high school.

Knackeredmother · 20/07/2011 20:15

I dis mine when I was about 8 after playground comments about my dark hairy legs. I was very conscious of them even before this age.
8 is very young but I felt so much better afterwards (I used to nick my dads razor and also made the no water mistake the first time)

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 20/07/2011 20:16

DD tried to do hers last week - climbed up and got my razor from the shelf and cut both her legs (it was a bit blunt!) She's 7... With a bit of subtle probing it turns out that she was just curious and she's promised not to do it again without asking me first Thing is, she never sees me shave my legs as I always do it alone in the shower - it can only be from adverts. I'm planning on putting her off until maybe Yr6, unless she has a real need to do it earlier (she's half Cypriot and very dark and hairy already. If she gets embarrassed earlier than 11 then we'll talk about it)

Tigresswoods · 20/07/2011 20:17

As soon as she needs to. If you were hairy you would want to do something about it.

supergreenuk · 21/07/2011 07:23

Yes as soon as they notice and are feeling self conscious. What's the harm. Take it from me. I was not allowed until I left secondary school and well through hell.

chocolateyclur · 21/07/2011 07:40

As soon as she wants to. I had to wait to be allowed to by my mum - it destroyed my self esteem, gave me another reason for bullies to target me - and I ended up hacking chunks out of my skin with an inept dry shave.

monkoray · 21/07/2011 08:11

It depends how dark her hair is but if she is asking to do it then its probably time. I recommend taking her to a salon and getting it waxed, it thins out the hair and doesn't grow back stubbly. Its also a bit painful so she'll only want to do it if its really bothering her. I started shaving my legs aged 12.

OddBoots · 21/07/2011 08:12

Whenever she feels the need, in this house it isn't an issue, shaving or not shaving, whichever is fine. DD(8) has not felt the need to use it but has access to her own electric shaver. Knowing her as I do I don't think she will be bothered for a few years now but knowing she can when she wants to and it isn't some kind of rite of passage will hopefully mean she is relaxed about it.

rubyrubyruby · 21/07/2011 08:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bamboobutton · 21/07/2011 08:20

another one here here who wasn't 'allowed' to shave and ended up doing it anyway and cutting my legs to bloody ribbons.

also recommend taking to a salon to get it done, a good salon will do a half leg in super quick time and regrowth is softer and less noticable.

Stricnine · 21/07/2011 09:36

Another one for the as soon as she wants to arguement... DD was one of the first to be noticibly hairy at school and was very self concious about it, so we tried both hair removal (veet) and shaving (her choices, with my help/advice)... it's become less of an issue as she's got older (now 14) and more of her school peers are similar, so she's really only shaving if she knows she'll be wearing shorts/skirt etc...

jetsetlil · 21/07/2011 09:49

My DD is 11 and just finishing year 7. Not long after she started she was complaining about her hairs on her legs so I got her some hair removal cream and showed her what to do. I wish my mum had done that for me - would have saved me from some very painful dry shaved legs!

RMutt · 21/07/2011 10:00

My dd is 12 and is asking to. She's very blonde though, it doesn't really show imo.

I thought it seemed a bit young. Looks like I was wrong

Steeplearningcurve · 21/07/2011 10:15

I agree with letting her as soon as she asks. I remember how horribly self conscious I felt before my mum would let me. I also agree an electric shaver is a good option- I still use it now due to my clumsiness with a razor!

monoid · 21/07/2011 10:16

I started shaving when I was 13. I had started high school and realised everyone else was doing it. My Dad said that if I had gone to him first, he would have paid for me to get them waxed because of the frequency that the hair grows in. However, I have still never done that but use hair removing cream most of the time. I remember when I was about 15, I discovered "silkymits" from superdrug (don't know if they still do them) They're like fine sandpaper and you rub your skin in circles until the hair is ground away. It also exfoliates your skin. I liked them :) I find it too time consuming now though.

EightiesChick · 21/07/2011 10:22

Definitely let her if she is at secondary school. I also got told not to by my mum (will grow back darker etc) and had a bad time of it at first, then moved to spending hours scraping foul-smelling Immac (as it then was) off my legs. Wish I had just gone ahead.

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