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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

When to let DD start hair removal??

56 replies

wangle99 · 04/03/2009 21:19

DD is only 11.5 but has thick dark hair on her legs and she is very self conscious (to the point of refusing to wear a skirt without tights), she has also been teased at school for underarm hair. There are only 4 girls in her class and they are roughly at the same stage of development.

She would like to def remove the hair on her legs and possibly under arms but it seems incredibly young to me. I know I was alot older but then DD is a lot more mature puberty wise than I was at that age.

Any advice? Thank you.

OP posts:

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ICANDOTHAT · 05/03/2009 14:33

You are delaying the inevitable - my sister let her 12 yo use Veet to remove hair on legs .... or you could really scare the crap out of her and get them waxed ... OUCH!!

cocolepew · 05/03/2009 14:37

I started at aged 11, DD1 is 11 and isn't showing any signs yet, but DD is only 7 and like a little monkey! Dark hair down her back and very hairy and dark on her arms. Her legs only get really hairy in the Summer for some strange reason. She has already been teased about her arms and refuses to uncover them.

FlyMeToDunoon · 05/03/2009 14:43

For some reason that I cannot fathom my mother and older sister always refused to acknowledge that I was hairy and would say no no you don't need to shave when I asked for advice. So I am determined that my DDs will be given any help they ask for.
DD1 is 9 and starting to develop so it could be any time soon.

Lizzzombie · 05/03/2009 14:44

I started waxing my legs at age 11.
I was quite happy to do it as I didn't want to end up with thick stubble like my Mum had on her legs from years of shaving.
22 years later (where did that go?!) and my hair growth is half what it was then.
I read something a while back about how dreadful it was that children as young as 11 were getting their legs waxed, but to me it seems the obvious way to go. Shaving has to be done more regularly and can lead to a heavier hair growth, and veet, can be messy.
HTH x

Lizzzombie · 05/03/2009 14:46

KristinaM - One of my friends was very swarthy on her arms, and she used to shave them when we were at school. It was dreadful, she literally had to do it every morning to keep the stubble at bay. It took about 10 years for me to convince her to get them waxed.

LadyBee · 05/03/2009 14:50

on arms I would go for waxing as regrowth there from either shaving or veet is going to be more noticeable. Veet not so bad, but waxing much better.

Lizzzombie · 05/03/2009 14:50

Mylee (sorry, not reading whole thread properly) My sister had a hair back up until her mid teens. But its not anymore. She just grew out of it when puberty kicked in properly.

jemart · 05/03/2009 17:52

For a youngster I reckon hair removal cream is the way to go, no way to cut yourself and not painful like waxing, though agree wax is the way to go when she is a bit older.

raindroprhyme · 05/03/2009 18:27

I personally would take her to an experienced beauty therapist to be waxed. It needn't be that painful if therapist is experienced and means longer time for regrowth so your dd doesn't have to think about it often. She can concentrate on joining her friends in all the girly fun without being self concious.

HTH
from a hairy child

KristinaM · 05/03/2009 18:54

really? waxing for her arms??

i havent really got a clue as i'm not very hairy myself IYSWIM. I only shave under my arms and legs about once a week in summer. Dont have to do legs at all if i am wearing tights as i have only a few soft light hairs

so i'm a bit at a loss about DD. I assuem it will get worse with puberty as she hasnt really started yet. i dont want to make her more self conscious but now it bothers her and other children in her class have commented

Milliways · 05/03/2009 19:06

My DD epilates leg, underarms & anywhere else!

She started with cream, then got an epilator at age 15. She has never shaved and has minimal hair growth now (18)

minxofmancunia · 05/03/2009 19:25

I'd let her, I had v dark hairy legs from a young age and my Mum refused to let me shave, age 12 I's had enough of being self-conscious and teased about it especially as all the other girls were doing it and used a bic disposable to do it myself in secret.

I can still remember my Mums totally inapprppriate anger when she found out, she went mad, I can hear her to this day makes me feel v

dd is only 2 but can do it as soon as it starts bothering her with my support and advice.

dhreadmythread · 05/03/2009 19:33

KristinaM - my DD(9) has very hairy arms too and is very self consciuous about it. I wouldn't be keen for her to wax and definitely not to shave. I was thinking about hair removal cream this summer.

toddlerama · 05/03/2009 19:38

Waxing is the way to go if you can. And follow up with an epilator is great, but if you leave it for a while it becomes too scary and you need waxing again!

My dd is HairyMcLairy and I'm really hoping she grows out of it cos I so don't want her being embarrassed. I think it's gorgeous, but I'm pretty sure that's just a mum thing...

Original poster

wangle99 · 05/03/2009 20:32

Wow I had forgotten I had posted this (busy day lol) and am so pleased with your comments, I know DH is not going to be impressed so am feeling far more confident in tackling him that I'm not the only one feeling this way.

DD is a bit of a wimp so I don't think waxing is going to be for her although I maybe take her when I go.

Thank you so much!

OP posts:

Scarletibis · 05/03/2009 21:01

I don't think 11.5 is too young, thought you were going to say she was 7 or something. I was similarly hairy at her age and well remember being teased by other girls. I started with an electric ladyshave.

Wonderstuff · 05/03/2009 21:20

I have hairy arms and I use veet in the summer, I find I only have to do it once a week. I veet or wax my legs depending on how much time I have, I'm very hairy and that is my best solution without spending loads at salons. My mum also was reluctant to let me shave and I would say deffo let her do something, makes life so much easier.

goodnightmoon · 05/03/2009 21:20

i agree it's not too young, but isn't waxing a bit of an expense to lock into at the age of 11? I only get it done for holidays myself - it's just so bloody expensive.

Next it will be highlights and manicures.

Katymouse - i am part American Indian myself, not that anyone would know. I've always learned they are less, not more, hairy?? guess you mean she has dark hair.

melll · 05/03/2009 21:27

i was also one of those who started dry shaving with whatever razors i found lying about at home. i remember going to school with scratchy dry patches where i'd shaved just my knees and shins (the hairiest bits). and of course there was still hair elsewhere cos it's not like i could put my entire legs through that! it was so obvious those grey patches on brown legs, it must have looked terrible. this was in the last or second to last year of primary school. my mum didn't help me not till i was older and asked for a razor myself. i'd advise going with getting the hairs out from the root. even when i was slightly older and wet shaving i still managed to take a strip of skin off my shin and bugger up my armpits. kids plus razors = trouble imo. and with the cream/wax you can leave it on too long...
i epilate now on the whole. painful at first but your skin soon becomes accustomed to it. much cheaper than waxing too. and it's really hard to hurt yourself doing it. if my daughter was of age/at that stage i'd go right out and buy her one now.

pointydog · 05/03/2009 21:36

what is an epilator exactly? Does ti pull teh hairs out?

And yes, I'd help her with the hair removal, wangel

katymouse · 05/03/2009 23:06

Hi Goodnightmoon

Yep - very fair skin, but very dark and thick hair - head, eyebrows, and eyelashes that will never need mascara, lucky thing.

And with Epilator, i'm with pointydog - WHAT IS IT??? Have been too busy being mummy, living in jeans and sweatshirts etc to keep up with girly stuff for last ten years.

Spidermama · 05/03/2009 23:10

My friend has 'helped' her dd removed leg hair since she was 8 but after the initial shock had worn off I began to understand where she's coming from. They have pretty thick, dark hair and whilst it shouldn't matter, it clearly did for her dd. She remembers feeling deeply self concious at school with her leg hair and wished someone had shown her how to wax early on.

So as long as the wish to remove hair comes from the girl and not her mum then I guess ....

Sad that we can't all love the bodies we're in .... but women have a history of vandalising their bodies in pursuit of an impossible image and when you think of foot binding and corsets etc, leg waxing is pretty mild.

KristinaM · 05/03/2009 23:14

ok you have convinced me which epilator shoudl i buy??

Pristina · 07/03/2009 07:35

Wouldn't an electric ladyshave be best- less chance of cuts and a bit less grown up than a salon?

2sugarsandapuppy · 07/03/2009 07:41

It's such a hard one. DD1 (10 1/2) started her period during half term, and I'm sure she'd like to know what to do. She put on two pairs of knickers to absorb the flow, but I'm dammned if I know what to do the next time round. Bought her pads, but she refused to wear them.

As for hair, is she bothered by it? It may be you're more bothered about it than she is.

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