My 8 yr old daughter has considerable body hair

[ladyjo74]

My gorgeous 8 yr old daught seems to be developing slightly earlier that I expected and now has considerable pubic body hair and under arm. It has started to affect her choice of clothing so should we start removing her underarm hair?

8 for puberty! - I’m no expert but is this not an issue for the GP?

I would probably take her to the Gp before I worried about body hair removal. Has she been hairy for a while? Would definitely be worth running it past your GP.

It's the early end of normal for puberty, but I wouldn't be afraid of getting the GP to check things out (unless you were also early going into puberty and so was her Dad).

I personally would 8 seems young but most women would feel uncomfortable with underarm hair and a strappy top. So don't see a difference.

Is she overweight/especially tall? That’s the usual cause for accelerated puberty.

It has started to affect her choice of clothing so should we start removing her underarm hair?

When she asks/wants to? Her body her choice. “When should we start” makes it sound like it’s not a choice.

You can explain she has several choices-
A) do nothing
B) wear t-shirts/shorts to cover
C) remove

I would perhaps point out that body hair is a bit like short hair on girls, there is nothing wrong with it at all, but it’s unusual so people may comment. If she chooses to do nothing tell her if anyone does comment in a nasty way it’s bullying and she should tell a teacher or you, same way as it would be if a girl was teased for having short hair.

If she's expressed that she wants it removed then remove it, maybe start with something like a hair removal cream rather than shaving. I remember getting pubic and leg hair at around this time and ended up starting my period at 9 so making sure she's informed on what might be soon to come might be a good shout!

My daughter started to develop body hair at 8. However, if it reassures you she didn't actually start her periods till about 3 months after her eleventh birthday - still a bit earlier than most of her friends but by no means ludicrously early.

Thanks everyone. From my basic research early onset puberty is usually diagnosed before age 8 and from 8 onwards can be quite normal. My daughter is neither tall nor overweight (quite petite and slight in fact). Neither parent experienced early puberty however my husband is naturally a very hairy man. Apart from the body hair she has shown no other signs. I'm in no rush to remove her hair but she is quite aware of it particularly when it comes to swimming lessons at school (although she isn't bothered when changing at the gym with me and surrounded by a mix of ages). I did wonder though if using hair removal cream might just solve a whole lot of potential bullying (which was certainly common place when I was growing up when children developed a different rates to the majority).

I’d still get a medical opinion. Hair removal wise, I see no issue with removing it if she is self conscious! She is aware of a difference it her peers and whilst I would be explaining that it is normal, nothing to be ashamed of etc, I wouldn’t expect my kid to tolerate something that I wouldn’t myself (I know patriarchy and unfair double standards etc, but still - I remove mine or I’d feel self conscious anxious)

My DD had body hair at 8 and began her periods at 9. She's now 11 with regular monthly's. Was a massive shock for me but as children tend to do, she took it in her stride. Doctors were not concerned. She's not unusually tall nor very overweight (thought slightly).

She began removing her underarm hair when she was around 10 and a half (with my help). Completely her own choice, she was getting self conscious when changing for PE at school.

Please do have an open chat with her about her options regarding hair removal. I was a small skinny girl who also got pubic hair young. I was so embarrassed and desperately wanted to get rid but didn’t know how. It really knocked my confidence. I would have loved my mum to have a chat with me about it and shown me how to get rid of it. Also to have been told it’s fine to keep it too!

I second @Spookydot I was a hairy child and whilst my mum had said it was ok to shave my legs it was never discussed keeping it up and so it didn’t become a routine and I fell back to being self conscious of it.

I wish I had been taught about the up keep for shaving my legs/ under arms. The other huge thing for me was my eye brows which were dark and thick an eyebrow wax in my early teens after being picked on at school was the best thing ever!

As someone with naturally dark hair it may be worth advising your daughter that things like shaving your lip hair or chin is not a good idea (I never did but know from plucking a few stray ones that they come though dark - cream bleach is good for slight lip hair)