How old would you let your daughter start shaving her legs

[tumdedum]

We are a fair skinned dark haired kind of family. My daughter is only 8 and is already very self conscious of her hairy legs. She says none of her friends have hairy legs. She wears shorts for PE, but otherwise it will be more of an issue in the summer months.
I'm obviously not going to let her start shaving yet, but what age is it a good time to start do you think?

At the age when they become self conscious about hairy legs. Women and girls shouldn’t “have” to remove natural body hair but I wouldn’t make an 8yo lead the revolution.

I would let her at 8 if she is very self conscious. If she starts wanting to cover them all of the time then I think it is only fair.

My DD started at all, as luckily she is not as dark haired as me. If she was it probably would have been 8.

I wouldn’t let an 8 year old no.

Just to add, I got my DD an electric shaver that is easy and safe for her to use.

My daughter will be 10 in May, and if she voiced discomfort with leg hair from now then I would look in to hair removal options for her - but probably steer away from a razor.

She's had her little mono brow threaded a few times.

‘Let’ her? It’s her body, so I think it’s up to her - it’s only leg hair at the end of the day, it grows back. I don’t care what age, if my DD wants to shave her legs I’ll buy her an electric shaver as they’re quite safe and easy to use,

i thank you for this. Some female parents (not you op) want their child/teenager to lead some kind of feminist revolution. Easy to look on with older eyes and say I’ve opted out of this malarkey but not as a teenager who just wants to conform/fit in.

If she was self-conscious enough that it bothered her, I’d look at removal options.

I agree that in an ideal world women wouldn’t feel we had to remove our body hair. But as a pp said, i really don’t think it’s fair to force children fight that fight.

At any age they want to. It’s not a matter of “let”.

I think I'd let her do it now if she's embarrassed by it. Otherwise all that will happen is she'll spend the couple of years until you let her keeping her legs covered...is it worth it in the grand scheme of things?

DD 12 asked last year and I said no, she's too young. But I also don't think she has noticeably hairy legs, she's a red head and very fair. Maybe I would have said yes if I thought it was causing her a problem, but it wouldn't sit well with me.

If she’s aware and conscious of it why not let her now.

Do it with her and help her and show her.

I remember being so embarrassed and ashamed to ask my mum that I used to sneak my dads razor not having a clue what to do and I ripped lots of skin off my leg, leaving me with a scar I will have now!

you’re lucky your daughter is confident enough to talk to you about these subjects. Don’t ignore her sept consciousness on the subject.

Of you don't let her, won't she just start sneaking her dad's razors? That's what I did though I think it was closer to age ten.

Agree in an ideal world she wouldn't feel self-conscious about it, but she is, and being self-conscious of your body as an adolescent is a horrible feeling. It's her body and removing her leg hair is harmless and reversible. Not like she's asking for cosmetic surgery.

Let’ her? It’s her body, so I think it’s up to her
but they are sometimes too young to do stuff so it might be a case of can’t let her if her legs are too young and sensitive if you know what I mean?

At any age she wants to.

My mum didn't let me shave my legs and it was hell. With my daughter as soon as she asked, I helped her wax (the home sort). You can just do it once a month or so as they take a while to grow back and aren't so dark as shaved hairs.

12 is more than old enough to be able to make decisions regarding her own body. What age would you deem acceptable?

Having had a controlling parent who wouldn't help with arm and leg hair I know how it can ruin self esteem. It's horrible being mocked for hairy legs. Girls can be unrelenting and latch onto anything to bully. Don't be that parent ffs

Someone told me that a friend of hers had bought a home IPL machine for her dd. I was asking as DD was a bit concerned about her leg hair last year and I was thinking about options as I figure the issue will probably raise its head again as we go into summer this year.

It feels a bit much but in our case, DD is fairly fair skinned but has very dark hair, and a lot of it. So I'm a bit hesitant about shaving as that's probably a LOT of maintenance for someone who's only 9.

Any thoughts?

I work in education and while the feminist in me dislikes the idea of the societal norm being to shave your legs, the teacher knows that teenage girls can be bitches. DD is nearly thirteen and has inherited my very hairy legs which I eventually had lasered. She hasn"t mentioned it yet but I will certainly allow it as soon as she wants to. Why give the little videos in her class ammunition? I have a men's electric razor which does a better job than anything sold for women and is completely safe to use.

I was 10 when I stole my mum’s razor and shaved my legs and underarms because I was self-conscious about it. I had no idea what I was doing, dry shaved and gave myself terrible razor burn and blunted my mum’s razor.

I think if she’s self-conscious about it, now is the time and to discuss other options, explain the pros and cons of each type. You might think she’s too young but she’ll do it anyway. This way, you can be part of an evolving conversation - say she starts shaving but that encourages hair to grow back darker and thicker (I’m light skinned and dark haired so I would have smooth legs but you could still see black spots of hair on my legs because they were so thick and dark), so then she might want to try waxing or epilating but obviously that’s more painful and something for when she’s older.

I was older, probably around 11/12, but didn't ask my mum. Just started using any razor I could find in the bathroom belonging to parents / older siblings. Bit on the unhygienic side for all of us really! As she is open to conversation, you might as well discuss it and look into safe ways instead.

Vixens, not videos! Teenage girls can be vile! Mean Girls was very true to life.

I was 10 and didn’t become a nymphomaniac doing so. It’s just body hair at the end of the day and girls are viscous.

If they want to use a lady shave what’s the harm?

It obviously is causing her a problem because she came and asked you for help yet you shot her down. She’s probably spent the last year at school dreading PE or any opportunity for people to see her legs.

don’t be surprised when in future she goes behind your back and doesn’t tell you about certain issues when she already knows you won’t listen to her or help.

At whatever age they become self conscious.