Bikini hair removal method suitable for 12 year old?

[cingolimama]

Hi, my DD is almost 12, is physically quite mature for her age. She's beautiful (no, really!), but she's got quite a bit of body hair. When she asked for it I showed her how to shave, and she does her legs and underarms. I did try those waxing strips on her legs, which I use on my fairly sparse blond hairs, but she found them too painful (also, I hated doing it.)

Now with summer on the way, and she loves swimming, she's wanting to do a bit of crop management "down there". What to use? Forget about waxing - too much pain involved. You can't really shave the bikini line, can you - doesn't it itch like crazy if you do that? Can you use those chemical methods on a bikini line? What about those Lumea things? Do they work?

Any advice gratefully received!

Isnt it a pity that the trend of grooming pubic hair has filtered down to children.

Sometimes i really loathe the 'fashion' industry.

I agree, try the hair removal and see how she gets on. That being said, I've never had an issue with itchy-ness after shaving my bikini line, always worked fine for me

Hatties but removing a bit of body hair when wearing swimming costumes or leotards is hardly a new trend.

The OP isn't talking about her DD removing all her body hair (which I agree is the current trend in under 35s) just tidying up a bit.

That's not new. Think back to your own teenage years, did you ever see pubic hair on display on the beach or at the pool?

Everyone thinks their own child is beautiful- your daughter is no Venus.

Fucking cringing for you @MissyChicken. How embarrassing to be jealous of a 12 year old.

Missychicken i hope you don't look like an ugly troll

You could get her one of the electric shaved, it won't be as long lasting as a razor but because it's not as close a shave I find you don't get the itching. Plus its quick, safe and easy.

I have never been able to shave or use hair removal cream or wax my bikini line as I have sensitive skin, and the itching and irritation and ingrown hairs as soon as it started to grow back was awful.

I would be very wary of staring this. Not the same as underarms and legs at all.

never wear shorts style, just not high cut.

@MissyChicken clearly has some serious issues!! Get help woman.

Nothing wrong with shaving the bikini line but might get uncomfortable on regrowth. Veet is good.

Thanks everyone (except MissyChicken, who I will not dignify with a response) for your experience and advice.

And just to clarify - I'm not looking to give my DD a full Brazilian - just a bit of a "tidy", so she won't feel self-conscious on the beach. Unfortunately, swim shorts I've already suggested and they were firmly rejected.

I think I will try the Veet or Neet sensitive and go from there. Or possibly try the shaving and see if it itches.

Don't think I would buy it at the moment (perhaps in a couple of years) but out of curiousity, has anyone used the Lumea or similar on their DD?

I grew up in a country with lots of swimming and waterspouts so I went for a hot wax bikini wax (sides and under _I'm rather hirsute despite being blonde) - nothing pervy just so I could wear my cozzie without hair. No itching and the hair thins.

If she's worried about wearing a costume could she just use a bikini trimmer. Like a beard trimmer! Would ensure no straggly hairs without any irritation.

BenLui That's a fair point, I used to do it myself in my twenties because it was the thing that everyone else did, it's just a bit sad that it's filtered down to 12 year olds, (like all trends do i guess!)

Ive noticed as I creep towards my forties that I've become a lot more bothered by how much the media tries to dictate how people should look - when we are beautiful exactly as we are and shouldn't need hours of grooming to feel good about ourselves- of course that's not helpful for the OPs DD who just wants to fit in.

(Sorry for derail OP)

30 + years ago we all trimmed our extra bits so we could swim and that was in the days when no one shaved everything off. It's nothing new for 12 year olds. Lots of 12 year olds will have been wearing bras and having periods for 3 years to put the 'child' comments into perspective.

No one helped me out when I was that age and I would have appreciated knowing what to do so much! You sound like a lovely mum OP.

I don't agree with removing all hair either but this isn't what OP is talking about. I use Veet, works great for me.

Not even ones like these O'Neill ones? She'd cut quite the hip and funky dash in the beach in these?

@MissyChicken that's a horrible thing to say, you should be ashamed of yourself.

@cingolimama I always shave and I've never had any issues

Get her to shave with the hair, not against it or it'll just grow back worse and potentially be ingrown/itchy. More gentle to go with and should suffice on young new hair!

You can get Bikini razors. They're usually quite cheap in Wilkos. I never have any trouble with itching.

Boots are quite good for remover creams if she wants something longer lasting.

Isnt it a pity that the trend of grooming pubic hair has filtered down to children.

Bollocks. It's more a case of not wanting to look different to your peers, especially when you are 11 and ahead of them in terms of development. I was a rather hairy teen and an early developer. My hair was blonde but the rest of my body hair was dark. Not nice when you have fair skin. I didn't need magazines or the fashion industry to tell me it wasn't nice: just looking at my peers made me personally feel it wasn't nice.

She's not wanting a full Hollywood, just to trim/tidy the edges so it doesn't stick out of a swimming costume. I can't see the problem with that.

But no, let's make teens walk around au naturel. Let's ignore their insecurities. Great idea.

OP, i used to shave but would then spend a week or two in long trousers because I get bad shaving rash. I equally suffered with things like VEET my hairs are slightly curled. If you can afford a lumea then I would, but I would imagine you'll be using it a lot given that hormonal changes can cause layered hair to grow back. I'm personally sticking to the wax until I can afford professional laser removal, but I wouldn't recommend waxing for someone her age.

Another one who would have been grateful for some help in this dept. My mother seemed to think shaving (or wearing bras) was exclusively for adults so that left you in a no-womans land of wobbly boobs and I had to swim with armpit hair (thankfully pubes were less rampant then than they are now) just like an adult, but without the means to do something about. It is certainly something to put a young girl off sport, running around and swimming

If she tries cream, use a patch test first as some people can have bad reactions to it. My DDs used to shave dry with talc and a nice new razor - get it all off with one sweep in direction of growth if possible. Also, you need to make sure underwear (esp knicker elastic) and clothing is not tight over the area as this encourages ingrowing hairs if you are prone.

Hatties I don't personally like the current trend for removing all body hair - who wants to look prepubescent?

However a little tidying up isn't a new trend, I don't think it has ever been acceptable to show pubic hair (male or female) in public.

Swimming costumes have always required a little tidying up unless they have long legs.

ps I would get the swim shorts anyway to have by, in case it goes wrong

But no, let's make teens walk around au naturel. Let's ignore their insecurities. Great idea.

Wouldn't it be great if they didn't have those insecurities?

Also I didn't suggest that OP ignore her DDs wishes, so I'm not sure why you have related that to my post