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Preteens

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Original poster

Leg hair removal for tween girls

28 replies

Mumoftwoinprimary · 03/10/2022 11:24

Dd is 12. Just started periods so puberty is now in full force.

She is fair haired so although there is hair on her legs it is currently very blonde although I think that her legs are getting hairier. She is very sporty so wears shorts a lot.

So far she hasn’t said anything about leg hair but she is quite private so more the type to worry to herself than admit to me that there is a problem.

Just wondering what the best thing is for leg hair for girls these days. I use a bladed razor in the shower but I have memories of cutting myself really badly as a teen.

An electric “lady shave” might be better maybe? Although once she starts shaving her leg hair won’t be as blonde so it becomes an endless job.

I remember creams as a teen but they were all a bit crap and smelly.

Waxing is probably best and we have the money to take her to a proper salon but she is very adverse to injections etc so suspect she might not be enthusiastic.

I want to have the conversation with her and make her feel like there are options if she wants to get rid of the hair and that I can help but I also want her to feel that if she doesn’t agree with removing the hair / can’t be bothered then that is ok too. It is a touchy subject for me as I remember being teased about leg hair in my teens. (My mum did not have the conversation with me as she didn’t approve of leg shaving.) Then I found razors and just got on with it.

OP posts:
TheGoodFighter · 03/10/2022 11:27

She's 12. She doesn't need to alter her body at 12. And if she is thinking about it she probably knows as much as yuo about it anyway.

dementedpixie · 03/10/2022 11:30

Electric ones are rubbish
My dd uses a razor. She likes the Venus olay ones with soap bars attached. They have guards across the blades to minimise the chances of cutting the skin

Midnights · 03/10/2022 11:30

Razors have come a long way IMO! There's so really nice once's that have a cream bar around the edge (less chance of cutting as it's smooth and helps it glide) that are by Wilkinson, think it's intuition - I used them daily and I can't remember the last time I got a cut.

At 12 I wish my mum would have just told me that if I wanted to shave I could, if I didn't want to then I didn't have to - and made a few options readily available for me. It was embarrassing asking for a razor when I did want to start shaving!

Whatwouldscullydo · 03/10/2022 11:31

In the same boat here. Dd2 is 11 and has mentioned it a couple if times. Now caught in the trap of not wanting to make her feel crap about herself and make her put up with hairy legs to prove some point but also not wanting her to remove it to conform with sexist societal standards..

As she's so fair I do worry that removing it will make it come back through darker ( did they debunk that I dunno incant remember?

I'm.hoping that the fact winter is coming up that trousers will at least buy me some time.

My mum didbt kettle me shave my legs til I was 15 I hated it I don't wanna do that to her

SwedishDentist · 03/10/2022 11:33

Similarly my mum tried to stop me removing leg hair as a teenager (she had my best interests at heart but my hair was quite dark and I was teased as a result.) In the end I cracked on with a razor.
Having said that, it wasn't lack of knowledge or access to a razor that left me unable to shave, but more that my mum had discouraged it. You don't need to suggest it and risk making her feel that she needs to shave. I think if she has access to a razor she'll be able to decide for herself. Maybe leave a pack of disposable razors in the bathroom so she can take one if she wants. You could say 'if you do want to shave, help yourself, but there's really no need if you don't want to.' But kids these days don't need parents to spell out there options - they're more likely to go online or ask a friend. I also think that hair removal is not as common these days as when we were teens, so she might be happy to leave it and not feel uncomfortable.

CrookCrane · 03/10/2022 11:34

I would start her with an electric lady shave personally. Then help her if she wants to use an actual razor later on, making sure she uses soap or actual shaving foam.

FromageRouge · 03/10/2022 11:36

I wouldn’t raise it unless she does.

maddy68 · 03/10/2022 11:37

Razors

postcardpuffin · 03/10/2022 11:37

She’s 12 and it’s about to be winter, anyway! Why not let her alone for a while longer before she has to feel she has to shave?

If she does want to start shaving at some point, say next summer or at 13+, there’s nothing wrong with buying her a pack of decent disposables and showing her how to use them with a light touch on the lower leg hair. Disposable razors have got much better these days and are fine to use in the bath with a bit of gel. All a young teen needs is to do a little bit of a shave on the lower leg occasionally if she’s self-conscious. It’s hardly a huge job. Leave waxes alone for a young girl; why encourage her to feel she has to endure pain and discomfort just for her normal body to be made OK for public viewing?

Other teenagers really won’t be having full leg waxes, and the new trend these days for that young age group is toward less body modification not more (thank goodness, after a couple of decades of the Barbie/Kim K look!)

AliceMcK · 03/10/2022 22:12

I’ve always openly talked about this with my DDs, oldest is 10 yo, she’s sporty and lives in shorts, she hates long sleeves or covering her legs. She knows about puberty and that she will get more hair and that as soon as she’s ready she can get rid of it. We’ve talked about various options, she likes the sound of the cream or razors. When she’s ready she will ask, but I will probably put stuff in the bathroom for her before then.

Original poster
Mumoftwoinprimary · 04/10/2022 19:06

Thanks all for the advice. I do actually have a Wilkinson Intuition that is sitting unopened in the bottom of the wardrobe (Tescos brought it as a substitution for something very random indeed!) so I think I might buy an electronic lady shave as well and then give them both to Dd, tell her I’m happy to answer questions and let her decide what she wants to do.

OP posts:
Precipice · 04/10/2022 19:12

Please don't suggest to your daughter that she should be getting rid of perfectly normal body hair. Would you bring this up, even to say "you don't have to (but I am implicitly suggesting and normalising it)" to your son? Would you suggest your daughter start shaving her head hair?

Bobbybobbins · 04/10/2022 19:57

I wish my mum had spoken to me about shaving as I started getting teased in year 8 along with other girls who hadn't started shaving. Awful. Hope girls are less mean now! I just took one of my dad's razors and got on with it in the end.

peassandcarrots · 04/10/2022 20:09

I would buy a good quality razor to use in the bath/shower and tell her it's there if/when she wants to use it. Show her how to use it safely.

Tell her it's perfectly fine to leave hair as it is, but some people like to remove it, and that's fine too.

Job done.

No need for the hysteria some people start with, most teens will not want to be hairy but will also be too shy to ask for help. Nobody is suggesting that body hair has to be removed. It's about choice.

peassandcarrots · 04/10/2022 21:25

TheGoodFighter · 03/10/2022 11:27

She's 12. She doesn't need to alter her body at 12. And if she is thinking about it she probably knows as much as yuo about it anyway.

It's attitudes like this that are quite damaging.

Shaving is not altering your body.

VanessaShanessaJenkinns · 04/10/2022 22:37

www.superdrug.com/toiletries/female-hair-removal/wipes-mitts/superdrug-legs-hair-removal-mitts/p/781287

These are fabulous. You just rub them gently on your legs and the hair disintegrates. No chemicals and no cuts.

megletthesecond · 04/10/2022 22:40

I'd buy an electric shaver and some cream and let her know it's there if she chooses.

HerkyBaby · 04/10/2022 22:50

I’ve always used hair removing mitts for leg hair. In essence it’s like a very fine sandpaper to remove hair below the knee. Never fancied using razors or creams. They are very effective and much more suitable for young girls. Incidentally I’ve hardly got any hair growth on my legs now and hair is very fine. Available from Boots or Amazon

basilmint · 04/10/2022 22:54

I have mentioned it to my Year 8 DD and she has no interest. I'm slightly worried that someone will say something but she's not bothered so I haven't said anything else. I have an electric shaver which I thought would be easiest if she sees want to start.

My Year 5 DD however has spoken several times about how doesn't like her leg hair and wants to shave it. I think she's a bit young so I'm encouraging her to leave it over the winter.

basilmint · 04/10/2022 22:55

Might look into those mitts, they look good for young girls.

eyeteevee · 04/10/2022 22:56

*I think I might buy an electronic lady shave as well and then give them both to Dd, tell her I’m happy to answer questions and let her decide what she wants to do.

Please don't do this. By all means discuss it with her but for goodness sake don't provide her with equipment to shave then tell her it's up to her. That sends a really strong message that you want her to use the products.

ParisNext · 04/10/2022 22:58

my dd has thick dark hair and even at 9 her arms and legs were thick and dark and everyone asked her about them/commented and she wouldn’t wear shorts or shirt sleeves. She asked about doing something about it when she was 10 and at first we used Veet mousse and then just quickly shaved the lower leg- I always did it and put veet on her lower arms. It has been an amazing confidence boost and changed so many small aspects of her life. I can’t believe how long I worried about it- once you’ve done it it is not a big deal and massively helps the child but don’t let her do it alone/herself as it’s tricky.

Pineappleflowers · 04/10/2022 23:10

Electric lady shave. My dad got me one when I was twelve (after mum refused to 😐) and it was a godsend. Me hairy. Like Mediterranean hair.

DoodlePug · 04/10/2022 23:14

Definitely don't raise it, depending on her friendship group she may not care, fortunately some children are much more enlightened these days.

That said, my son 13 wanted the hair off his legs. If he'd been a girl I wouldn't have thought twice. So we did it with wax strips at home. Just a few times, it's grown back now and he seems to have stopped caring.

PrunellaMcTat · 04/10/2022 23:20

My dd is 16 and has never bothered. She doesn't see why she should. She is a swimmer, often wears shorts, is pretty, has plenty of friends, a busy social life, and various boys asking her out. I admit that she is not the norm, but it is perfectly possible to choose not to. She says if the boys don't have to, why should she? She likes her body just as it is. I wish I had her confidence.