13 year old daughter wants to shave her legs

[Peachblue]

Hey first time posting here 😬 my 13 year old wants to shave her legs and I’m ok with this but my question is before she does anything is there a better option then shaving? If I could turn back time I know I would have gone a different route then shaving now I’m older and a little wiser and there seems to be way more choice of products/techniques then there was in the 90s What is the best route to go down i.e creams, strips, wax although I’m aware waxing does hurt but I’m just throwing examples. Advise apreciated thank you x

I think shaving for legs is fine. Cheap, effective and easily done..
Waxing is great but easier done by someone else than home wax strips.
Creams would be expensive and messy for such a large area.

Surely all those options were available in the 90s?

Shaving is fine. Easy, cheap, can be done as little or as often as she likes. Waxing is painful, home kits can give iffy results, salons are expensive and the regrowth is a PITA especially if she had weekly sports that require her to have her legs out. Creams I’d avoid because of the harsh chemicals and also because they’re messy on a large area. The only other thing I might consider is laser but only if you have a lumea or similar at home for yourself, I wouldn’t be spending that much on a young teen!

Thank you for replying. But in the long run do you think waxing (if she was up for that) would be better for long run ? Knowing my daughter she would appreciate not having to do it as often and I hear that hair grows back less n less but I’m not sure as I don’t wax x

When I was that age my mum tried to get me to use an epilator and I refused due to the pain. Now as a hairy old woman I regret that and gave the same advice to DD, who also refused and shaves her legs

Thanks for reply Yh I have a lumea but on the instructions it does say it doesn’t pick up on fine blonde hair so I didn’t even really think to use that

OP don't worry about it, honestly.

At that age, shaving is the best thing, it's the simplest, least painful and least messy. I'd even consider an electric shaver for ease.

She's not going to do herself any long term damage or make her hairs forever thicker by shaving for a few years.

Waxing can make them grow back slower and finer, but that will be the case whenever she starts. I could start now and I am in my mid 30's.

Shaving doesn't irreparably change your hair.

She can always decide to start waxing when she's older if she wants to but I wouldn't recommend it for a 13 year old.

Wax them. No stubbly regrowth and last longer.

In fact, if she’s light skinned and dark haired, I’d invest in a Lumea IPL device.

Haha this is exactly what I’m trying to do I suppose 😂 I feel the same and it’s such a chore now days

If you started using an epilator or waxing now, it would have the same effect eventually. You don't have to start the first time you ever remove hair.

I probably said it wrong let’s just say teen me and all my friends only ever got taught hair removal was with a cheap razor and how to treat our knee and ankle wounds after 😂 just seems to be way more available options now.

When my daughter reaches the age when she wants to remove body hair I will take her to a salon for waxing. I wish I had started waxing from the outset of hair removal. Yes it’s a bit painful to begin with, but it will be better in the long run.

All you need is shaving foam and a decent razor.

True but I find you get in the comfortable habit of what you’ve done for so long I’m aware that probably just me 😂

Waxing or cream all the way

I guess it's up to your daughter in the long term. Waxing is more expensive and takes longer so a lot of people won't want to, regardless of what they did as teens. It will depends what kind of person she is and if she wants to bother with it.

It's just not a thing I would overthink about instilling 'good habits' tbh, when she's an adult she'll do what she wants to do.

I'd always just start them off shaving because it's less difficult and she can just do it herself as and when she needs to. Much better at such a young age.

Thank you I wish I’d of done same but I tried it about a year ago and wow …. Just wow 😩 and people always say to me it never hurts as much as the first time I haven’t done it since lol. My friend has a salon so I’m hoping she’s up for it. My daughter is very much rough and tumble so when she comes to me with things like this as she’s getting older I just like to try and suggest things I would of liked to have done if I could change anything

Totally agree will go with whatever she wants to do I suppose as for over thinking on the little things like leg shaving lol it’s a working progress

My mum refused to let me shave my legs and waxed them herself at home for years using the ready made strips (you heat up between your hands). At some point I was able to start doing it myself. I transitioned to the epilator aged 16 and have been using that ever since. Absolutely no regrets, means I'm not shaving all the time, no stubbly regrowth and my leg hair is now very fine.

I'd say shaving with a top up of a polishing stone or the sandpaper like stuff. the beauty tax will come soon enough without jumping in early.

Shaving is much better because waxing makes the hair grow back thicker and stronger, but there were claims to the opposite effect in the 90s – misleading consumers – at least, this is what a specialist hospital consultant told me in 2001.

Thank you just the reassurance that I’m not missing any new tricks it’s great thanks x

We are going to be starting laser shortly, as I’d rather get it dealt with and have much less kerfuffle in the long run. As long as she has had a period, they can start laser and you can usually pick up deals on blocks for that

I think shaving is fine. At some point as an adult she may choose to wax/alternative but there will always be times she cant afford / cant get an appointment / epilator breaks / whatever.

It is a good skill to have down.

Let her shave now but once she’s 16 invest in laser. I only started laser at 50 and wish I had done it sooner, it’s a total game changer. I’m very hairy and after 2 sessions my leg hair is reduced by at least 80% and underarms is gone after 5 sessions