13 year old armpits!!

[Fishcake18]

Does your 13-year old shave their armpits? My girl, just turned 13, has a lot of armpit hair - but has not considered or mentioned shaving it.. My inclination is to wait until she asks - then I could 'show' her if she likes. To be clear -I love that she doesn't care - (not really that interested yet in boys or make up etc) and would be happy if she stayed hairy, happy and nonchalant! I just don't know what's normal 'nowadays' at age 13?

My 15 year old has very hairy armpits and insists that's the way they will stay. I don't pass any comment.

She'll come to it on her own... Or not. I wouldn't say anything.

I’d give her some supplies (maybe start with hair removal cream) demonstrate how to use them and then leave her to do as she pleases

Why on earth would you do this? Why perpetuate the patriarchy?

My 12 year old has about 3 very light armpit hairs and she shaves them 🤣 She shaved her legs for the first time last week as well. I remember feeling so uncomfortable when I first started growing body hair, I just wanted it gone.

Bit of an overreaction there, calm down.

It is better for her to have the supplies already there in case she ever decides that she wants to shave. My own DD was very private at that age and now that she is older has admitted that it took quite a while of being uncomfortable of her body hair before she plucked up the courage to ask me to buy her some hair removal products.

A fair proportion of young women don’t shave at all.

I’m in my 20s and don’t shave. Nothing wrong with it.

Oh for goodness sake! Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe some girls/women like having no body hair. I personally prefer that look, my body, my choice. Educating her and providing her with the supplies gives her the choice to make for herself.

Why does it matter if it's 'normal' or not? It's normal for hair to grow there from puberty, so is what you mean by 'normal' is 'considered acceptable by society'? Clearly your DD finds it so, just like the hair on her head. Presumably she's not blind and has access to a mirror, and is happy with it. Don't give her hang-ups about her own normal natural body. Would you even wonder about it enough to make a thread about it if it were your DS?

Well, when I noticed armpit hair growing in my son's armpit I asked him if he wanted to shave it. No need to be sexist about it, plenty of men remove their body hair!

It depends

Has she chosen to not depilate- a growing number of rid you women are choosing to do this?

Or is she naive (immature) and isn't self aware enough to know many women (most?) choose to depilate?

Some girls are not good a grooming and need a little nudge to realise their choices.

Give her the choice and the freedom to make an informed decision. (Buy her some Venus razors- cheap ones are deadly!)

She doesn't need any guidance on it. If she wants to remove the hair she will.

Normal is what she wants. That's what you should be focussing on.

It’s ironic to see a poster so focused on women allegedly trying to conform for the patriarchy that they can’t even see past the fact that the vast majority of girls who shave couldn’t care less what men think, they do it for themselves. If your mind is so preoccupied with the patriarchy then I’d suggest that it is you who has the issue @5475878237NC

How is a 13 year old meant to buy the age restricted products to remove said hair then? Parental support and guidance is necessary

As someone who's mum never did this I think it is far better parenting to at least supply decent razor and foam and let her decide if she likes shaving. Hair grows back!

I'm in my 40's and choose not to shave personally but I sure as heck showed my dd how to. She has decided not to bother either but at least she made that choice herself.

So she’s immature and naive if she doesn’t realise the norm is to remove hair.

or she’s “not good” at grooming if she doesn’t and needs a nudge to realise she should choose to remove hair.

this is giving her the choice to make an informed decision? No, it’s telling her she should remove body hair and not doing so is abnormal.

leave some clean razors and shave gel in the bathroom. She’ll figure it out. No nudging or lectures on what’s “normal” needed. By making a big deal of specifically buying for her and showing her how to use them you’re telling her this is what she should be doing.

If she did want to get rid of her armpit hair then I would taken her to a really good beauty salon and get it waxed off.
For me removing armpit hair is primarily a matter of hygiene - the hair traps sweat and makes things more smelly.

I was never shown. I just did it.

My 16yo dd wasn’t bothered til recently but has done it occasionally. She’s not particularly dexterous, but i don’t think she’s found it an especially taxing task. I’m sure if she needed help, she’d ask.

i certainly wouldn’t bring it up.

@ImthatBoleyngirl "Oh for goodness sake! Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe some girls/women like having no body hair."

No. Because why would you unless societal tell you that's what you like.

They don’t have to ask. Just have stuff in bathroom. It’s not a biggie. I started with stinky Immac so doesn’t have to be razors.

Dd told me her hair was making her itch and was getting smelly.
She doesn't do it now but I think she did do it for a few months over a summer.

Shaving once or twice doesn't make you a "bad feminist" !

Jeez, no way I'd want my daughter using immac without guidance for their first experience of hair removal!

I don't shave so had to buy a new razor and foam. It's not a huge deal to do this for a teen.

Yes mine did. But then she did her arms, legs and eventually stomach hair too...I didn't enquire further. She just loved the smooth feeling. She's 17 now and is too lazy to be as groomed 😁