https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 07 Jul 2026 23:00:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217216 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:23:33 +0000 Maysprout 2217216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter has a unibrow and no plans to change it. She just turned 4 and we have conversations about make up and dressing up so I'll let her take the lead on what she wants to do.<br /> A unibrow isn't a hygiene or being unkempt issue. I will teach her to stand up for her body from others saying those kinds of misinformed things, whether she wants to tweeze or not I want to build a foundation of confidance in what she's got. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217214 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:22:31 +0000 Mae 2217214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably whenever she (seriously) asks..? I don't want her to ever think she HAS to remove hair. If she wants to be a hippy she can just be a hippy lol. But I assume at some point she'll either have friends who are starting shave, or she'll otherwise decide she wants to remove it and I'll help her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217186 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:48:01 +0000 birdofafeather 2217186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i would open up the conversation younger, especially since culturally, it's something that's normal. i am a blonde white kid and i wrote my mom a letter in 5th grade asking if i could shave my legs because i played sports and was embarrassed. by my blonde leg hair. i don't think there's anything wrong with letting your daughter know that you're there for her and if/when she wants to remove hair, you're there to help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217149 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:19:42 +0000 mrsrugbee 2217149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree about being old enough to ask. I started feeling sensitive about my body hair around grade 4. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217123 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:58:25 +0000 looch 2217123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think there is a specific age, but I would hope any child of mine could come to me if they were experiencing teasing resulting from their appearance and we could address it together.</p> <p>I think the world is much crueler now, I often say if I had grown up with facebook, instagram, etc I wold have come out the other end of childhood with many more battle scars. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217101 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:40:29 +0000 chopsuey 2217101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not hairy, but my friends started shaving their legs when we were in 6th grade (12 yo). This was back in the early 90s.. So I'm assuming hairier girls are probably starting earlier now.. Maybe at 9-10 yo.<br /> I would take my Dd to get her underarms waxed as soon as she started growing hair under there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217094 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:36:43 +0000 avivoca 2217094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure what I'd do in this situation. I'm a decently hairy girl, but generally on my lower extremities and underarms. I wish my mom had taught me about shaving before I took matters into my own hands in 7th grade. It would have saved me a lot of heartache in what is generally a cruel period of time anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217093 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:36:27 +0000 psw27 2217093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know what I would do. I think that kids are often more embarrassed about this stuff than they let on to their parents, and then they end up sneaking around trying to problem solve it (i.e. I also stole my mom's razors and had no clue what I was doing.) I witnessed some pretty mean teasing about body hair in 5th grade and I've never forgotten it, and I'm sure the victim hasn't either... so I think I would try to shield my child from teasing by just making the options available to him or her. If he or she is cool with their body hair and doesn't get teased about it, that's great. If he or she hates it and wants me to teach them about waxing and shaving, that's great too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217083 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:29:50 +0000 ladybee 2217083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's hard for me to say what I'd do because I'm not facing this issue. At 5 or 6 I think I'd tweeze or hair remover. Maybe wax in middle school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217065 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:17:08 +0000 Anagram 2217065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wonderstruck: interesting. It's not extreme to me at all. But we also pierced her ears before one, so I guess I'm pretty extreme. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2217037 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:41:23 +0000 wonderstruck 2217037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: Even with just the little strip in the middle, I don't think I could/would put a kid that young through waxing. It seems extreme. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age/page/2#post-2216281 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 12:05:57 +0000 ShootingStar 2216281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: Around 10 years old I'd probably start taking her to the salon with me for regular hair cuts and introduce waxing then (just the unibrow). I was about 10 when people started commenting on my dark leg hair, and I had no idea what I was doing when I started shaving. </p> <p>Personally, I'm not crunchy and if I have a daughter I'm not going to teach her shaving and waxing are something some women do and some don't. Around here, it would be pretty horrifying to see a woman walking around in shorts that doesn't shave. I'll teach her that these are some of the things that go along with the kind of grooming adults need to do. </p> <p>To me it's not about being ugly, it's just about normal grooming. I get my hair done every 6ish weeks and I get my eyebrows done then. Because I look pretty unkempt and like crazy person if I don't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2216268 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:53:21 +0000 MrsSCB 2216268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, the idea of saving my kids from embarrasment is appealing. On the other, I'm not sure I want to give my kids the idea that the best response to teasing is to to change the thing you're getting teased about. Like if kids were making fun of my child's name, I wouldn't say, "OK, let's change it." I think I like the idea of explaining what some people do to groom vs. other people, without putting any judgment on it, and then waiting until the child asks to do something about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2216248 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:27:03 +0000 Anagram 2216248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wonderstruck: not waxing eyebrows, like shaping the entire brows--just taking care of the tiny part right in the middle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215897 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 03:19:57 +0000 lamariniere 2215897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CakeLady: I like this approach of opening the conversation and saying some people do it and some people don't. </p> <p>I think there can be a lot of shame/embarrassment in things like body hair, so if it is normalized for the child and just treated as a grooming option rather than something that is unsightly that needs to be taken care of, maybe it could save the child some self esteem issues. As for when, I think I would probably wait until the child asks for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215888 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:45:10 +0000 FannyMae 2215888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a hairy beast - I'm southern european and it's dark fine fluffy hair on arms (shoulders/back), legs, side of face/mo and hairline. I desperately wanted to shave my legs and I did it when I was about 12 even though my mum was against it. My daughter is basically the same, I won't force the issue like my mum and deny her the hair removal if she asks for it. She sees me now doing a quick pluck or leg shave, so she is aware of it (she sometimes comments on my mouuuchtuch!). What do you do, if you fight against them you create that over-eagerness to get rid of the hair (and maybe shave their stomach/arms like I did) but if you do it yourself too early you risk creating the thought that there is something wrong with the way they look. siiighhh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215877 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:14:38 +0000 sarac 2215877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: Not everyone plucks. I don't, and my eye brows are fairly thick and not especially even. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215873 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:03:39 +0000 MoonMoon 2215873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was a pretty hairy child and I feel really strongly about not doing this until the kid asks for it, even then holding off until the teens. I remember feeling so ashamed and different, and this is without my parents saying anything to me! Now as an adult I don't want to perpetuate the idea that hair removal is a given, or that someone can't be beautiful and hairy at the same time.</p> <p>I think in your situation, there's the additional trickiness of a blonde mom imposing this on a dark haired child... just not a road I'd want to go down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215868 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 23:25:03 +0000 anonysquire 2215868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This isn't the same thing, but I'm getting lots of pressure and unkind comments about my son's birthmark on his nose. And although I think it's adorable, I'll probably get it lasered this fall. I hate to admit it, but if my child had a unibrow and people commented on it, I'd probably get rid of it. And I don't think that plucking your eyebrows is telling a child they are ugly with hair or whatever. Everyone plucks. It's like pepper in your teeth. Damned if you tell someone, damned if you dont. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215723 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 20:26:05 +0000 wonderstruck 2215723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't imagine putting a 6 year old through eyebrow waxing! I mean, it's one thing if she sees you plucking her eyebrows and asks you to do hers...but telling her she needs to wax her eyebrows? Yikes! There will be mean kids no matter what - kids always find something to use to make others feel like crap about them self. Home should be a safe haven from that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215714 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 20:18:38 +0000 deerylou 2215714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My hometown's pretty crunchy, so I grew up thinking nothing of women with hair on their legs and underarms, even though I chose to remove my own. Personally, I'd like for my daughter to define beauty and comfort, herself. If and when she decides she'd like to shave/wax some of her body hair, I'll gladly give her a lesson. </p> <p>I figure when she enters tweenhood, I'll let her know that she'll start noticing some of her friends are wearing training bras, applying makeup, and shaving their legs. If she's interested, she can let me know. </p> <p>Like @Greentea: I don't really feel like there's one magic way to avoid bullying. And I'd really rather not model the notion that looking "perfect" will make you untouchable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215699 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 20:00:47 +0000 Greentea 2215699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well... I have lived in places where women don't shave and feel comfortable and proud for not doing it. Women shave their legs because there was a nylon shortage in WW2 and a company wanted to sell more razors. I am generally against aesthetic shaving.</p> <p>I now live in a city in the great lakes region... I am honest with my daughter that I don't like shaving, but I am making the choice to do it sometimes right now because society has some odd expectations and sometimes I choose to follow the rules. Sometimes I don't want to stick out more than I already do. </p> <p>I personally would wait until she came to me. There is no way to prevent enough, or change ourselves enough, to avoid harassment. Even if you were this perfect person doing what everyone wants that itself could get people after you. So, I don't really buy into trying to avoid getting made fun of. </p> <p>@sarac: I really agree with your sentiments! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215680 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:43:21 +0000 HTownMom 2215680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: our niece had dark hair on her back since she was born. It was pretty hairy but went away by the time she was 4 yrs old! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215677 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:40:28 +0000 Mrs. Coral 2215677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with previous posters that said you should at least open the door for conversation. I wanted to start shaving my legs in 5th grade and was SO nervous/scared to ask my mom. My mom was shocked that girls had started shaving their legs that young. </p> <p>She started plucking my eyebrows before that. Just the unibrow part. I don't know how it was brought up, but I'm sure she initiated it. I will be forever grateful for that too! To me, getting my eyebrows plucked was as normal as getting my fingernails cut. She did it for my brother too (to a lesser extent), so it wasn't a girl specific thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215652 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:17:59 +0000 mamimami 2215652@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe you could enlist help from some ladies on your husband's side of the family? How do they usually start hair removal?</p> <p>I'm glad you posted -- there are kids with unibrows in preschool and I've always wondered how that works. My daughter's brows are not bushy or dark but I know she'll want to get them under control some day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215638 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:09:01 +0000 Torchwood 2215638@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, and my mom DID start suggesting I use makeup sooner than I cared to, and I wasn't hurt or anything. She didn't make me feel like she thought I should because I wasn't pretty. More like she thought it would be a fun thing to do together, and possibly an element of wanting to protect me from bullies. I definitely never felt shamed into it or anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215635 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:07:22 +0000 Torchwood 2215635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I'm mostly with you. Kids can be mean, and if you approach it right (though not sure what that might entail) I think it'd be better. I like @CakeLady said about maybe opening the conversation before actually taking any steps. I mean, theoretically I'm all feminist and against that sort of thing, but honestly, I was like cakelady in that I was embarrassed by being hairy when I was young, and wish my mom had been more proactive about it. I used to clip my arm/leg hair with scissors, and eventually started shaving when I simply used my mom's razor without her knowing it. Not the safest thing ever. (Also, I started using tampons more or less the same way, so it's a good idea to have that conversation sooner than you think too.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215602 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 18:31:35 +0000 sarac 2215602@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: I've even been able to generalize it further to men and women. My husband is a bike person, so we're around a lot of men who shave their legs as part of it. It's been easy to reference them as just another example of people who prefer to remove some of their hair, while her father likes to leave his long. </p> <p>I'm really trying to keep all judgement out of different beauty norms for her as long as possible. I try to never comment negatively on anyone's appearance in her presence, and I rarely comment on hers. I would really like to teach her that self worth doesn't come from the way she looks, and this seems like a good place to start. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215473 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 16:00:02 +0000 HabesBabe 2215473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't do it until LO asked for it-- I think 6-7 is way too young. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/hair-removal-for-los-what-age#post-2215462 Mon, 22 Jun 2015 15:55:49 +0000 mrscobee 2215462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really like the some women do this, some don't approach. Then there is no pressure and you aren't teaching her she has to look a certain way, just that there are options. Also, I like the idea of getting rid of the unibrow as part of the haircut, as another poster suggested. </p> <p>My mom never talked to me about anything. I got too old to not be shaving my legs and ashamed of my leg hair and like @DesertDreams88: took to the internet, stole my mom's razors, cut myself, etc. I wish my mom would have just had a conversation with me and taught me some things. I don't think it would have made me feel ugly at all. I actually sometimes resent that she didn't have that conversation with me. </p>