How Old Should a Girl Be When They Start Shaving Their Legs??????

I know a lot of moms don't want thier dauhgters doing anything until 16. I wouldn't want my daughter being made fun of so if my daughter has dark hair at that age (she does now) I would let her do it for middle school because kids are cruel and you don't want her starting off uncomfortable and sad.

Dear A.,
I have an almost 13yr. old step daughter and she started shaving when she was almost 12. She has very dark hair on her legs too. I was having a very hard time with this because girls are growing up so fast now. But I was just 13 when I started shaving, so its a tough one. I think it is better if we try to help them with it instead of saying no, because I know she would have done it anyway. I know its hard but I hope this helps.
S.

I started shaving my legs when I was 9 years old and I have a younger cousin who started shaving around the same time. I think a girl should start shaving whenever they become conscious of their unwanted hair.

All of my girls (3 of them 16, 12 & 10) all started at different ages. The first I was adament that she not shave her legs until later. The other 2 started doing it secretly. Of course I could see...I'm not blind but by that time I was so...tired of arguing about it...I just let it go. The 10 year old does it. My 2 older ones got teased about it & they were very hurt so...I figured what's the big deal. They aren't doing drugs or drinking so...let them shave their legs. A couple of cuts here & there but they are all fine & they actually get tired of it sometimes. So we are back to hairy. If you make it a big deal then they want it more.

As a woman who has dark leg hair, I think you should let her shave. My mom had very light hair and didnt think I needed to shave, but I was teased in junior high about my hairyness. If she feels bad about it, let her shave to keep her from being teased by her peers. Junior high is hard enough!

I also had the same problem and so I started shaving early. My found out didn't like me shaving because she was afraid I would cut myself so she bought me nair. Maybe she should try that.

Well, I think that she should wait until Jr. High to start shaving her legs. I think that it is the right age to so she fit in. At 11 years old she is still a child more of a sense she might cut her self. I had a cousin that wanted to shave her legs she ended up cutting her self every badlyon her chin bone it was a nasty cut. Then when I was in Jr. high i remeber that there was some girls that would get teased about not shaving there legs. she was a close friend of mine she told me that her father would not let her until she was the age of 15 years old just because of there tradtion she was not even allowed to wear make up so she told me that i was very lucky but i also did not have my father around to tell me what i can do and can not do my mom always worked so i really did not have any one to talk to so here is my answer to your question thanks for letting speak my mind
S.

I am a middle school teacher so I know how kids that age can be. I think it would just be one less thing for her to worry about if you let her start shaving. Girls are SO sensitive at that age and anything you can do to ease the pressure will benifit you and her.

if she has dark hair on her legs and she is concerned about it, i would teach her now. i started to shave my legs at 9, but i was a competitive swimmer and we do as much about body hair removal as we can. one thing i wasn't taught was shaving my underarm and was tortured at swim practice until i did it. my mother never taught me anything about shaving, only my swim coach and one bully. it will make a person manic about shaving to be picked on for body hair. talk to her and see if she wants to starts shaving, and then show her the best ways so that she isn't dry shaving in secret.

I let my daughter shave her legs at age eleven, which was last year. I don't know if her other friends are shaving or not.

My daughter is now 11, but summer before last, when she was 9, she refused to wear shorts. I couldn't figure it out. She wore jeans all summer long. She would come home beat red she was so hot but wouldn't put on a pair of shorts.

Last summer, she started the same thing. I told her no way she was going to wear jeans all summer again. She finally told me she was embarrassed about her hairy legs. She started shaving that day.

Each child is different. When it starts bothering her to the point of my daughter, it is time to seriously consider it.

Have you considered doing something like Nair? It would still remove the hair without actually shaving.

i would let her shave her legs whenever she shows an interest. peers can be so mean and she could have such hurt feelings if you dont let her shave her legs and then is made fun of. kids today are maturing much faster then 20 years ago, so they will go through puberty sooner too. if the hair on her legs is dark, you can bet her friends will notice and she will think the boys are too. good luck w/puberty!!!

I think every child is different when it comes to maturity, and it should really be something that is needed and not just wanted because others are doing it! i would say that my 10 year old brings it up but I don't think that she really has a problem with it, its just because its noticeable with her. I'm going to wait till shes in middeschool because I don't think being in Elementary its the right attitude for her to be showing her other younger classmates.But being the mom in the house its up to you to be right with it and help her become a confident woman. I hope this helps!

I think I was about 12, ( dark brown black hair and pale skin so it is kind way noticable) with summer coming and swim suit thing maybe if she is comfortable with you....start showing her how to do it, but keep in mind she is young.

I shaved my legs in 5th grade. But I did it behind my parents backs. I would talk to her about it and see how she feels about it. If she is self conscious I dont see anything wrong in letting her.

My daughter is 10 and asking the same question. She is blond & has very light hair on her legs so I sat and explained that if/when she started shaving, the hair will grow back darker & thicker. I don't believe in "doing what everyone else is doing" just as I won't let her "do what EVERYONE else is doing" (like cell phones, going to movies w/o adults, etc. I figure if I base it on her friends, she will learn to base other things on her friends. Because of her hair being so light, she has decided to wait another year. If your step daughter does have very dark hair on her legs, my advice is to let her begin shaving and teach her the right way to do it...otherwise she will most probably learn from a friend and that might not be safe. Yes, kiddos are cruel, in middle school especially, so I would think you might want to pick more important battles??? I would not want my daughter embarrassed, I would hope if shaving her legs will make her feel good about herself, that will be one less thing to distract her during her studies (and I am a pretty strict mom!). Best of luck to you, I am heading in your direction too...we can pray for each other!
Hugs & Prayers
C.

I am now 30 & I started shaving my legs when I was 10 b/c it was very necessary. I had thick dark hair on my legs & the kids where making fun of me. I think you have to look at your individual situation to make the decision about when. If she is mature enough to handle the razor and knows to only shave her legs & not her arms, etc, than I think 11 is plenty old enough if it seems she needs to.

My daughter is 11 and has dark hair and lots of it. She shaved her legs without us knowing and I did not get on to her because I knew how self conscious she was of it. We took her to buy an electric razor and she is fine with that. Our little girls are growing up wether we are ready or not. Booo Hooo!

K.

well when i was 11 i wanted to shave my legs but my mom just said no so i got my dad's razor and did it myself. not something a parent wants their kid to do i'm sure! so my advice is, whenever she expresses interest in shaving, buy her a safe electric leg shaver and show her how to use it. it's not going to hurt anything if she starts shaving at 11, but it might hurt her self-esteem if she wants to and she is not allowed

Hi,
My oldest daughter is almost 12, and she is going into 7th grade next year. However, we allowed her to start shaving her legs when she expressed an interest in shaving, and she was going into 6th grade, and 11 years old. I showed her how by standing beside/behind her and started to help her shave one leg...she got the hang of it really fast. I just buy her the shaving cream/gel and same razors that I use. Good luck!

my daughter is 10 and I allowed her to have a cream to remove the hair. just make sure she is not allergic by trying a small area first.

I told my daughter that her body would "tell" her when she was ready to shave. She started growing hair under her arms and in other places when she was 12, that was our cue.

I showed her how to shave, bought her razors and shaving gel, and also talked to her AGAIN about diseases you can get from people's blood and asked her not to EVER share a razor with anyone, not even her favorite cousin.

I had the same very dark hair on my legs when I was growing up. I finally begged my Mom to let me shave between 5th and 6th grade because it was so dark. I agree that especially now it is okay. I think it is better to let her start shaving then to have her endure the ridicule that she has such dark hair.

Hi A.,
I also have an 11 yr old girl who also has dark hair on her legs. I asked her if other girls in her class were shaving and she said that they were and she said she was embarrassed to where shorts to school. I started letting her shave just where the hair is dark and noticeable. She has only had to shave once in the last month. I guess if it is making her self conscious then it is ok. Talk to her and see how it is making her feel. I will say this it is so hard to accept that they are growing up!

I think you should buy her hair cream removal to get her started. I had light legs and my dad's dark haired genes and it was awful. My friend was the one who convinced my mom that I needed to start somewhere because they all made fun of me. I was 11 years old. This was she can ease into the idea of what she has to do start having to shave when needed.

Our guidelines were two of the following three:

1. The hair is dark enough to see.
2. She wants to shave her legs.
3. She is 13.

My s'daughter is a brunette - her leg hair has been noticeable since she was seven, and it started bothering her this spring break - she turned 10 in A.. She started shaving in March.

If my husband and I end up with a daughter who is as blonde as our boys, she will probably have to meet numbers 2 and 3, because I still have no visible leg hair.

You're right, kids are cruel - and shaving her legs is just one more way to make your dsd feel secure, KWIM?

If you think that she is showing an interest in shaving her legs then I would talk to her about it. If you think that she is responisible enough to use a razor then thats good, if not then maybe you should get her a electric razor until she gets older. Hopes this helps. Good luck.

My step daughter is 11 and will be turning 12 in September. She too will be attending Jr. High this coming school year. We allowed her to shave herlegs in the middle of last year. We were hesitant on letting her do it as well, but all of the girls at her school started, so we allowed her to.

I was made fun of a lot because of my hairy legs, but my motheer didn't care and insisted that I didn't need to shave them. So, one day I just took it upon myself and shaved them while I was in the shower. I did okay for doing it on my own, but I wish my mom had shown me how. I think it could have been a good bonding experience. There really is nothing wrong with it at 11. She is a girl and needs to learn how to take care of her body. She needs to be taught how to respect it as well. Anyway, I was 10 years old when I shaved for the first time. I couldn't stand the teasing and it was like my mom didn't care. It really frustrated me. Just sit her down and ask her what she thinks about it and then teach her how it's done. Make it fun, just between two girls. Good luck!

Hi A.,
Instead of shaving, wich i don't even do anymore, cause it's unconvinient.Get a gentle bodyhair colour, and colour thr hair blond. they will be less noticible, and she doesn't have to shave constantly.
i had to deal with this issue all my life. Later on , maiby she can have laser treatment.
I did waxing for a while, but that causes ingrown hair for some people.
A.

My daughter is 12, going into eighth grade and started shaving her legs this year. Some girls started earlier, but she didn't really 'get into it' into this year. Background - She has PCOS and is insulin resistant, so she has thicker hair growth than normal, esp. on her legs and upper thighs. Medication is helping now to thin it out, but I was so worried about what the other girls would say. It didn't really bother her, so I left it up to her. I got her an electric razor and she takes care of it herself, after an initial trial with NAIR. My advice is to 1) ask if she's ready 2) ask if she's had an peer pressure to do it and 3) listen and don't pressure her if she's not ready and it's not bothering her. Thanks

when she starts middle school kids can be tough on each other as it is why not get this outa the way she is gonna shave eventually anyways.so put her mind at ease and let her now.

Oh my God - if only my mother had asked this question for me!! When I was 12 yrs old, we moved to a new town (My Stepdad was in the Army so we were constantly moving) and it meant a brand new school just in time for 7th grade (horrors). Anyway - I had very dark hair and ivory skin - the hair on my legs was extremely obvious. Kids started mentioning it to me in 5th grade but no one was cruel until that brand new school in 7th grade. I was 12. They gave me a horrible nickname and that year became a nightmare for me. If my mother had introduced shaving to me that Summer or even the year before - life in 7th grade probably would have been somewhat pleasant.

Let her shave! But help her! When my mom started me out, she gave me an electric shaver - don't give a little girl a bladed razor. She'll hurt herself.

Believe me, it's best to let her go ahead - take it from someone who has literally been there - her story sounds like mine! (btw, I was a child model from birth to age 9 - do don't think I was an ugly kid or anything, kids only need an excuse to be cruel, especially in junior high!)

I have a 11 year old daughter, she just started her menstrual cycle last november. She has always been a hairy baby/child and now pre-teen. Her legs dont bother her, but her under arms do. She keeps asking if she can shave, and i have, until now, said no. I felt she is too young. I think i started in my teens, I wish i could make her wait it out intil shes a teen, but her under arm hair is causing her soo much embarassment already, so I think i am going to let her shave, think i will teach her 1st tho. thanks

Hi A., Im D.. I have two daughters one is 14 and the other is 12. I too wasn't sure when they should start shaving, but my 12 year old was much like your daughter, the only difference was my daughter was 10 at the time. I wasn't sure what to do so I bought her some Nair and it worked out great. Now that she is 12 she is comfortable using a razor. I would try Nair or Veet hair removal cream and see if it works for her.