My son is 14 and has a good amount of dark hair above his lip. He does seem to have an interest in shaving yet. He will start high school in less than 2 weeks at a new school with new kids and I cannot decide whether to tell him to think about it before school starts or whether it is too early. Advice please.
He should shave IF and when HE finds his facial hair bothersome.
If it's not an issue for him, it shouldn't be an issue for anyone else.
I fully understand. My son (recently turned 17) went through that and it's a tough call. I don't find that first blush of hair there all that attractive. Even less so for a blonde boy (my son).
But you really can't force it. Offer him the tools and information (or where to look, like you tube even) so he can know what he is choosing. I think that's the biggest thing. We want them to choose but they don't even know what they are actually choosing in many cases. Information is your friend.
Let it be his.
And when he gets to school, he'll notice whether other boys are wearing that or shaving it off, and he'll do what makes him most comfortable.
My son was rather proud of the gross blonde fuzz above his lip (and below on his chin) that, due to coloring, just really looked dirty and gross. But he shaves pretty regularly now and I never have to say anything. And yes, invest in a decent electric shaver for him. That helps. :)
My boy isn't there yet, but for my daughter, it was when it started to bother her. Unless the school has a rule or you think he'll, for some odd reason, be picked on if he doesn't, t can't see pushing a shaving routine before that point.
My 15 year old has a wee mustache and no interest in shaving it. His face, his choice.
It's going to depend on what the facial hair is like in your family.
My husband didn't have to shave regularly until college.
He had intermittent peach fuzz and eventually grew a mustache (to look older) and later did away with it (in his 40's) when it started going grey and made him look too old.
Our son (16) shaves his upper lip about once a month and removes the beginnings of a soul patch when it gets noticeable.
His face looks dirty if he doesn't remove it.
He'll probably be in college before he has to shave daily.
If he has dark hair and would like to shave let him shave. I don't think age really matters, just whats there or whats not.
I think if he wants to shave he can shave when ever hair is where he doesn't want it. If he doesn't mind the mustache, he might think it's cool and adult looking.
Mine started at 14 and he's a blonde so it wasn't that apparent. I would think with dark hair, it would be even more necessary to start...especially with school coming up.
Both my boys were shaving by highschool; however, the school my youngest went to had a clean shaven policy and all students were expected and made to be clean shaven. \
Not even peach fuzz was allowed.
What made my husband furious was when an administrator force my youngest to shave hair you could barely see in his freshman year. It was not good and my husband had a stern talking to that administrator who sports a mustasche. Hypocrit.
Now the real question comes, to shave with the grade or against. Hubby recommends shaving with the grade to avoid razor bumps or even better still invest in a decent electric razor which is what my oldest uses. He is more of a bear of a kid. Had a faint mustache by 6 years old and the longest side burns one could have. LOL. He's 20 so I miss his baby face, so very much. My youngest is practically hairless. LOL.
It's not based on the calendar - it's based on the face. My son is in his 20s and still doesn't need to shave every day - neither does my husband. But he certainly had friends who were shaving at 14 due to heavy beard/sideburns.
The scruffy look is kind of "in" now - I'm not a huge fan of it, but you'd be hard pressed to watch any group of celebrities on TV, on the red carpet, etc., and not find a whole bunch who haven't shaved. I'm not talking about beards - I'm talking about a 1-5 day growth of stubble, along with their tuxedos! There are TV characters who are always like that - offhand I'm thinking of Patrick Dempsey on "Gray's Anatomy" - he didn't shave on the show for his wedding or another character's funeral. I think the teens follow a lot of different looks. So your son won't stand out no matter what. Ask him how he thinks he looks best.
I'd give him the options and make sure he has the equipment he needs - if he's using a regular razor, then make sure he knows how to shave without getting cut, and give him a styptic pencil to stop and bleeding nicks.
The only think I'd insist on is that a mustache not grow so long that it's over the lip so much that food gets caught in it - that's nasty looking.
Also take the time to think about what else he needs to know about puberty and the body changes (pleasant and unpleasant) he can expect. If you've held off on talking about this, you really need to start.
At whatever age he feels he needs to eliminate the hairs. But once he starts he will have to continue or grow a beard.
My husband suggested to my son to wait as long as possible and let the lip hair grow. He also mentioned the other to him about once starting he would have to continue.
Later in life it will depend on the type of job he has and shaving may be needed twice a day if he has a full beard or dark haired beard.
So tell him to enjoy his childhood as long as possible.
the other S.
My brother started to shave his face when he was 12/13 when he was going through puberty.
I think that's the normal age that boys start having to shave, of course it's only once every two weeks at first & then it becomes something they have to do weekly and then every 2 or 3 days & finally it becomes a Daily Occurence! !
when they start growing hair and want to.
?
khairete
S.
My oldest son started at 13 - he has really dark hair and it was pretty noticeable. We bought him a really nice electric razor set up for his birthday and showed him how it worked and then let him decide. At nearly 18, he definitely needs to shave every day, but only does it sporadically - something about not shaving before certain games or something (he is in sports pretty heavy and I guess it is a superstitious kind of thing).
I would get him the stuff, show him how to use it, and let him decide. Good luck!
I'm pretty sure he's old enough to decide when and/or if it's time to shave.
