Eye Brow Waxing Age

Updated on September 10, 2013
L.M. asks from Rowlett, TX
31 answers

I'm just curious if I'm totally out of touch here... Now, I'm very aware this could be a "everybody's doing it" moment with my child, so I'm just checking if perhaps she's right. My 7th grader is asking to get her eyebrows waxed. I said that she's too young for that, I didn't even start doing that til college. She's insisting times have changed and all her friends do it. I think her eyebrows look fine. I'm just wondering, except for some unibrow issues, do many middle school girls wax their eyebrows?

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the feedback guys! Sometimes it's just good to hear what's normal from a mom point of view. It sounds like most of you think it's really not a big deal, pick a battle another time over something bigger. I guess it's not that odd after all. ;0 Thanks again!

Featured Answers

B.K.

answers from Chicago on

I don't get how moms could think 7th grade is too young. What's gonna happen if she gets them done? She will feel a little better about herself at a time when it's hard for many girls to do so. My daughter has been going for about 3 years now, and she's as sophomore. I never even gave it a second thought when she asked. We just went and did it. If it hadn't worked out well, we wouldn't have gone back. I say go for it. How can it be a bad thing? It costs about $7 every 6 weeks. Moms can't spring for that? Good grief.

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C.H.

answers from Chicago on

I bought cold wax strips at the store and do my kids' eyebrows myself. They have been teased for their unibrow and it's just so unnecessary when it's such an easy fix. I don't make a big deal out of it. I had a unibrow growing up and would have been so relieved if my mom offered suggestions to control it. She never did.

5 moms found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I'm shocked at the people who say no. My daughter doesn't need it yet (10 and in 5th grade) but I bet she will in the next year or so. She also needs to start shaving her legs - and I will absolutely let her do that.

The worst thing that will happen is she feels better about herself.

And yes, I know PLENTY of girls who have their eye rbows done as early as 2nd and 3rd grade if they need it. All you are doing by letting her get it done is allow her to feel better and not be teased - not giving her a free ride to have a baby at 16.

5 moms found this helpful

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

My friend waxed her daughters's unibrow in kindergarten. I don't know why anyone wouldn't take care of something so easily fixable when it is bothering your child.

11 moms found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

For me, this isn't something I base off age; I prefer to base it off of need and circumstances.

My grandma (who I lived with at the time) REFUSED to let me shave my legs when I was that age. I have red hair and got teased mercilessly for my "Chewbacca" legs until I got my dad to override my grandma and allow Nair.

I think you should let her do her eyebrows, but keep it reasonable. Maybe even take her somewhere the first time for professional shaping, to give her a good base to maintain. They can make it look natural, but cleaner. Heck, make a mother/daughter date out of it and get a mani/pedi as well. ;)

8 moms found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

Is there a reason NOT to? I mean....you are her mother so you think she looks just fine (we all do!) but if you look at her with "normal" eyes can you see why she wants to do it?
You know that movie "American Pie?" The dad? Yeah...those are my eyebrows! I WISH my mom had let me wax them. I had a crazy unibrow and I am blonde! Just those brows were nice and dark.
Sometimes I don't do things based on age but based on what a child considers a necessity. My son, for instance, has a mustache. He just turned 11 last week. We have told him that when he is ready to shave to just let us know! To me 11 feels pretty darned young, but it's his body, his face, his 'stache.
So if your daughter really wants to get it done I don't see the reason why not.
L.

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C.W.

answers from Santa Barbara on

My daughter started getting hers waxed in fifth or sixth grade but she was born a little hairy monkey. Along with her long, thick hair, big brown eyes and killer lashes she also got a little too much eyebrow. Such an easy fix! She doesn't wear makeup, maybe some Chapstick even at 20 years old now.

Of course I paid for them, it's grooming! I didn't make her pay for her baby shampoo or haircuts, why would this be any different? I think it's crazy to compare situations to when we were kids...the world has grown and we have many options.

6 moms found this helpful
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A.J.

answers from Indianapolis on

I had my 11 year old's waxed last year. She has a very heavy uni brow that was very noticeable. It was bothering her and the kids were making fun. She is fair skinned with very dark hair. She asked me and I decided that it wouldn't hurt her and the rewards were self confidence. I dont want her getting teased and she is very hairy. Also she is already shaving her legs and armpits. I know that teasing will happen, but in this case it was bothering her and I could fix it. We dont go all the time, just when the brow is about to become one again :-)

5 moms found this helpful
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A.M.

answers from Denver on

I wax my cousin's who is in 7th grade. She has beautiful blonde hair but black eyebrows and mustache. It was totally her choice but she finally wanted me to so she isn't teased. So, yeah, 7th graders are doing it.

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

My SD started in 7th grade. She is blonde but has dark, thick eye brows. She didn't tell us it was a problem for months - instead, she took to frying her bangs with the flat iron until they were stick straight and as long as possible and then would wear a hat on top of them to hold them down so that her eyebrows (and, consequently, her eyes) were totally covered. She looked ridiculous. At some point it occurred to me that this was not a fashion choice but a compulsion and she finally confessed that some kids had made fun of her in 6th grade so her solution was to never let anyone see her eyebrows again. So we took her for a waxing and magically, the world could see her pretty face again! No more stick-straight bangs and goofy hats. She goes every couple of months and plucks in between.

I would take her once for a shaping and let her see how it goes. If you're there you can see how much they take off - that might be a reality check on whether or not she actually needs it. If they take off a lot, she may have more of a need than you realized. If they don't take off a lot, it could be an "everyone does it" thing. If it's the former, you should pay for regular maintenance (she can pluck in between); if it's the latter, it's a luxury that she can help pay for.

Be glad that she came right out and asked you instead of hiding something that she's embarrassed about.

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C.C.

answers from Orlando on

I have a boy, age 10, who was getting teased in school for his unibrow. He asked for my help, so we just shave in between the brows and trim them a little shorter with manicure scissors when they get out of control. I don't see anything wrong with it. Wish my Mom offered me help back in the 80's with my crazy brows.....

4 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

I took a "Seventeen" magazine sponsored "Modeling" class at one of the local department stores when I was 13 or 14.. in between 6th and 7th grade.

They taught us about skin care hair care, , how to dress, walk etc.. It was the first time I learned to pluck my eyebrows.. and boy I needed it! At the end of the class we were in a "fashion show"..

My mom gave me a lighted magnified mirror and I went to town plucking.
I wish I had known about waxing.. I did not find out about it until I was in college.

I took our daughter when she started plucking, they waxed her upper lip and her brows.. .. It was in middle school. but maybe 8th grade? I do not remember, I do remember she asked if I would take her and I told her sure. I guess I had not realized it had been bothering her.

I wish my mom had taken me. She took me to an electrolocist when I was in 5th grade.. painful, and very expensive and made no difference in the long run. We went like every 2 or 3 months.

I think if she is feeling self conscious, I do not see a problem. You want her to feel confident about herself. I was VERY self conscious of my big brows and upper lip..

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

No one ever NEEDS to pluck, shave or wax away body hair. It's an artificial standard of beauty imposed by our culture.

That said, if her eyebrows are a source of concern to HER, then it's time to let her start grooming them. However, since I assume she does not have the income to pay for waxing, you might want to show her how to pluck them unless you want to pay for waxing.

4 moms found this helpful

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

If she's old enough to be self conscious about it, she's old enough to do it.
This is not a sexual thing.

3 moms found this helpful
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B..

answers from Dallas on

Some do, yes. My niece does, but her eyebrows seriously embarrassed her. Does she want to do it, because others are? Does she want to do it, because she has been picked on about it? If she is getting made fun of, I really would do it. If she want to just for the sake of doing what other kids do...I wouldn't pay for it. If SHE wanted to make the money to pay for it, more power to her.

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E.T.

answers from Rochester on

Really? Girls are doing it as young as kindergarten?! I'm with you. I see know reason to start in 7th grade. There seems to be too much pressure on girls to grow up too soon.

2 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I was plucking my eyebrows by middle school. Waxing would have been much simpler. I guess it depends what the goal is. It is not too young to have well groomed brows, but if she wants those crazy fake looking super skinny brows I would say no.

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A.L.

answers from Seattle on

Unless we are talking about a seriously disfiguring amount of hair I will not pay for my daughter to get anything cosmetic done. So brow waxing, hair dying, shaving/ body waxing, make-up.... she can start doing it when she can pay for it, which is probably the appropriate age - I expect around 16.

Just because "everyone is doing it" does not mean I will support it for my kid. Yep I am THAT mom. Tough luck.

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C.C.

answers from New York on

It's just a haircut! On her face.

I don't understand the "too young" stuff - it's not sexual...it's not like she is waxing her bikini area! It's just grooming, self confidence. I think it's better than makeup.

I recommend "threading", though, instead of waxing. I recently went to a threading place - $7, no pain, no redness/torn skin like waxing sometimes leaves.

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C.B.

answers from Sacramento on

I would say it depends on the child's brows. I have 2 friends who started their daughters waxing their brows in 5th & 6th grade. Both girls have dark bushy brows. One is half Italian the other is half Greek.

I allow my girls to pluck and trim as necessary. Both have learned the hard way about plucking too much and don't ask for waxing.

I suspect your daughter just wants to experience what her friends are doing.

2 moms found this helpful

N.G.

answers from Dallas on

I don't know why people make a big deal out of shaving/waxing. When I was 10/11, I was so self-conscious about my hairy legs that I would cry, and my Mom wouldn't let me shave until I was 12 because I was "too young." Too young for what? I don't get it. If your child is old enough to want to wax her eyebrows, I think you should let her. I know a good eye-brow wax makes ME feel like a million bucks, don't know why a 7th grader can't do it.

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*.*.

answers from New London on

I see middle schoolers w/ full make-up and highlights, etc...Too young!
I think that eyebrows should be done at age 16 the earliest unless the hair growth is out of control and it needs to be done once--and follow up w/ plucking.

I had my eyebrows done in my 20's...My 1st manicure was either age 26 or 27.

If she really wants to get them done...if you think 7th grade is too young--Tell her what age she could start going and stick to it. If you are going to let her get them done---Have her earn the money.

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

If she thinks it is time, it is time.

I'd let her have this one. Save the fight for something bigger... like the first time she wants to dye her hair a wierd color ;)

1 mom found this helpful
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P.K.

answers from New York on

I do not see a problem with letting her do this

1 mom found this helpful
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J.H.

answers from San Francisco on

I think it is a matter of choice. I let my 12 year old shave and wax. She is really hairy and it is quite embarrasing at this age. The brow waxing is great, I take her and always remind them that she is 12 and that she doesn't need shaping with high arches.
For my daughter...she feels so much better. Besides, I also think we have to pick our battles, if you don't let her she will just sneak and do it at some point. I say teach her the right way the first time.

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A.M.

answers from Washington DC on

14 is where I'm comfy. "Shape, no clean up." is the request for natural looking brows. I only need it once every 8 weeks. That's babysitting money for an industrious middle schooler.

1 mom found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I did not get mine done until I was 18 and paid for it myself.

I could however pluck to my heart's content. Teach her how to do that vs. wax. Get her a pink pencil to highlight the area she wants removed like many professionals do and pluck away. I think the wax is really too hot and damaging for such young skin.

1 mom found this helpful
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Z.B.

answers from Toledo on

I really don't know the age, but she may have a point. I didn't wax mine until I was in my 30's, and you said college. Maybe kids are starting at a younger age. I don't think I knew anyone who waxed when I was in college.

V.B.

answers from Jacksonville on

My daughter is 12 and in 7th grade this year. She has light blonde hair, so that may make a difference, I don't know.
She doesn't wax. She doesn't even shave her legs. And just barely started wearing any kind of makeup--and even that she skips sometimes... it's just a powder foundation, a little natural looking eyeshadow, mascara sometimes, and lip gloss (not lipstick not lipliner).

She looks VERY natural. Not made up at all.
As far as when is it appropriate? Depends on the kid.
I am 45 this week, and I have NEVER waxed my eyebrows. Never needed to. I expect my daughter won't need to, either. No unibrows, here, and what we do have is light and doesn't stand out.

I just recently heard, however, (from a good friend of mine, not a student/kid) that this age group is now starting to shave their private areas already. And that it may be common to do so, and do so completely.
It was news to me, and nothing my daughter has asked me about.

Maybe take a look at your daughter's friends and SEE what they are doing. DO they wax? I would think you would be able to tell, or ask their parents.

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J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

she wants them shaped? this is probably the norm. Let her do it once and then keep it up with tweezers. I take care of my 5 and 8 year olds with tweezers. A few strays and the middles. Shaping is a whole other story. If it is something she wants regularly then I would find a way to have her pay for at least most of it.

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J.D.

answers from Dallas on

I clean up my 6 year old's eyebrows. I don't want her self conscious about it ever.

I second the threading for everyone. :)

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