Hair Removal for 9 Year Old Girl

I personally was about 12 when I started shaving with my moms' electric razor. I didn't use a hand one till I was about 14.

I had to start shaving in 3rd grade, so I can sympathize. Looking back I wish I would have done nair instead because I now have thick black hair that grows in after I shave and I hate it.
Perhaps the hair that grows back in wouldn't be as thick if I had used nair? That's my 2 cents. :)

My daughter whom is nine is developing pretty quick (is getting hair everywhere). We recently went on vacation in March and decided to shave under her arms. Since then she hasn't shaved it and it's a non issue for her. She started using deodorant this year too.
I think it bothers me more especially with swim suit season coming. It is such a pain shaving legs (just my opinion) The hair on her legs is just fine for a maturing girl and I am giving her the option when it starts to bother her. She'll be 10 in July. Nair is a very harsh chemical and can cause a serious reaction on the skin. I would personally avoid it.

I second the thought about an electric razor- no scars from slip ups and no chemicals.

I have a granddaughter who also has a lot of hair on her arms and upper back. I recognize that as the grandmother, I have no say in how her parents decide to handle the situation but I fervently hope they wait until (if and when) my granddaughter expresses a concern. I hate how we are conned into following the dictates of others as to how we should look and what is acceptable. I simply refuse to make my granddsughter's hair (no matter where it is) an issue. There are so many more important things to address.

I know it can be a touchy subject. You want to wait until she notices it because you don't want her to think that it's a bad thing, however, you don't want to wait until she starts getting teased either.
I'd get her an electric razor and show her how to use it on her legs, like everyone else does. If she decides to go beyond her legs and shave her arms or back then that's her decision and she won't feel like she has to do it because you mentioned it.
Definitely stay away from Nair and things like that. It's nasty toxic chemicals, plus it might burn her skin. It also doesn't work well on thicker hair.
Best wishes,
J.

My daughter is 10 and in the fourth grade. They just had a quick movie time about "girl stuff" at school a couple weeks ago. That evening I sat in her room with her, and talked about "girl stuff" and showed her how to use her razor. I bought her a battery operated electric razor, for $15 at walmart. I don't have to worry about her slicing herself open, and if something happens to it, it is not that big of a deal.
She has been complaing about her hair, it is almost the opposite. Her hair is white, so after 3 days of sunshine she was horrified to see all of it.
I let her know that she doesn't HAVE to shave all the time, but she can when she feels like it. She was excited to have the mother/daughter time, and had SOOOO many questions for me. But, she did find out fast that it isn't exactly fun to shave. She was worried that she would have to do it every day :)

I would seriously stay away from nair, I put it on my legs with a 3 minute timer, and rinsed... the hair was still there, and I had gotten a chemical burn. I was so upset i cried... My Mom never showed me anything about this stuff, so I had to learn on my own.

Good luck, and try to keep it fun :)

I have 2 girls that are 14 & 15. When they started shaving I bought the Nair that has a razorless blade. You remove the nair with the blade. This gave them practice for real shaving. It was a very easy transition to a real razor.

Usually during the early years of shaving their hair grows in soft enough that the Nair works well. If her hair has grown in very course, Nair may not work.

I would not mention it to her and wait til she does. When she does, then that is the time. Remember, little girls have hairier legs. But obviously she will have to eventually, just wait, let her be little while it doesn't bother her. I have a daughter that just turned 10, and she is no where near the age to need that. No one in her class is there yet.

i would let it be until she brings it up...but dont use nair..that stuff is highly toxic...will burn her fragile skin-id buy her an electric shaver...its safe,easy...non toxic..good luck

I have dark hair all over my body. I shave (legs), and it's quite startling to see the difference between my arms and legs.
I went through painful sessions of electrolysis for my upper lip. I tried Nair years ago and it burnt me (picture a burnt-on mustache! Way worse that the real mustache!!)
I deal with ingrown hairs during bikini season.
Besides the razor, I have tried Nads. I liked Nads' results but not the work that went into it.

That being said, I really dislike having to do it all. Why are males (and other females) allowed to make fun of hairy females? Hygiene issue? Really?!

On the other hand, I commend you for thinking ahead. But like others said, perhaps you should wait until she brings it up. Her peers will bring it up... or a TV commercial... or a class on puberty... as long as you have a very open relationship, she will ask. I feel that mentioning it at such an early age (at least I think it's very early) will make her feel like there's something wrong with her.

My husband told me about a new product he read about, it's called No!No! He suggested I research it to see if I thought it would be a good choice to remove hair from my arms. I have not researched it and I have never used it, but I thought I should mention it anyway.

Good luck to you and your daughter.

Please, PLEASE, do not fall into the trap of making your daughter feel that she needs to shave! She's only 9 - I have a 9 year old of my own and I wouldn't DREAM of allowing her access to hair removal.

As was stated before, this is a purely cosmetic thing and at her age it should NOT matter. Why do women shave their legs? 1 - because it is expected of them in society to have unnaturally hair-less legs and 2 - because men prefer it.

Considering these things, it shouldn't matter what your daughter looks like. She's not a woman so why should she be expected to do something to please others? Let alone others of the opposite sex? In my opinion, this is just another of the many things that little girls do to ruin their childhood innocence much earlier than necessary.

I am so glad to see your post. I had a lot of black body hair as a young girl, and my mom wouldn't let me shave until I was 12, almost 13. It was painfully embarassing because I had to wear a dress to school (a uniform).

I would tell her straight out that you are OK with her shaving and you will buy what she needs if and when she chooses to start.

Personally, I have had horrible luck with Nair. It just didn't work for me. It also burned my skin. Some of the hair came off, but some didn't so I had to shave anyway. That was many years ago, so perhaps their formula has changed.

I would say just shave, and make sure she has a sharp, safe razor. I would also recommend waxing, but that has a learning curve. Waxing is nice because it can take weeks and weeks for the hair to grow back, and it grows back slower and thinner each time. I have tried every OTC waxing kit there is, and the only one worth anything is "Moom". It is hard to find (health food stores, online, Whole Foods) but is all natural (honey-based) and a jar lasts forever. I think you will get frustrated if you try any of the other brands.

Good luck!

I am hairier than any woman has a right to be, and have been struggling with hair removal since I was about your daughter's age. If you can afford it or do it yourself, I recommend you start waxing her as soon as possible. (Arms and legs, if necessary!) It may be painful, but by the time she is a young woman, it will be second nature to her. Plus, over time, waxing will eventually discourage hair growth. I wouldn't recommend shaving, and certainly not Nair, because, in my opinion, it just makes the hair seem courser and more abundant. You could start with a product like Nads while she is still pre-pubescent, and work up to waxing. Good luck...I'm sure I'll be dealing with this with my daughter soon enough!

J.-
my mom let me start shaving in 3rd grade. i always got made fun of by the boys! i'd let her bring it up but agree that nair is a bad idea...super toxic. a good electric razor would just be easiest so she doesn't have to master a real razor right away. good luck!

I started when I was in 4th or 5th grade and I started with an electric shavor. It broke about 5 years later, but I really liked using it and I will start my daughter out with one. It is safe and easy to use.

I have the very same question

With my daughters I waited until they asked. It was about 5th grade when they finally asked. I then had them wait until summer started. They were patient aobut it. I let them use razors. Took them shopping and bought them kits. Walmart, Target, etc usually have girlty kits that have a razor, cream and lotion. It was fun for them to shop for that.

We were in the same boat I used the Nair gentle or something like that and we only do it 2x durring the summer and right before basketball season we also go the jergens shave minimizing lotion for her to put on and there is an after wash for the nair that takes all the chemicals off after your use the nair I would suggest that becasue you don't get the film left over and at this age that is not what you want my daughter also has extra sensitive skin and had no reaction to any of it.

My bestfriend growing up had this rule. She could start shaving (around 4th grade as well) but...if she started she had to continually shave it couldn't be a I wanna try it this week but not shave anymore next week. I thought that was a good rule.

Hi J.. My daughter also started having dark and thick hair on her legs at an early age. She was about seven actually, but she didn't actually do anything about it until last year or the year before. She is now 10 going on 11. Anyway, what we did is had her try a hair removal kit called, "Veet". Its worked great and her legs are still very smooth, no evidence of shaving bumps at all! It doesn't work for everyone of course, but its worth a shot.:)(I still have to use the shaving method.:()I understand that this is a very delicate topic with your daughter and you just want to avoid any embarrassment that might come her way.:)I hope this helps!

The girl I used to nanny used Nair when she started out(she was 11). It is less scary than shaving and she could do it on her own once you taught her how.

Good for you to be aware. SInce you are, it will be smooth. I just do know you have some time to think of it. If it is not bothering her yet, do not let it bother you. When it becomes the social norm and you are "open" she will let you know. MY DS is 11 and all of the girls in his 5th grade are running around with hairy legs, arms and a few strings in the pit..... Leg hair is cosmetic, not a hygine need. So, I think I would wait and then let her take the lead. Whatever the "friends" are doing is what she is going to want to do. Right now, I would not worry about it.

I started shaving when I was 11. It is SO important to have a good, sharp razor!!! Don't let her use the cheap disposable ones.
Nair (as well as Veet and other depilatories) is kind of touch and go. It is easy to get burned and isn't reliable.
If you're going to wax you should take her to a salon. You will be able to get it done better and faster without the trial and error. It costs more and is not painless, but it doesn't have to be done as often and really does have nicer results, especially if her hair is dark (I know how hard that is to deal with!).

Shaving is the easiest. When the two of you are out shopping for groceries, I would just bring her by the shaving aisle and say you need to get some new razors, and at that point, ask her if she wants to try it and that she can pick out a razor and shaving cream if she would like. Then when you get home, fill up the tub and sit next to her and show her how you do it, and let her try on her own legs. I am still a fan of the original pink Venus razor, and I know they have come out with different kinds. Waxing is going to be hard because I don't care what anyone says, it doesn't matter what brand or how natural a formula it is, it still hurts! I personally like the kind with the pre-waxed strips that heat up when you place it on your skin. I hated fumbling around with sticky honey-like substances, and the strips just seemed to work better for me. There are also those chemical lotion things you can put on your legs and they supposedly take the hair off but those never worked for me and I hated the smell.
I do think you should show her now, because in fourth grade she might actually start being teased for it. I remember fourth grade was the first time anyone teased me about having glasses, the way I ran, or the shoes I had on. And fourth grade isn't even bad...5th graders definitely step it up a notch, and it gets worse from there. It is better for her to know how to do it and take care of it now so it doesn't end up hurting her self-esteem and confidence. It just takes one comment to make you self-conscious for years. Shaving might actually be something that would make her "cool", who knows.

I wanted to add...If you haven't done so already, now would be a good time to get her some training bras as well. My mom and I never have been able to openly communicate about things....I remember in fourth grade some girls had bras, in fifth grade a lot of girls had bras, and in sixth grade basically every girl had a bra except me. I felt so different and was so ashamed, I could not bring it up to my mom. And she never did either. In 7th grade I was literally the only girl without a bra, and it was humiliating to change in the locker room for gym. In 8th grade I finally brought it up because I thought it was necessary for me to even go to school. Even if your daughter doesn't ask you about it or show interest, you should take the initiative

Have you ever heard of Nads? It's gentle hair removal system. No heating involved.....just spread on the skin and apply the cloth strips and then peel away. It's pretty painless and the cloth strips are washable and reuseable.
Good luck!