What Is the Best Razor to Start My Oldest Out With?

Hi. Maybe Im the only one thinking this, but, what are you shaving and why? I just think its so important to teach girls the beauty of themselves the way they are and not let society dictate it. I know Im in the minority, and please dont be offended, but I think it just sends a message that she is not good enough the way she is and she must accept the the social standard of "beauty." Right now, its shaving, but in a few years it will be something else. Just my opinion.

My daughter & I had good luck with a Venus razor when she began to shave. (she was 10 yrs old when the original one came out). The pivoting head seemed to make a big difference for a new beginner.

Hi S.-
My oldest girl (now 14) started shaving at 11 but I made her use Nair. It is a cream hair removal that would last her over 2 weeks and she has really hairy legs. Once she hit 13 the Nair didn't work as well but it helped to keep that sharp razor off of her legs!! It took her over one month to learn how to shave and not nick herself. We found that the noxema disposable was really good-there is another one that the head moves when you use it and the head has lots of room around the blades so she doesn't nick that much. I would definitely look at the razor's head and evaluate that-the very cheap disposables are the ones that nick the most. My 9 year old girl is begging to shave her legs because they are hairy-I am trying to hold her off as long as possible with once you start you can't stop etc. but I will use Nair with her as well. Good luck!

Hi,

You are awesome! Like one other poster said, I have 2 boys, and I thought I had it tough! GOD SPEED

I am with a few of the others,

GILETTE MACH 3.

It's a mans razor, (I originally stole it from my husband:-) but OMG, the closet shave I have ever gotten! I have been using it for I want to say 5 years now and I have not nicked/cut myself once. It is just wonderful.
I truly believe that this razor could shave a baby's butt and not hurt it! lol

What about an electric razor...or Nair?

Hello!

My daughter has very thick dark hair and light skin. She was being teased in 3rd grade about all the hair on her legs and arms. It was hurtingher so bad that we finally said you can shave if you want to. She did, but she was terrified of the razor. This is what we ened up doing:
1. I had to shave her legs with an electric hair trimmer (yep, it was that long and thick).
2. I put her in the bathtub to soak her legs than I came into the bathroom and helped her shave her legs.
3. She was so scared of the razor that I did this with her over 1 whole summer. I also used this as a time to talk with her about the changes that her body was going through. Toward the end of the summer I had her shave with the razor just 1-2 lines up the front of her leg. After about 2-3 weeks of that she asked me to leave because she could do it herself. She now shaves on her own without my help. (Don't get me wrong, she doesn't do it perfectly or as often as I would, but she does do it and she's comfortable with doing it herself now.)
We did try an electric razor with her, but she didn't like it and it just takes up space in her bathroom.

Good luck and congratulations on your almost teenager!

Try the Schick Intuition. The blade is surrounded by a moisturizing bar (for lack of a better term) that takes the place of having to use shaving cream. I have been using this for several years now. I have yet to cut myself. Prior to switching to this, I cut myself frequently.

I've never like using disposable razors before either. I had actually run out of razor refill cartridges for my razor at one point, so I used my husbands instead. With a new razor on it of course. It was the best thing I've ever used to shave with. It's the Gilette Mach 3. Since I started using it over 4 years ago, I haven't had a single nic! It is great, expensive but it's well worth it.

WOW! I can't believe no one has suggested the Venus! That razor is awesome. Now, I say this because it gives a smooth shave and I, the queen of cutting myself, have NEVER EVER cut myself with a venus.
The Venus Breeze has its own kinda soap around it, so you really don't even feel like its working, but it works really great. Not to mention, the blades last foreverrrrrrrr. I mean, they could go a year! I have changed mine, but simply for sanitary reasons, not because it wasn't working right anymore.
I think all women should use the venus!!!
Disposables are horrible. Her dad is crazy! LOL!

As far as the little one not understanding it, well, I probably wouldn't make it a "known" fact, but if she asks, you can say, well, when you need to shave your armpits, you can shave your legs too! LOL! Maybe that will work, I dunno. I was 10 when I had to start shaving.

I honestly don't remember the name of the razor, but it has a soap bar wrapped around the blade. They even make one for sensitive skin. It gives a nice close shave without any nicks. Maybe try it out yourself first and see what you think!
~K. R

Lady Remington makes some good electric shavers. They are also a little more expensive, but there will be little chance that she will nick or cut herself.

You are a SUPER woman! Bless you for taking care of all of those kids. I have two and think I have it hard! :o)

I am not sure about the razor b/c I have been shaving for so long that I don't notice if the razor is good or I am good at it! But, I would say to tell the 9 year old that when she is 11 she too can shave. There are certain things that you get to do when you reach a certain age. For example, when she turns 16, she will be able to drive and you will not be able to. When she turns 18, she can move out or go to college and you will not be able to. She can date at ### age and you cannot until that age. Just like your younger siblings that cannot do the same things you can do at 9 yrs old. Each year you turn another age and get to do more things.

Good luck!

.

When my daughter turned 11, I purchased for her a rechargable electric razor. It is wonderful because you don't have to worry about them cutting them selves with a blade! I hope this helps!!

I would suggest the schick quattro razor. It has three blades, but they are wrapped in a fine metal wire to help prevent cuts and razor burn. It is the only razor I can use. The refills are a bit pricey, but one blade lasts a while....about 3 weeks before I notice it is not doing such a good job. Remember, a sharp razor is going to be best so to not cause discomfort.
Just explain that she goes slow and is very careful. You may even want to supervise the first few shaves just to make sure you both are comfortable with what you are doing.
As for the little sis, I don't know what els to do then simply explain before hand that she isn't ready for shaving yet. I don't know, mine aren't to that point yet, so I have no clue really how to handle that....lol.
Good luck
T.

I cut myself to pieces when I first started shaving. I wouldn't recommend anything other than an electric razor for a first time shaver.

Have you thought about nair or veet?

There is an ole schick razor, I'm not sure of the name, that actually has guard wires around the blade to prevent nicks and cuts. It isn't disposable, just has interchangeable blades when one gets dull. Also they make a new disposable, the schick quattro for women that also has this feature. great for those just learning to control a razor.

Dear S.,
You truly must be a woman of faith to take on such a huge task! I would get her an electric razor. They even make them so you can use them in the shower too. ;-)

My oldest starting shaving this year. She is 3/4 Indian on her dad's side.. so her hair is really dark and really thick. We first did the Veet with the razor looking piece that you mock shave I guess. It helped learn, but with her thick hair didn't do much good. She got a wet/dry electric razor for Christmas, but unless you are virtually hairless like me, it won't do much good. She ended up pinching herself more than getting any hair off... So I got her a nice non-disposable razor..It's the Gilette Mach 3 (or any nice one) The blades are a little pricey, but it's worth it.. Just make sure she goes slow and doesn't go cross ways with it,,, that's when the big cuts start.

Good luck!!

Hi S.,

I have a teenager who I was afraid to allow to use a razor as well. I found the Nair or Neet products which has a scraper -no razor. It like a cream that you put on the legs and bikini area, let it sit for a few minutes and then scrape it off with the scraper. It has been very useful without any incidents or razor bumps. Hope this helped.

A.

Wow - I admire you for taking care of such a large family, especially when you're so young! And if shaving is what brings you to this site (rather than "blended family" probs, etc) - then you must have things really flowing along. :-)

You asked only for razor suggestions, but here's an unpopular thought for others to consider, : Does she have to start shaving at 11? Maybe she's getting teased about having hair or there's an odor problem, but if not, I just wouldn't worry about it unless she does, if you know what I mean. Our girls in particular grow up all too fast, imo.

Your 9 yr old will learn that she can't do everything her older sister does, and eventually, she won't want to, as their individual personalities will become more apparent. Could be time for both of them for a talk about puberty and what to expect, emphasizing the fact that it doesn't occur at the same time even in sisters? And maybe with the start of shaving could come the start of new "grown up" responsibilities? Not sure if anyone has tried that or if it would be beneficial to your family.....just throwing it out there.

Good luck to you and your beautiful family!

Well, any razor will cut you if you aren't carefully when using it. I think a disposable will be fine as long as she changes it often and you show her the correct way to shave and the right amount of pressure to apply. All girls knick them selves learning how to shave. It's all apart of the growing up process and learning how to shave your "own" legs(hair pattern growth). Men's razors always seem to shave the best and closest. As for her younger sister-it will be hard, but you're oldest should have something all her own right now. It's a big deal for girls to reach the "stage" of shaving their legs. She needs this milestone for herself by herself. Just explain to the 9 yr old she's not old enough and when she reaches 11 she to can learn to shave her legs too, then just leave it at that. I'm sure(from what you said) she'll be upset, but you can't speed up time. Life happens when it happens and she'll get there one day. Good Luck.

Hi S. :)
My response will be a little different, I want to talk about the sister relationship. This is a big step for the 11 year old, & it's okay that she's growing up. There's no way out of it anyway. You need to reassure little sister that this is something for big sister and when she gets older and her body starts changing, she will be able to do it as well. I think you will begin to see them kind of separating a little, which is good. You don't want big sister to be little forever, nor do you want little sister to grow up too fast.
God Bless!

I agree that the Venus is probably a good razor to start out with, and just teach her to GO SLOW and to always pull her skin tight around hard places like her ankle or around her knee. She WILL nick herself eventually, and she has to know that it's not the end of the world. It stings, but doesn't hurt THAT much. On the other hand, an electric razor will not cut her, but might pinch some.

As for the younger daughter issue, you can approach it one of two ways. Either she needs to learn that she can't do everything her sister does (as several others have said, which she will need to learn anyway), or you can let her shave her legs too. It's not like it would cause her any damage to shave her legs, but it might decrease the 'right of passage' feeling the older daughter will have from the shaving thing.

I am not sure about this for a little girl, but the Intuition razor that I use is surrounded by a soap/lotion material that makes it almost impossible to cut yourself. Not to sound like an advert but it also is pretty good for more sensitive skin.

Good luck!

Wow! You ARE busy! A word to the wise...DO NOT move in with your boyfriend until you are his WIFE! You have LOTS of children to whom you serve as an example.

i like the BIC Soleil(sp?). they have a disposable version, and a replaceable cartridge vesion. the have a triple blade, moisture strip and i think they have safety notches on them to help prevent nicks. they are a littel on the expensive side, but they are worth it. just make sure to get her some good shave gel to use and take the time to show her the proper way to shave, and remind her that she needs to take her time and that once she starts, she'll have to keep doing it on a regular basis. as far as the younger girl goes, just tell her that he sister is becoming a young woman and going through some body changes right now. once she starts experiencing these changes then she can start shaving too.

i think that shick made the razor i started with. it has fine wire wraped around the blades. it prevents cuts.