Waxing Vs Shaving - Young Girls

[Phteven]

The parts of my legs that rubbed when I rode horses are still bald and I haven't ridden for about 10 years, but they were rubbed bald long before I even thought of shaving them.

[LuluHB]

I'm the same as Zazou - after years on a horse I simply don't grow hair on my lower, inner legs.

I shave everything but my eyebrows, which I have waxed. I hate waxing - it hurts like billyo and I wouldn't do that to my kids. Plus, as someone else mentioned its not exactly inexpensive and with three daughters there's no way I'm starting down that road. If they choose to wax when they pay for it then that's their choice. I won't be encouraging them to start shaving at any particular time - will wait until they tell me they're ready, which will no doubt be well before I'm prepared for it!

[Astrid]

Now I am 40 I have noticed that my body hair is thinner. That is most places, regardless of whether the hair has never been touched (lower arms) and mostly shaved a lot (legs). Body hair does thin with age. Well my theory is that it does not go away, it just moves to places like the upper lip and turns into those rouge hairs that appear on chins

[little_O]

I waxed for about 5 years- pretty much all through high school. My mum waxed my legs the first time. It's not painless but I don't think it's that bad. A friend of mine waxed me after that and the odd beautician.

I will probably wax dd as soon as she wants too. My hairs were always a lot more sparse waxing in comparison to shaving now. For me the the regrowth period annoyed me, especially in summer. So if she's self conscious i guess she can shave. I'm not very hairy though and dd seems to be similar to me thus far (hopefully forever for her sake lol).

[Jennifer13]

My girls have my colouring and complexion and I suspect will have my slow-growing leg hair and somewhat less body hair elsewhere than most women. I'll help them learn to shave. I could wait all winter for enough hair to be visible on my legs, let alone wax! I don't think we'll be having the conversation until they're teenagers.

I have had plenty of bikini waxes and even the odd Brazilian over the years, but shaving is more convenient (esp since I don't have to wait months for enough hair to wax), cheaper and less painful.

[LimeSlice]

Haven't read all the replies... LOL

I would personally, wax her eyebrows, and shave her legs/underarms until she i ready/old enough/wants to wax the rest. I *loathe* plucking - even when I was taught how to do it, I think it is the most painful thing I has ever done, beauty-wise, it still hurts like a *****, I *bleed*, and it is never right. $10, a talented beautician doing her thing, they look tops. Hurts the first time, and then, like taking off a band aid. Seriously, the least traumatic thing ever. [ETA: Seriously, I don't even own a pair of tweezers, never have, this is the extent to which I do. not. pluck.]

I do wish I had have been taken to the beautician for everything below the waist when I was about 14. I have a lot of dark, coarse hair. It is horrendous really! LOL So, swimming at school was always painful for me at school, required a lot of effort and was a total PITA. Would much rather I had have been indoctrinated into womanhood with a professional. I suspect this is not a problem for your DD.

As for rites of passage, knicking yourself with a razor on the ankle or on the tendon at the back of your knee, is a pretty good one to start off with.

[Nai]

What about using nair or something like that. No pain or chance of cutting herself?

I was actually thinking about this yesterday as dd1's arm is still majorly hairy after her broken arm and I was wondering about what to do if she became self conscious about it.

[Lisa]

My daughter started off waxing then moved onto razors due to the convenience factor and then suffered a nasty cut. Since then she's used an electric shaver and an epilator.

[BellyBelly]

My daughter is pretty good with being open about things, especially after reading the book, Puberty Girl. She actually came up to me this week and said she was starting to get black hairs under her arms and would really like a shaver. I thought that was awesome. I went out and bought her one - although she knows I wax she didn't ask about it. If she asks about waxing, I am happy to take her to try it. But its not something I wanted to do off the bat because it is ouchy!

I have plucked her eyebrows for her though. I haven't found any waxers around here and would be concerned about how decent they were so that also sways my decision. I wax when I come to Melb.

[LionsandBears]

Just an aside: are epilators less painful these days? I bought one when I was about 20. Used it for 5min and promptly threw it away. I'm not great with pain.

[Tinks]

I had one of the spring coil Epilady's when I was a teenager and it was inhumane! Apparently they are more gentle these days. DD thinks it's too painful but my boss, mum and co-worker swear by the new ones. I am still not game enough to try it though.

[Jellyfish]

I've only ever shaved but dont even do that much anymore lol. My plan is to just explain the options and leave it up to them although might need some help discussing them since I have so little experience!

Actually I waxed my eyebrows for a bit so guess I could try and explain from that... it hurts then it stops then it hurts then it stops then it hurts then stops then done.

[Rouge]

My mother used to pluck her legs with tweezers o.O

The new epilators still hurt you just get more removal for your hurt. I pluck my eyebrows because I'm scared that waxing will cause sagging. It's what I've been told over and over and I pluck those nasty hormonal hairs (thanks pcos).

I think we'll get her an electric razor as discussed and should she wish to wax we'll accommodate if and when she wants to.

[Doing my best]

Just an aside: are epilators less painful these days? I bought one when I was about 20. Used it for 5min and promptly threw it away. I'm not great with pain.

My Mum bought me one a few years ago cause she was using one without a problem... I used it twice, (Once was after a few drinks to see if it numbed the pain), and asked her 'if you give this to someone you love, what do you plot for people you dislike?' needless to say, she took it back and uses it herself, LOL..

[LimeSlice]

My mother used to pluck her legs with tweezers o.O

Had a gf in high school that took to her bikini line with tweezers. Still makes my skin crawl thinking about *that*!

[wysiwyg]

Just an aside: are epilators less painful these days? I bought one when I was about 20. Used it for 5min and promptly threw it away. I'm not great with pain.

I have used an epilator for about 6 years - so not sure if it is classed as old or new but I find it ok, I do under my arms with it no problems - but I am not a very hairy person, and also I don't care if am hairy so underarms is infrequent in winter and maybe every two weeks in summer.

I always shaved legs prior to that but like Astrid said now have been allowed to regrow are just like they were pre-shaving very fine, the one and only time I have had them waxed (the pain doesn't bother me but the expense does) the waxer was surprised that I was a shaver.

DD I suspect will be of the lesser hair variety as I am and DH is - but it will be shaving all the way for her until she can pay for waxing - plus from what I remember of being a teenager (I started shaving legs at 13) you wanted them to be hair free all the time so shaving is easier than trying to manage waxing. Eyebrows I never touched till at University when let a friend do once, now and again I pluck the few stray ones in the middle and wouldn't be encouraging her to do anything with hers unless is really needed (I am actually amazed at how many people do, do eyebrows).

I have tried Veet/Nair but the smell I thought was horrible and my skin disliked even sensitive versions of their creams.

I have done my bikini line with a pair of tweezers (just the line e.g. the stray odd one that would show outside of a bikini in your leg crease and actually is pretty unpainful) - but again I am not that hairy. After using an epilator for so long the hair plucks out pretty well of my legs if one could be bothered to do with a pair of tweezers.

I think the rubbing off thing must be true because you see lots of men with bald patches on backs of legs - so they must have rubbed off on something.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Epilators don't hurt: I've used them for 12 years now. They can tingle a little, but it's not painful. Current one I can use in the shower and no feeling at all on my legs - underarms can be "oooh!" and I can feel the bikini epilation.

I will add that I can only epilate underarm after 6 laser treatments. Given that DH and I are very hairy people, I will encourage any DD I have to wax, epilate and laser when she's old enough. Shaving was really problematic.

I will also moustache wax the second she complains. No girl should have the best moustache in her year group in a large, mixed school. I speak from experience. Plus a girl shaving her face... see the self-esteem plummet.

[AnyDream]

I haven't heard anyone mention silky mitts or pumice stones yet - might be an option for teens with relatively soft leg hair (not so sure about pits & bits though)?