Re: Appearance and hygiene-body hair--opinions please

[Guest guest]

My daughter is only 6 and have yet to venture into this territory....

But with that said, did you ever try the electric razors. They've

come along way and are much harder to cut the skin.

Plus she may get some senory out of it too because of the

vibrations. They have wet/dry models as well. Personally long hair

on my legs tickels...plus it seems to pull down hose...that's my 2

cents.

My beautiful daughter is 13, has had periods for almost a year

and has

> all the other markers of puberty. She shaves her underarms with

supervision. She

> did this for the first time on her own, after I'd left her in the

bath for a

> few minutes. She had seen me do it and I'd talked about it, but I

never pushed

> it and frankly was shocked when she wanted to do it and went ahead!

I had

> decided I didn't care about this stuff and was just hoping others

wouldn't make

> fun of her. She probably wouldn't notice anyway, but I am

protective of her.

> She already has so much to contend with, you know? So, she's been

shaving her

> underarms for about six or eight months now. It's going well, and I

admit it is

> nice for me to not worry that others will comment on her dark

underarm hair.

> She does have very dark hair on her legs, but I am hesitant to even

try to show

> her how to shave them for the following reasons:

> 1. I'd mentioned to her a few times that some women in this country

shave the

> hair off their legs just like their underarms, and she did not want

to talk

> about it.

> 2. She has old scabs on her legs (mostly scars but if scratched at

hard

> enough they can reopen). I fear the shaving could open them up. She

tends to pick

> at her sores, and these semi-healed scabs are from insect bites

from a few

> years ago,

> 3. Legs are MUCH bigger than underarms. She's never cut her

underarms, but

> cuts on her legs seem inevitable if she tries to shave.

> 4. I don't think she cares about this issue at all, and it's her

body after

> all.

> I wish our culture could be more relaxed about natural things

like body

> hair, but it's not. I will not push the idea of shaving if she is

not

> interested, and frankly my preference is to just leave it alone and

not mention it

> again, but there will likely be comments from her Dad (my ex) and

others. Summer

> is coming.

> For those of you with older girls, how do you/does she deal

with this

> issue? Anyone else with an opinion--am I somehow doing her a

disservice if I

> don't teach her to shave her legs? Do you think I should listen to

my gut and

> ignore any comments and stares?

> Many thanks in advance for your input,

> Melinda

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That is not my desicion or opinion to make, whether

your daughter shaves or doesn't shave. But if you and

she decide that she'd like to try it, and you are

concerned about the cutting and scabs and stuff, I did

see a commercial for some shaving faom/cream that you

put on and then use a plastc tool (shaped just like a

razer) that more scratches the hair off with the cream

rather than actually cutting it, like a razor. It

might be safer. I myself have never tried it, but I

think it was called Veet or something and the

commercial was just on two days ago, so it is fairly

new. It might be worth checking into, it says right in

the commercial to forget about being so careful and

getting cuts from being clumsy, because with this new

shaver, you can't cut yourself. So I don't know, but

maybe you might want to consider it, and tell your

daughter it is NEW and maybe you could try first or

something? Just a thought.

She could always be given the opertunity, and then if

she doesn't like it and doesn't want to shave, I think

it really should be her choice. But I also don't think

you should hide the oppertunity from her. My parents

forbid me from shaving till I was 13 and I was

humiliated whenever I wore shorts (I had such dark

hairy legs). I agree, I would not push her though. But

then again, it could be very scarey if she decided to

do it herself, without telling you - like with the

underarms and then if she cut herself and didn't want

to tell you or something, or if she was at her dad's

or whatever, you know? Hard decision. But I think that

you are her mom. God gave her to you for a reason, and

I feel that good, caring mothers seem to have an

instinct and intuition on how to best help their

children and what will make their children the

happiest. So, if it gets to be too big a deal and you

feel like you are just going with what everybody else

tells you, I think you should follow, your " mommy

guide " that little whisper or tugging inside you

telling you what would work best for your kido's even

if it is against a lot of other's opinions. There have

been a lot of times that people give me their

opinions, whether asked for or not and everybody has a

different opinion and then soon I feel overwhelmed and

find it even harder to know what to do. So go with

what you feel is best for her and what she and you can

agree on is the best. We have to pick our battles!

Hope this helps, Esther

--- EbuyerMTC@... wrote:

> Hi,

> My beautiful daughter is 13, has had periods for

> almost a year and has

> all the other markers of puberty. She shaves her

> underarms with supervision. She

> did this for the first time on her own, after I'd

> left her in the bath for a

> few minutes. She had seen me do it and I'd talked

> about it, but I never pushed

> it and frankly was shocked when she wanted to do it

> and went ahead! I had

> decided I didn't care about this stuff and was just

> hoping others wouldn't make

> fun of her. She probably wouldn't notice anyway, but

> I am protective of her.

> She already has so much to contend with, you know?

> So, she's been shaving her

> underarms for about six or eight months now. It's

> going well, and I admit it is

> nice for me to not worry that others will comment on

> her dark underarm hair.

> She does have very dark hair on her legs, but I am

> hesitant to even try to show

> her how to shave them for the following reasons:

> 1. I'd mentioned to her a few times that some women

> in this country shave the

> hair off their legs just like their underarms, and

> she did not want to talk

> about it.

> 2. She has old scabs on her legs (mostly scars but

> if scratched at hard

> enough they can reopen). I fear the shaving could

> open them up. She tends to pick

> at her sores, and these semi-healed scabs are from

> insect bites from a few

> years ago,

> 3. Legs are MUCH bigger than underarms. She's never

> cut her underarms, but

> cuts on her legs seem inevitable if she tries to

> shave.

> 4. I don't think she cares about this issue at all,

> and it's her body after

> all.

> I wish our culture could be more relaxed about

> natural things like body

> hair, but it's not. I will not push the idea of

> shaving if she is not

> interested, and frankly my preference is to just

> leave it alone and not mention it

> again, but there will likely be comments from her

> Dad (my ex) and others. Summer

> is coming.

> For those of you with older girls, how do

> you/does she deal with this

> issue? Anyone else with an opinion--am I somehow

> doing her a disservice if I

> don't teach her to shave her legs? Do you think I

> should listen to my gut and

> ignore any comments and stares?

> Many thanks in advance for your input,

> Melinda

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I was 16 before I shaved my legs. I still hate it but I also hate how itchy

I get when it grows back in. What my mom did was she shaved only from the

knees down to get me used to it.

My underarms were easy though. I play violin and the underarm hair made me

too hot.

If my mom had not been so pushy I may have never shaved my legs. Just take

time, don't be too pushy but help her see its function (less itchy, cooler,

etc). Maybe that would help.

Nadine

PS - You might as well make up your mind right now that she isn't going to

like bikinis either.

Re: Appearance and hygiene-body hair--opinions

please

My daughter is only 6 and have yet to venture into this territory....

But with that said, did you ever try the electric razors. They've

come along way and are much harder to cut the skin.

Plus she may get some senory out of it too because of the

vibrations. They have wet/dry models as well. Personally long hair

on my legs tickels...plus it seems to pull down hose...that's my 2

cents.

My beautiful daughter is 13, has had periods for almost a year

and has

> all the other markers of puberty. She shaves her underarms with

supervision. She

> did this for the first time on her own, after I'd left her in the

bath for a

> few minutes. She had seen me do it and I'd talked about it, but I

never pushed

> it and frankly was shocked when she wanted to do it and went ahead!

I had

> decided I didn't care about this stuff and was just hoping others

wouldn't make

> fun of her. She probably wouldn't notice anyway, but I am

protective of her.

> She already has so much to contend with, you know? So, she's been

shaving her

> underarms for about six or eight months now. It's going well, and I

admit it is

> nice for me to not worry that others will comment on her dark

underarm hair.

> She does have very dark hair on her legs, but I am hesitant to even

try to show

> her how to shave them for the following reasons:

> 1. I'd mentioned to her a few times that some women in this country

shave the

> hair off their legs just like their underarms, and she did not want

to talk

> about it.

> 2. She has old scabs on her legs (mostly scars but if scratched at

hard

> enough they can reopen). I fear the shaving could open them up. She

tends to pick

> at her sores, and these semi-healed scabs are from insect bites

from a few

> years ago,

> 3. Legs are MUCH bigger than underarms. She's never cut her

underarms, but

> cuts on her legs seem inevitable if she tries to shave.

> 4. I don't think she cares about this issue at all, and it's her

body after

> all.

> I wish our culture could be more relaxed about natural things

like body

> hair, but it's not. I will not push the idea of shaving if she is

not

> interested, and frankly my preference is to just leave it alone and

not mention it

> again, but there will likely be comments from her Dad (my ex) and

others. Summer

> is coming.

> For those of you with older girls, how do you/does she deal

with this

> issue? Anyone else with an opinion--am I somehow doing her a

disservice if I

> don't teach her to shave her legs? Do you think I should listen to

my gut and

> ignore any comments and stares?

> Many thanks in advance for your input,

> Melinda

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Melinda, you might want to try an Intuition razor (get at supermarket or

drugstore). It's virtually impossible to nick yourself and it has a built

in leg moisturizer so you don't need to use shaving cream. That being said,

I wouldn't push the issue. She will let you know if she wants to shave

legs. If you want to give her the option, perhaps you could demonstrate the

Intuition razor and let her decide for herself. I say if she is able to

keep clean and take care of her periods, enough! I wish this country were

more like europeans where nothing is thought wrong when the women don't

shave their underarms and legs. In this day and age with everyone doing

there own thing, I really don't think it's that big of a deal. Just my

opinion.

Diane ('s Mom)

Appearance and hygiene-body hair--opinions

please

Hi,

My beautiful daughter is 13, has had periods for almost a year and has

all the other markers of puberty. She shaves her underarms with supervision.

She

did this for the first time on her own, after I'd left her in the bath for a

few minutes. She had seen me do it and I'd talked about it, but I never

pushed

it and frankly was shocked when she wanted to do it and went ahead! I had

decided I didn't care about this stuff and was just hoping others wouldn't

make

fun of her. She probably wouldn't notice anyway, but I am protective of her.

She already has so much to contend with, you know? So, she's been shaving

her

underarms for about six or eight months now. It's going well, and I admit it

is

nice for me to not worry that others will comment on her dark underarm hair.

She does have very dark hair on her legs, but I am hesitant to even try to

show

her how to shave them for the following reasons:

1. I'd mentioned to her a few times that some women in this country shave

the

hair off their legs just like their underarms, and she did not want to talk

about it.

2. She has old scabs on her legs (mostly scars but if scratched at hard

enough they can reopen). I fear the shaving could open them up. She tends to

pick

at her sores, and these semi-healed scabs are from insect bites from a few

years ago,

3. Legs are MUCH bigger than underarms. She's never cut her underarms, but

cuts on her legs seem inevitable if she tries to shave.

4. I don't think she cares about this issue at all, and it's her body after

all.

I wish our culture could be more relaxed about natural things like body

hair, but it's not. I will not push the idea of shaving if she is not

interested, and frankly my preference is to just leave it alone and not

mention it

again, but there will likely be comments from her Dad (my ex) and others.

Summer

is coming.

For those of you with older girls, how do you/does she deal with this

issue? Anyone else with an opinion--am I somehow doing her a disservice if I

don't teach her to shave her legs? Do you think I should listen to my gut

and

ignore any comments and stares?

Many thanks in advance for your input,

Melinda

[Guest guest]

> For those of you with older girls, how do you/does she deal with

this

> issue?

My daughter is 15 and we use the green goo from Australia, that you

spread on and then rip off after placing a white cloth on top of the

green goo. I'm having a mental block right now, can't think of the

name... but it is in every grocery store, WalMart, etc.

She likes it because she doesn't have to shave for about a month. It

hurts when she does it, but when Mom does it for her, she can take it

better. LOL

We've tried all the brands, but the green glop (laughing my head off

right now because I can't think of the name) works the best.

[Guest guest]

>

> We've tried all the brands, but the green glop (laughing my head off

> right now because I can't think of the name) works the best.

>

.......NAD'S!!! I knew it would keep me up all night if I didn't google

it.

[Guest guest]

I think that stuff might be a better idea than shaving for another

reason too, if she shaves and decided not to do it again, she would

have itchy, prickly hair growing back in and it would be very

uncomfortable for her. With things like Veet, the entire hair grows

back, not just the cut ends, so it is softer and not as irritating.

Amnesty

> But if you and

> she decide that she'd like to try it, and you are

> concerned about the cutting and scabs and stuff, I did

> see a commercial for some shaving faom/cream that you

> put on and then use a plastc tool (shaped just like a

> razer) that more scratches the hair off with the cream

> rather than actually cutting it, like a razor. It

> might be safer. I myself have never tried it, but I

> think it was called Veet or something and the

> commercial was just on two days ago, so it is fairly

> new. It might be worth checking into, it says right in

> the commercial to forget about being so careful and

> getting cuts from being clumsy, because with this new

> shaver, you can't cut yourself. So I don't know, but

> maybe you might want to consider it, and tell your

> daughter it is NEW and maybe you could try first or

> something? Just a thought.

>

[Guest guest]

Have you considered laser hair removal? For legs it would be rather

costly, but would be a rather permanent solution. I had some facial

stuff done, it is rather painless, it feels hot & cold at the same

time. If I ever win the lottery, I'm doing it all over! Lol.

Debi

-

[Guest guest]

Hi

Thanks to all who posted about body hair, hygiene, etc. I greatly appreciate

the input.

Melinda