6 1/2 Year Old Daughter Wih Hairy Legs

That was me when I was a child!! Turns out that I have a condition called nonclassical congenital adrenal hyperplasia. People with NCAH produce excess testosterone from their adrenal glands which leads to excess hair, oily skin, early puberty, etc. It's not at all uncommon among Ashkenazi Jews, Hispanics and Italians (I'm the latter two) and it's not life-threatening in its milder forms. Doctors often miss it -- I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 30s! See www.caresfoundation.org for more info.

There are other reasons why a little girl may have excess hair but only a pediatric endocrinologist can identify them. You should talk to your daughter's pediatrician and get a referral for an endocrinologist.

my daughter has hispanic in her and was born with hair all over her body. She was always self conscious about her hairy legs and I was always sensitive to it because I had the same issue. I didn't want her to do what I did and that was sneak and shave myself when I was very little.
I decided it was not a big deal at all to shave her legs so young because there were so many little girls who didn't have any hair on there legs or very light hair and I didn't think anyone would notice. So I tried nair first but it is a process and then shaved her legs when she was seven. It turned out just fine. I would shave her and she would go months before asking to be shaved again.
It's not a big deal at all no matter what age they are. It's just hair. Who wants to deal with itchy long hair on their legs anyway?
I say go for it and it will no longer be an issue for either of you. Have fun with the one on one girl time!

I'm also Italian and its very embarrasing when you get teased about being hairy!I'm sure you don't want to risk her cutting herself with a razor, but there are other options. Things like Nair and Neet work well but then you have to worry about chemicals. My suggestion would be to invest i an electric razor which will whisk away the hair (and the embarrasement) without chemicals or cuts.

Hi C.,
I understand that you wouldn't want a 6 year old to shave (or rather, you wouldn't want to shave her, she really shouldn't do that herself) but at the same time, if she is being made fun of, I think you must find a way to get rid of the hair. Maybe a depilatory cream? A dermatologist would likely be able to tell you some other ooptions. Good luck!

What even caused her to be so self conscious about it to begin with? try addressing that issue. Encourage her to love the way she was made before ever letting her change it. The way this is handled will stick with her for life.

C., I'm not a fan of "as seen on TV" items, but...
my daughter is 11 and I did not feel comfortable with her and a razor either. At the Dollar General the other day I saw that "Smooth Away" thing and bought it ($10). Well, it seemed to really work and she was so excited!! (I used it too) It's worth a try -- Good luck!! B.

My son had hairy legs too. The difference is that we have no idea where he got them, because both my hubby and I come from ethic groups that are known to be "hairless." I just let him wear what ever he wants. He wouldn't wear shorts when he was younger either, so I respected his decision. He was comfortable with it. I just got him mucsle shirt, which are sleeveless and light jogging pants to wear in the summer. Some martial arts pants are very light weight and black, so they look cool too. Later on he wore jeans. If other kids asked him why no shorts, he'd just tell them he didn't like them. Now that he's 10 and in with an older group of kids, he'll wear shorts since they have hairy legs too.

If you are really against shaving, there are lots of cute summery styles this year where the kids wear leggings. These are fine until you go to the beach or pool. Otherwise, I like the idea of an electric razor (you may need to shave her once first with a regular razor depending on how hairy she is). Either way, you need to start to think about when you will feel comfortable with her shaving her legs.

After reading some of the other responses I have to overall agree that giving her a way to get rid of the hair is your way to go. Girl's have enough issues with self-esteem today and my daughter went through the same thing- but blonde hair and stretch marks by the time she was 10 b/c she grew so fast. Even after I let her start shaving it took time for her to be willing to wear shorts and skirts again.
There are a lot of great razors out there that are pretty safe. I use a venus and that is what I got her as well- she has not had a nick yet because they are well built and the mulitple blades make her not have to keep going over an area.
I know your sweetie is young and the idea of an electric for her is fantastic! I do not think those smoothing pads work (read a good housekeeping test and they only work for fine hair really) and I know for a fact that Nair, etc never work well enough for me as a hairy gal.
I believe the age to let our daughters begin hair removal is the one where they NOTICE they need to do it. Sounds like your girl meets this standard so go for it and commiserate with her now- to build that mom-daughter bond for the later years when you really need her to be coming to you for solutions!
Good Luck!
J.

Maybe try one of those lotions that claim to minimize hair growth?

totally understand. that was me years ago. if there anything her ped. or you see fit to get rid of those, do it. don't wait. i had to wait and it could get pretty miserable being made fun of because of that.

How about those smooth away pads? They sell them in CVS and cost about $10. And from what I understand, they work! Once you show her how to do it, she will be able to use them on herself without harming herself. And I don't blame her for not wanting hairy legs. Image and the development of self image is so important. If hair removing helps, well, it can't hurt. Do they still make those Daisy razors? The ones that are relatively safe? If nothing else works, maybe you can use those on her safely once a week???

My niece also went through the same thing. We are also Italian. I know it's young but we let her shave. It was that or risk her being made fun of. I actually did it for her, with her mom's permission. She had so much hair I had to change the razor. I am not kidding. Thick black hair. I use the Venue razor they are very good. You can do it for her and then get her an electric razor to keep up on her own if you are afraid to have her use a razor. I know it's the last thing you want for your daughter now, however kids can be cruel and it is not worth her being tortured. Now with winter coming she may be able to get away with it for a little longer. Good luck!!