How to Get Rid of a Slight Moustache on Toddler's Face

Hi, my niece started growing her little "frida kahlo" just before 3rd grade, so I just started bleaching it. I know some may think that's a tad young but, children can be cruel and if I can keep her from any unnecessary teasing, I'll do anything.

Your English is great by the way. You write English way better than I write Portuguese or Spanish and I've studied the latter for years.

Honestly it is heartbreaking for us to know our babies are being teased and we want to protect them at all times, but I think the better thing to do is to teach her to handle it. I don't think there is a painless, chemical free way of dealing with body hair....so the best thing is to just teach her to deal with it until she's older and can deal with the hair.

My daughter was teased because her hair was so long. Then she was teased and called ugly by boys on the bus. Then they teased her because her lunches were yucky (meaning full of nutritious things like fruit). Then she was teased because she wears dresses all the time and they said she dressed fancy to school (our church prefers girls in dresses to encourage girls to be proper young ladies). Oh the list goes on.

I was teased because my hair was straight and my mother did my hair in a 60's kinda look instead of the popular feathered bangs of the 70's...she didn't know how to do that. I was teased because my teeth were crooked and I had an overbite.

Basically I talked to my daughter about all these situations and I taught her how to respond calmly and directly to teasing.

She asked the little boys on the bus if they enjoyed teasing her? And when the one said yes, she told them bluntly and directly that she did NOT like it at all. The one apologized for hurting her feeling and the other just stopped talking to her.

At school she calmly told the kids teasing her about her lunch that her mother loved her a whole bunch and wanted her to be healthy so her mommy took a long time in the morning to make her a good, healthy lunch...and since they didn't have to eat it, they just needed to stop worrying about what she ate.

She told the kids that she didn't tease them about wearing jeans and shorts and looking like they were in their play clothes everyday....and they didn't buy her clothes so they shouldn't say anything.

I've taught her to always be nice and polite...and if a kid just won't stop, then to look at them directly and tell them that she is just not going to listen to a mean person or be friends with a mean person. Then go find someone else to play with.

I explained that she has to act like she doesn't care even if it hurts her and then she can talk to mommy and cry if she needs to, but don't cry in front of other kids. If she's confident then most kids will stop.

She's done very well thus far this year...she even had a little girl make fun of her when she was really excited and told the teacher she was saved and babtized at church and she was so excited to go to heaven one day. The little girl told her she was stupid and there was no Jesus. My daughter just told her you believe what you believe and I believe what I believe and I'm not making fun of you because you don't believe in anything.

At any rate, she's done well. I'm working on my second child who is four and got hysterical when the neighbor stuck her tongue out at her yesterday. She's not quite the wit her sister is and seems to be a little more sensitive, but I'll each her to grow a spine. Can't go through life with your heart on your sleeve or you will always be the victem.

So I would say to teach her to deal with it for now and then you two can take care of it chemically or with lazer later when she's older.

Honestly, I wouldn't do anything especially since nothing has happened. I'm a cosemetologist and if you do anything now you'll ALWAYS have to keep it up. It's NOT worth it. If you start now about "their looks" you're going to give yourself a much bigger problem in the near future with "looks". I completely agree with the other responses when they say teach her to deal with the comments and the meanness. It's hard I know to be teased and all, but it'll make her stronger as a person rather than a high maintenance materialistic girl/teenager/adult. My son watches Little Bill on Noggin and one show was about being teased. And his mom or grandma taught him to use the word "So?" Whenever the kid would say something mean to him he replied back "So?" and laughed it off and the other kid stopped because he wasn't getting a rise out of him. I know it's a tv show, but it's worth a try.

I hope this helps.

I suggest you wait and see if this becomes an issue. Let her come to you with it if it bothers her. If you bring it up first you are automatically telling her that the facial hair is a problem and something to be covered up. If you wait until she comes to you it will provide a good opportunity for you to discuss teasing with her. You can start the conversation you will be having with her for the next several years: how to be yourself and not bend to others opinions of you, how to handle teasing in school, how to accept parts of yourself that you find less than ideal. In that context, if you decide to bleach the hair then you will have shown yourself to be her ally and totally accepting of who she is (well, at least in theory!). Good luck!

I agree with Courtney - leave it alone! As soon as you start to shave it it will grow and grow, more and more!
I would talk to pediatrician first of all.
Goodluck!

An Italian mom here and I have had this problem. I swear by Jolen cream bleach for face. Just make sure you put moisturizer on upper lip before and after and don't use too much powder to reduce burning sensation.

Lots of kids have little lip hair at this age. Especially darker complected ethnicities. I wouldn't worry about it. Chemicals at this age are too risky, especially with her fragile young skin. Leave it and see if it is a problem, I bet it won't be. If she has any Latin, Black,Arabian,Italian classmates she will not be the only one!

I think your safest bet is to teach her how to handle the "mean-ness" of other kids. It's not easy but it can be effective on many levels. It will empower her as she grows up to respond to negative comments about her appearance from an intelligent & witty place instead of "fixing" herself to please others. I can't imagine you want to wax, or thread, or bleach her tiny lip hairs...

I was watching one of those child beauty pageant shows and they used a small razor blade/trimmer thing to shape the little girl's eyebrows (not saying I think that's a good idea, just that it might work for this). Maybe you could talk to a derm about a bleach that would be safe to use.

I understand your desire to protect her from teasing, it's kind of tough to know how to deal with it, or if it's better to leave it alone. Hope you find a solution.

If you must I would suggest those little personal shavers that are electric. They are no bigger than a pencil and have no risk of cuts. They work really well.

I agree to wait and see. Nobody bothered me about my "stache" until I was in High School. By that point, I had noticed my mom bleaching and I was able to ask her for help.

Hi mom listen if it do not bother you or her at this time I think you should let that be.For one thing once you start that she will have to do that the rest of her life and something like that should not be a part of a childs life. Yes kids are mean but somethings we have to deal with until the child becomes an adult then she will decide what she want to do, it might not be a problem to her like some woman remove the hair on their legs me myself I don't I think its sexy. Good Luck

Wow...My daughter had the exact issue when she started Kindergarten. She actually is South American & was adopted from Paraguay.

Kids did ask her why she had a mustache this really did bother her. I immediately started bleaching it (I used Joleen) This really solved our problem.
I continued to bleach it for her until she was old enough for Laser Hair removal. You need to have had your period for at least 1 yr. before reputable people will try laser.
She is now 16 & no mustache!!
Good luck... Initially kids in Kindergarten were just curious ... but it did get embarassing for my daughter & she became very self concious ... The bleach I thought was a great solution. !!!! J.