They also do threading at Ulta in Arlington. I have not ever had it done myself, but I have seen it done there and it was very interesting. When I got home I tried to do it (it looks very simple) but it must be harder to do than it looks. Because I didn't have any luck.
I would ask her what she wants to do first before making a choice. Im happy my mom helped me shave. it made the trasition into my teen years a lot easier.
I had one of those epiladys back in high school and it hurts but you get used to it and there is no blood like when you shave and cut yourself. Also you don't have to do it all the time like shaving.
Now I wax and have been for about 8-10 years,it is better than anything because you only have to do it once a month or so and it is quicker than the 2 other options above.
The only drawback is you have to let your hair grow out for the next service time which might be embarrassing for a tween/teen.
So the epilady if she wants to maintain it and waxing if she can wait for the hair to grow out in between services.
And the hair grows back thinner and lighter over time not darker.
Waxing for the lip. Shaving for the legs.
Waxing full legs for a girl her age - too painful, too much expense. Shaving is something she can do on her own inexpensively.
Yes, hair on legs might comeback a little thicker on a leg that has never been shaved. Just be sure she knows that once she starts shaving her legs, she needs to be prepared to continue shaving on a regular basis (weekly, bi-weekly or daily depending on how fast her hair grows).
She is growing up. :-)
hi cynthia i havea 14 yr. old daughter and we went with the hair removal cream veet and had great success! it was painless and the hair doesnt grow as fast or as thick. now the muctache i would try bleach because thats one area you dont want to get thicker.
I haven't read all of the comments, but I agree with some of the ones I've read. Ask for her preference. However, if you are concerned about her using a razor, you might consider the Veet Rasera Bladeless Kit. It comes with hair removal gel and a plastic hair removal tool that is shaped like a razor. I've used this product and I really like it because it isn't painful like waxing and I do not have to worry about cuts (which is especially helpful when I am getting a pedicure).
When I started shaving my legs, within a year or 2 I developed some sores at the top of my thighs because I was getting infections when I was shaving. I only got little nicks every so often, and didn't think anything of it, till the sores came (I think the sores were associated with the lymph nodes in the legs) Anyway, it took a LONG time to clear up and wasn't any fun - especially the trip to the doctor. If you do have her shave, I'd go electric, rather than using a regular blade razor - it could save on embarrassment and doctor bills in the future.
Speaking from my own experience, when I was in Jr. School I believe I started to shave my lower legs. My Mother wouldn't let me shave anything else, it had to be waxed. I started waxing my upper legs my freshman year in high school...I have still to this day never shaved my bikini area or upper leg area. I have hardly any hair on my upper legs and yes it is very soft and light in color. As for her lip, definitely get it waxed, plucking will be a nightmare and painful.
Cynthia,
My mom didn't let me start shaving until I was 13 and she started me off with an electric razor which I thought was such a great idea that it's what I did for my daughter. The only exception is I let her start shaving at almost 12 because the hair on her legs was pretty noticeable. As for her lip, she doesn't have a problem with that but if you are able to notice it on your daughter then chances are kids will, too. I wouldn't pluck those hairs because as you know it kind of hurts. I would buy some Nair or something like it and do it that way. Make sure she knows she can only use that in your presence. As for the waxing thing, I don't know but I was always told it was a myth. I know the hair takes a lot longer to grow back in but I don't think it effects the thickness or color. But, I could be wrong. Best of luck!
Mandy
I empathize with both you and your daughter. You didn't say if the leg and facial hair is dark, but regardless, if it's bothering her, you should let her shave it off. Waxing is painful for such a young child. I had very hairy legs, and began shaving at age 11. My daughters also had more than normal leg hair, and they started shaving at age 9. My facial hair, and that of my daughters became a problem just after finishing high school. We all have had electrolysis done. It's been an on-going problem, but we've laughed about it and haven't let it make us feel less feminine. In the old days, hair on a woman was considered sexy. But then an extra 40 or 50 pounds was, too. LOL!
I used Nair when I started shaving, and it worked fine. I couldn't cut myself because it is bladeless and painless.
If the lip is really bothering her, and you agree, I think waxing would be much better than plucking. . .or maybe even just try the bleach you can get at Wal Mart ~ talk to someone who has tried it first, though because you want to see how it works or if it has weird effects before you use it on your daughter.
Just one note about waxing her lip. Some people (and I'm one of them) get horrible breakouts on their lips from waxing. This can be much worse if you wax close to your period (yeah hormones.) I've found a great home remedy for bleaching and have used it for years.
Mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into a paste and pack it on over the hairs. As it starts to dry out use a Q-tip to add more peroxide. Continue this for about 10 minutes and your daughter will have much lighter hair.
Hi Cynthia,
I am sorry that I did not see this post earlier. It sounds like you have already made a choice about what to do, but I feel compelled to share my story with you:
I strongly recommend that you reconsider using the veet. I believe that it is related to Nair which I used at about your daughter's age just once on my belly and the hair grew back MUCH thicker and darker and I had a friend in middle school who had the same experience with it and sadly for her she had used it on her mustache.
I agree with the posts I read that recommended waxing for the lip and shaving for the legs. Shaving is tried and true. If you are worried about the risk of cuts I recommend the Venus triple blade razor which I have NEVER cut myself with (whenever I have to use a different razor for some reason I inevitably nick myself because I have become used to being very carefree when shaving with my venus).
Also, if she is going to try waxing and you want to minimize the risk of a breakout I highly recommend you try sugar waxing. It is much gentler because 1. The wax is body temperature, not hot and 2. The hair is pulled out in the direction of growth rather than against it like with conventional waxing. As far as I know there is only one professional sugar waxing service offered in Portland:
Jami Winston's Treatment in the Pearl. She's great.
Good luck! I really feel for your daughter, it's hard to be a woman with hair in our society. It's been the thing I'm most self-conscious about all of my post-pubescent life. I am finally realizing that how I feel about it truly what makes the biggest difference with how other people feel about it.
warmest wishes,
Liselle
Sorry I didn't see your question sooner, but... when I was in the 6th grade, the hairs on my legs were so noticable that the kids teased me in gym class. My suggestion is that if the hairs on her legs are dark and noticable, then it's time for her to start shaving. Just like the menustral cycle.. you can't just put a date on it.
Just for reference, after the kids starting making fun of me... I went home and shaved... without parental permission, so be thankful that she's asking for your advise... I never had any...
Good Luck
Jennifer
My daughter just started to shave. I bought her an electoc razor (less cuts and such) as far as the waxing...I'm not sure
Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I want to say one thing about the Veet--test first! I tried using it a few months ago and it burned all the skin off my hands and my legs had big burns on them by the time I was able to get it all off (it was very thick and didn't just come off with water).
Good luck!
I am sorry to respond late, but I just read your question.
I have an 11 year old daughter who is in 6th grade. All her friends shaved in the 5th grade and I told her that we would do it in 6th grade. Well, we started in Aug. and her hair grows back short and smooth. It is not growing back thicker or darker(she is blonde though).
My daughter had coed pe sometimes and was glad to noy have hairy legs .
Good luck!
I was also a child with dark hair on my legs, body, face. I started shaving at 11 years old when the teasing became too much. I have extremely sensitive skin and I've tried just about everything out there - self-help and professional. Here are my recommendations:
1) If you can afford it, take your daughter to a very experienced and reputable laser hair removal technician for both the face and legs. (I'm happy to give a recommendation if anyone needs one.) No razor burn or bumps. Skin reaction is usually gone within 2-24 hours. Legs can often be finished and hairless forever within 6-8 treatments. I wished I'd had this available when I was young. It would have saved decades of insecurity and pain.
2) If you can't afford laser hair removal, I'd say bleach the facial hair. Sally Hansen has a good one. If the hair is minimal, this is much gentler than hair removal and works quite well.
3) For the legs, I'd recommend professional waxing first. (Have some good recommendations for this, too.) Painful for a while, but gets easier and less painful over time. Also, the hair does diminish and become thinner.
4) If professional waxing is also too expensive, I think that starting your daughter off with a good electric razor is easy and the least painful and least likely to cause a skin reaction.
5) For any kind of razor burn/bumps, I recommend: Tend Skin. It's the only thing I've ever found that helps.
6) Although some people can use hair removal foams like Neet, Nair, etc. those caused MAJOR skin rashes, burns, bumps and pain, no matter which brand I used.
Good luck!
I just joined this group and thought I'd share my experience. I have 3 daughters, 22, 18 and 15. I let them start shaving at 13. We use shaving gel and disposable razors, they work great. My 18yodd is dark haired and her hair is the same after she shaved as before. They use the gel under their arms too and it works great. Their skin is smooth, no outbreaks and no bumps.
The only thing we wax is eyebrows. We don't have issues with lip hair yet. Oh, also for some odd reason, my 18yodd shaves her arms, her actual arms. She said it was because she has dark hair & didn't like it. I think it's odd, feel the hair needs to be there, LOL, but her hair has not thickened or darkened since she started doing that.
I can not afford laser or waxing of more than eyebrows, so I use the gels with great success. Have fun entering this part of your daughters growing up, the adventure just gets more exciting.
Hi Cynthia,
I just joined and noticed your question. I also saw where you and your daughter deceided on what you might do. I still felt I should share with you what my daughter (now 11) have done. Her and her sister have very dark hair and LOTS of it. They both have been picked on really badly. Some of these people were other adults that made very rude comments to them. Which would make them some times cry. After a really hard decision for me I let my oldest start shaving (lower legs only) when she started 5th grade. We tried all sorts of razors (none of them were electric) and the veet. Her or myself have success with the veet. It really was a huge waste of money. The razor she likes the best if the intuition (i'm sure i spelled that wrong). She just loves it because it's easy to use and she doesn't even have to use shaving cream. I've even tried her razor when we went out of town and realized I forgot to pack my own. I liked it so much that when I have to buy replacement heads for my current razor I plan on buying one like hers. I really do understand that this is a big decision and I wish you and your daughter the best of luck with whatever you may choose! I'm now having to make the choice to let my almost 9 yr. old shave as her legs are really bad and kids are making comments about it. I know she has asked me but until she's ready to do it herself I'm not going to let her do it. Again, I wish y'all the best with this difficult decision.