Do You Think It's OK For My 8 Year Old To Shave?

My daughter is 8 and she just asked me over the summer if she could shave her legs and I said absolutely not! She has hairy legs, but they are still light in color. I told her then they get thicker and dark, then I will help her shave them. Right now it being winter here, I would wait until at least summer. You have to remember, once she starts shaving, it is for the rest of her life and I know I hate to shave my legs!! I would definitely help her so she doesn't get cut, or go with an electric razor. They also make something now that you can just rub on your leg and it is suppose to take the hair off. I don't know what it is called, but saw it at a Womans expo.

the safety of the little kid is in your hands.. if you know that shaving is harmful to that little kid, why dont you let her be? Afterall it is natural and there is nothing one can do to stop it from growing more. note that the more you shave it the more it grows and the ticker. so, if you have applies all precautions and nothing is working out let her be for her safety...

I agree with LadyMarissa, a talk with her doctor is best and "The Talk" with her is also in order if you haven't already done so. I remember how embarrassing it was to deal with hairy legs when I was 12. I tried to shave them myself with my dad's safety razor... I'm not sure what was worse, having hairy legs or legs covered in bandaids. This was back in the 70's. I had few choices, safety razor or mom's stinky depilatory cream that was so strong it could strip paint. Today there are many choices and products to use. Help your daughter find what works best and teach her how to safely use whatever the two of you decide on. Involving her in the decision process and teaching her how to safely maintain her beauty choices will make her more confident and comfortable with her body. Maybe even a trip to a full service beauty salon/spa to learn about some of the options available. This will make your daughter feel special and help her make the transition from little girl to young lady an enjoyable experience.

its good to hear you worry so much about your daughter. I am one of the lucky ones, i never have had to shave my legs at all. so i feel really sorry for your girl. girls can be so cruel about each others looks when they are at school. i had to wear glasses at age 8 so got called 'four eyes' plus i was really bad at running and sports, so got tormented for that. i have read all the discussions and after first of all reading yours, i straight away thought of hormone imbalance. but you can only check that by taking her to your doctor. but a very dear friend of mine, who i have known since we were in our 20's, was very hairy,- arms legs, and even on her face. she ended up using electrolisys. ( Which i know i have spelt wrong!!!!!) which is extreme for an 8 year old, but my friend was upset for years. so , i think , by perhaps tackling it now, you may prevent your daughter having any hangups or problems in future years. So use a cream that she is not allergic too, or let her use a ladies razor. they are perfectly safe i have used one for years for my underarms. and yes they do not grow back thicker or thicker, othrwise they would be down to my kneecaps!!! good luck !!

Well I think if my 9yr old had exceptionally hairy legs and was feeling embarrassed by it. Then I would shave them for her until she were maybe eleven or twelve and able to be more careful with a razor. Gillette Scensor Excell is the most sensitive that I've found. I wouldn't want to put those chemicals on myself let alone my child.

Hi Rockgroupie, I think it is not accepatable to shave.please don't let her to embrass.however this is not a cse sensitive.all moms think in your way. thanks Regards, jagan009

Yes of course it is, kids can be cruel at the best times, and if you can avoid that by shaving your daughters legs then go for it...Its obviously enough to concern yourself by trying the hair removal cream...

If you are going to let your daughter shave, buy her an electric one so she can't cut herself! I started shaving at about 10 I think, but my parents didn't know about it. There's too much peer pressure to be perfect these days, and I think she's a little too young to be having to deal with all that right now. I really don't know the answer to this question, to be honest, but I think if I had an 8 year old daughter with hairy legs, I'd talk to her about it. Have you ever thought of buying her an epilator? It pulls hairs out from the root and takes about 2/3 weeks to grow back and it's lighter and thinner. Maybe this is a better option. Is does hurt though, and my legs have an itchy red rash after for about 24 hours, but then it goes. Shaving will make her prickly and might make her itch anyway!