10 Year Old - Puberty

[phleb]

Growing underarm hair, what do i do to make her comfortable with it? I want to remove it as its so long and dark and very very obvious, but i don't know the best method to use without damaging her skin in the long term. What would you do? Also is hair removal cream a good idea for the face? thanks

[hc4361]

Don't use hair removal cream on her face, it is far too strong for such young skin.

[ummmm]

I'd let her shave her underarm hair and use moisturiser...

[phleb]

Oh no i won't use that on her face, i was just curious as i normally use wax for my upper lip, and wondered whether hair removal cream would be safe to use instead? that was a question for me. x

[hc4361]

That's a relief, phleb. My wife buys hair removal cream for the face and has no problems with it

[Retrochic]

I would buy her some hair remover cream for sensitive skin. You can buy stuff you just leave on for a couple of minutes then shower it off, I have extremely sensitive skin and prone to allergic dermatitis but this sort of cream is OK for me.

[Brinjal]

Aww little lamb. It can be very difficult for young ones. I would shave under arms and get some advice from dr for face. It can be very embarrassing for girls especially with facial hair. She is young but facial hair can be a symptom of poly cystic ovary syndrome so will just have to keep a watch on that.

[cassa333]

My 11yr old Has pubic hair and has size 30a boobs.

We went to JohnLewis to get her a bra today (she has just cotton tank top sort of thing at the mement)and she was so embarrassed she cried for ten minutes.

She was more upset that nanna and auntie could see us putting them back and cried even harder.

It is so hard to make her understand that we have all been through it. I just stood and had a cuddle for ten minutes.

[lcg]

for underarm hair, it is important to soak in the tub for 2-3 mins to soften the skin and then use baby oil rubbed into the armpits to lubricate and soften further (this avoids the chicken skin look!). then shave with a men's razor - one of the ones with 3-4 blades with a guard over to avoid cutting and rinse off with soap to get rid of residue.

female razors are more expensive and a rip-off! afterwards, use a roll on or stick deoderant as there are much kinder to the skin than aerosols - these have alcohol in which are too tough for underarm areas. remember she will have to let it dry (or use a warm hairdryer to speed this up - i do in the morning!) before putting on clothing and use only a little as odour will be minimal at this age.

it is important to supervise early attempts at this to keep them safe and support is crucial to help her develop confidence in dealing with mature issues - this goes for when she starts using make up, choosing clothes and being 'girly'. my mum never did this with me and it left me feeling inadequate and doing things wrong for years.....if she had, maybe i would feel better about my self-image. ask her if she has questions and encourage her to talk about this as a normal process of development, and she will turn into a confident young woman......i wish bith you and her all the best! x

[phleb]

Thank you everyone for your valuable advice. I am trying to be a good mum, and which my daughter can come to with any questions and i have the right advice for her. She would cringe or never speak to me again if she knew i have discussed her on here. She has underarm hair and body odour. She showers and uses deodorant. Her body odour is awful, like stale onions (lol) i tell her its fine and all she need to do is keep on showering and keeping fresh. She is upset that she cannot wear sleeveless tops due to the hair, so i thought i would help her sort this issue the best way possible.

Sorry to confuse some of you with the facial hair questions, that one was for me personally. My 10 year old baby has no hair on her face.
xx

[B00]

Sad time for us mums innit phleb when they develop physical signs of growing up?

Mini Boo is now 10 n half and I've been shaving her legs for her for about a year now as she really wasn't happy with how hairy they were getting, and she's also having to start using deodorant too.

So far we've not hit the underarm hair problem yet, but I can't imagine it'll be for long.

[Eve]

Oh bless her. It can also be difficult, especially if PE is anything like it used to be with showering when I was at school, where it is more obvious to others who has hair or not or removed it and can be embarrassing and girls can be cruel.

I'd let her shave it, with help at first if she wants it.

If she is feeling self conscious about the body odour during the day then, as well as a roll on, she could get a nice fruity spray, they do them in Primark and Superdrug/Boots, Body Shop etc... which is a bit nicer than using something more chemical like an aerosol antiperspirant or more perfume like such as Impulse.

Creams can be difficult. My skin is quite fragile and I have stayed away from them after a few unpleasant incidents (especially on the face) and one literally took a chunk out of my leg once.

[phleb]

Boo, it is tough at this stage for us dealing with little ladies with puberty issues....she has such mood swings, but hasn't started her period yet. I didnt want to decide on hair removing methods that will be high maintenance for her etc so i though if i ask on here, i'm sure some of you would have been through this.

Thank you all for your help. x