Sometime right after the talk about the first bra is the talk about shaving. I’m sure as parents we know it is all downhill from here. What more don’t we want to talk about that we know in the end we will have to? Bras, shaving…the topic of puberty just keeps on expanding.

When it comes to shaving we wonder, how did it come to this? Why do women shave at all? Is it necessary? If we want to look for answers or someone to blame anyway, blame it on Harper’s Bazaar. In 1915 a business ad read “Summer Dress and Modern Dancing combine to make necessary the removal of objectionable hair.”

Objectionable hair for whom? Now, nearly a hundred years later, your daughter finds her leg hair objectionable. How did she notice it? You haven’t even noticed it yet, but here you are listening to her tale of woe. Someone in gym class has pointed out to your daughter that she has leg hair. If you are lucky, leg hair is the least of your worries and she isn’t crying because she is now self-conscious.

Once you both get over the shock it is time to discuss methods. The most common is shaving but it becomes a regular task. If she decides this is the route the basic things to remember to tell her are:

- Always use a sharp razor
- Shave in warm water (shower or bath)
- Use soap or shaving cream to keep legs soft
- Rinse blade often during shaving to unclog blades

Another option is hair removal creams. Many are safe but it is recommended to test to make sure your daughter does not have a reaction to the cream on her gentle skin. Test an area that can’t be seen following the directions on the package. Wait a day or two to make sure there isn’t a delayed skin reaction to the cream from any of the ingredients. Using creams is done less often than shaving.

Waxing is quite popular and if you were able to talk your daughter into this method she’ll find she’ll only have to do it once a month and rumor has it that over time less and less hair grows back. It is unfortunate that no one has taken the time to test this theory but I’m sure getting a volunteer to shave one leg and wax the other is a problem.

New things come out on the market every day. There is a product out right now that exfoliates the skin while you rub the rough applicator in a circular motion over the legs, pulling out the hair.

Is she old enough? If she is in middle school and either she or others have noticed and it bothers her then I’d say she is old enough. Talk with her about her options and be supportive in what she decides to do.