Teens shaving their arms?

[ducklite]

You pick your battles, and this one's pretty harmless, although I agree with several others that waxing might be preferable.

Anne

 

[aprilgail2]

I.She shaves her legs and arms every morning

Wow...poor kid!!! As a teenager I was lucky to be able to wake up shower and make the bus in time, couldn't imagine trying to fit shaving in there too!! Even as a kid I only had to shave once every 2 weeks or so and now if I have any hair to shave at all its once a month or more....after I had my daughter the hair growth really slowed down to almost nothing thank goodness!

 

[NMAmy]

DD started shaving her arms when she was at her dad's house so I was a little surprised when I noticed. I asked why and she said that other girls were doing it and her arms were too hairy.

I didn't make a big deal out of it. Heck, I shave my legs every day. I figure when she gets tired of doing it, she'll just let it grow back.

It's not like it is permanent like a tattoo or something. I remember doing some pretty odd things as a teenager and I don't continue to do them as an adult. It's an argument I prefer not to have--it's silly in my opinion but, whatever. She's outgrown a lot of silly things so far.

 

[Virgo10]

Just doesn't sit right with me.

Maybe we should all just go get a full body wax.

That would be fun.

 

[CheshireVal]

I used to be *really* self-conscious about my arm hair when I was in high school. I'm not even Italian or Mediterranean or anything, but for some reason it seemed thicker and darker than other girls. I had one guy in one of my classes actually comment on it. It was making me so miserable that I went to the doctor for it to get my hormones tested, thinking I was half-boy or something. He thought it was *really* strange that I was there for such a trivial thing!

Of course, everything turned out normal--I started bleaching it, which kind of made it disappear. I still do it occasionally, but now I'm a bit more objective about it and can see that really my arms aren't very hairy at all. Nothing abnormal, anyway! I'm no longer self-conscious about it, but teens can be cruel.

If I had a daughter facing the same issue, you can bet I'd let her shave her arms. A small inconvenience, but it can save self-esteem.

 

[Buckalew11]

I'd probably choose Nair or something over shaving. I suppose it would be harmless but just one more thing to do and we sure are vain, aren't we? LOL
I see a lot of the kids at the college shave their arms--esp. boys!!!

 

[stinkerbelle]

I guess if the girl is really self conscience about it...why not. I mean, no harm no foul. Yeah, it might grow in kinda 'prickly'...but if she's willing to maintain it...to each their own.

I've never had my eyebrows waxed...just cause I can't deal with maintenance.
ah well..every other season I'm "in" with "natural brows" hehehe

 

[A4Disney]

I love this thought! Now....how to express this to my 13year old in terms she can understand....any ideas?

Basically she won't listen to anything I say, just keeps repeating "PLEASE" amid tears, apparently she can't go one more day of her life with hair on her arms.(But she's going to! We said no!)

What about using Jolen creme bleach?It's perfectly safe for arm hair....

 

[funhouse8]

Wow, I have never heard of this, my DD is 16 and very hairry. with all the activities & such she has a hard enough time keeping up with her facial hair. Where do you live, I hope my DD doesn't decide to so this I think it will be too hard to keep up.

 

[issa]

I shaved my arms ...ekk ..16 yers ago when I was 14.

I didnt ask - I saw them..I didnt "like " the way they looked with hair...I shaved them . End of story.

Arm hair must REALLY grow slow..as I have never had to do it again and my arms have always remained virtually hairless/smooth since that first shave.

I like it still 16 years later and see no reason to "keep" arm hair.

Its ok to shave so many other part of the body....but the arm is the line in the sand? I dont get it. lol

 

[caitycaity]

it's nota new thing - we all did this when i was a teenager too.

 

[robinb]

I voted 'no'. Then again, I don't share my legs, or anything else for that matter. I think that it's pretty silly what we women and girls do for 'fashion'

 

[cruisnfamily]

Wow, I have never heard of this, my DD is 16 and very hairry. with all the activities & such she has a hard enough time keeping up with her facial hair. Where do you live, I hope my DD doesn't decide to so this I think it will be too hard to keep up.

We live in FL.

What about using Jolen creme bleach?It's perfectly safe for arm hair..

I suggested bleaching....she's not happy with that compromise. She wants the hair GONE.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I'm starting to think that this is a really big thing where you live. You mention FL. where it is usually warm, and I am sure that lots of skin is showing. Hairy arms may actually be a real issue????

I had started to say No Way....

But, if it is actually that big of a deal... and not just, "I have to do it because SuzieQ does it..." Then I would probably let her give it a try.

The whole "because SuzieQ is doing it..." would never ever fly with me!! LOL!!!

I am wondering if there are any other underlying things going on with the hair removal??? I mean, it seems like there is big thing about going 'brazilian', or whatever it is called. And, I feel that this is definately wrong. I think there are some very questionable connotations involved.

Is it a big deal for all the female Pop stars to be completely hairless. I would never have even considered shaving my arms before, but recently it seems like I can remember seeing some sleek glossy promo images of a few stars, where it almost seemed like they were not even real, because they were so sleek. Like that is part of some kind of idealistic image. What a bunch of crap to load upon our teens!

 

[Sandcass]

I can NOT even believe I found this thread. I'm not kidding, my 11 year old DD just admitted to me that she shaves her arms NOT EVEN 1/2 hour ago.

TOO WEIRD.

And, am I a terrible mom for having not noticed her bald arms, or what?
(don't worry, I joined the bad parents club weeks ago!)

 

[mbw12]

I see no problem with it....and I personally think it isn't really a "new" trend. I know of lots of people that do it or have done it....from bodybuilders to models, etc.

 

[allie&mattsmom]

Hmmm...never heard of it around here but again I don't have a teenager yet. I would be afraid it would grow in stubbly and grow faster & what a pain to have to keep shaving them! For me, it's bad enough to have to shave my legs everyday, why throw something else in there. I'd prefer waxing to shaving. In HS I had a friend who was Italian and had lots of dark hair on her arms and she used to bleach it, but that was before waxing was big I believe. I remember once, also in HS, a friend and I were too lazy to pluck our eyebrows (in between our eyes) and decided to use a razor instead. OMG, the hair there kept growing back stubbly, I swear it took years and years to get the hair to grow back normally.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I see no problem with it....and I personally think it isn't really a "new" trend. I know of lots of people that do it or have done it....from bodybuilders to models, etc.

from bodybuilders to models....that's different than your average everyday 7th grader though.

 

[mbw12]

from bodybuilders to models....that's different than your average everyday 7th grader though.

Ok, you got me...that is true. I guess I should have expanded more...I just meant that this was not a "new" trend at all. It has been done for years....yes, maybe not in 7th grade....but definitely in high school and older.
Sorry for the confusion.

 

[HunnyPots]

My DD is 18 and has done this since about 14, although I didn't know till about two years ago. Did I care? Nope, not one bit. Its way too high-maintenence for me personally but if she wants to do it I don't see the big deal. When my grandmother was young in the 1920's, shaving legs was something that was only done by the "bad girls"!