“There is no right or certain age to start shaving,” said Rashell Orey, a licensed master social worker at Banner Health. “Some may be eager to start very early, while for others, this could be a scary thought. It's a conversation that you'll need to discuss with them.”
Hormonal basis
It is normal for production of these hormones to increase (something we call adrenarche) and for pubic hair to appear after age 8 in girls or 9 in boys. The reason why this increase occurs earlier in some children is not known.
You can shave it. Just be sure to use shaving cream and a sharp razor. The good news about shaving is that it doesn't actually make hair thicker or darker, it just looks that way. If you want to avoid the stubbly look you can get from shaving, you can use depilatories or wax.
Dr Desale suggests: “The correct age to start hair removal for boys is 12 years and above and for girls 11 to 14 years (when puberty is achieved).”
There's no set time for girls to begin shaving. You can start shaving when you feel you have enough hair growth on your legs and/or armpits to shave it off.
Most girls will begin to start showing an interest in shaving their legs when they hit puberty. These days, puberty can start as young as eight or nine, but for most girls, it begins any time between the age of 10 and 14.
“There is no right or certain age to start shaving,” said Rashell Orey, a licensed master social worker at Banner Health. “Some may be eager to start very early, while for others, this could be a scary thought. It's a conversation that you'll need to discuss with them.”
If a girl has no signs of puberty by age 13 years (that is, no breasts and no pubic hair), she needs to be evaluated by her physician and possibly referred to an endocrinologist.
You can start waxing at any age you like as long as you feel comfortable and are old enough to understand the process. If you've got a daughter who wants to start shaving it can be useful to consider waxing as an alternative because the results last much longer than using a razor and other forms of depilation.
Many tweens and teens want to shave, and there are no health reasons for them to wait. It's reasonable to allow them to shave when they think they're ready to do so. On the other hand, some tweens and teens will not be interested in shaving at all, and that is fine.
Premature pubarche, or the development of pubic hair before the age of 8 in girls or 9 in boys, is most commonly caused by premature adrenarche. Adrenarche is the maturation of the adrenal zona reticularis in both boys and girls, resulting in the development of pubic hair, axillary hair, and adult apocrine body odor.
It's safe to use for all skin types and may even be used by pregnant women, provided you follow the Precautions and Directions for Use on the pamphlet. It is advisable, however, that teenagers under 16 years use Veet cream with adult supervision the first time they use it.
Pubic hair – Once her pubic hair starts growing, you can expect her period to develop in one to two years.
Some teens don't do anything with their pubic hair, leaving it to grow naturally. Some girls remove hair when they'll be wearing a bathing suit, and some remove hair regularly as part of their beauty routine. No health benefits are linked to removing pubic hair, so choose what feels right for you.
But it's perfectly normal for puberty to begin at any point between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys. There's not usually any need to worry if puberty does not start around the average age, but it's a good idea to speak to your GP for advice if it starts before 8 or has not started by around 14.
Pubic hair is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about since it serves multiple purposes. Right from providing a cushion against friction that can cause skin abrasion and injury to protection from bacteria and unwanted pathogens.
Most often, it's simply a pattern of growth and development in a family. A guy or girl may find that his or her parent, uncle, aunt, brothers, sisters, or cousins developed later than usual, too. This is called constitutional delay (or being a late bloomer), and it usually doesn't need treatment.
You can shave it. Just be sure to use shaving cream and a sharp razor. The good news about shaving is that it doesn't actually make hair thicker or darker, it just looks that way. If you want to avoid the stubbly look you can get from shaving, you can use depilatories or wax.
No — shaving hair doesn't change its thickness, color or rate of growth. Shaving facial or body hair gives the hair a blunt tip. The tip might feel coarse or "stubbly" for a time as it grows out. During this phase, the hair might be more noticeable and perhaps appear darker or thicker.
For females, the most common areas to depilate are underarms, legs, pubic area, eyebrows and face. For males, the most common areas are the face, abdomen, back, chest, groin and legs. Shaving is the most common way to depilate the underarms, legs and pubic area.
In most cases, yes. Some toddlers have fine, downy hair on the arms, legs, back, or even face. The reason for it is most likely genetics — if you or your child's other parent had a lot of body hair as a toddler (or someone in either of your families did), your toddler simply "inherited" the body hair.
Society grew the idea that women should shave their hair to be 'feminine' and 'dignified' and of course not to be shamed. Later, in the early 20th century, the idea became more common among middle and upper class white American women that shaving was an indicator of femininity.