My daughter wants to do something about the hair on her arms

[lynn]

I don't think it's bad.  It's not dark or that much but it bothers her.  I told her in no uncertain terms NOT to shave her arms while I research a good solution giving time for her to forget about her hairy arms kwim.  Solutions or advice?  She's 13 so I hope it's a brief phase but if not I want to be ready to deal with this.

[Arcadia]

I used hair removal cream as a teen. My arms had uneven hair growth and after using hair removal cream a few times, the hair was even. My schoolmates were using hair removal cream on their legs at that age. My DS13 is sensitive about body hair so he wears collared long sleeve tops and long pants even in summer.

[forty-two]

Mine *is* bad - dark and thick and long.  It was embarrassing in high school - I wore long sleeves in TX - and it was such a relief when I shaved it off senior year, in prep for laser treatments.  Anyway, I've done a ton of stuff, but my rec for easy, unobtrusive, and unlikely to make things worse is to use a hair trimmer.  I use mine on the quarter inch setting.  It's quick, but it makes a huge difference, trimming down to 1/4 in - makes my arm hair very unobtrusive.  But unlike with shaving (going from nothing to stubble in days), it's a gradual regrowth with slow, subtle changes from week to week.   I retrim whenever it bugs me (every couple of months, usually).

I actually just trim my leg hair now, instead of shave it - gets it unobtrusive enough and eliminates the daily maintenance.  And when dd12 wanted to do something about her light-but-getting-noticeable leg hair, I had her trim it the first few times; made a big difference.

[WendyLady]

I have very pale skin, and very dark lush arm hair! I have used a scary little machine  (epilator) to yank out my arm hair for a few years. I try to do it every Tuesday. I feel like it makes my arms smoother than shaving and less messy than waxing. It is not painless, but it is manageable ... and the more I have done it, the less it hurts. If I ignore my arms for a month and then use it, it’s a killer!

here’s a link to what first popped up on amazon. I have the same style epilator but not all the extras, and it cost closer to $40. I’ve had it 5 or 6 years and have used it a few times a month that entire time - it’s still going strong! 

https://www.amazon.com/Braun-Silk-épil-Epilator-Electric-Removal/dp/B00TI5ZMZQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?keywords=hair+remover&qid=1554164420&s=gateway&sr=8-11

[Katy]

I second the epilator.  I use it even on my legs when I'm not pregnant.  Make sure she knows it will be incredibly painful the first time, then each time she uses it it will hurt less unless she stops for more than 3 months at a time, giving the hair roots time to thicken again.  It still hurts less than hot wax and is much easier to clean up, plus she can use it as often as she wants.

[aaplank]

I've used wax strips. It works very well and lasts a long time. I've also shaved them and surprisingly it grows back soft and fine. The stubble only lasts a day or two. 

[Calm37]

It's so easy and quick to soap arms up and shave them in the shower. Twice a week should be fine. She can let it grow back if she gets tired of doing it.

 

[PeterPan]

Why not shave??? I shaved my arms when I was in junior high. It was really a nothing. I have dark hair, so my arms were quite dark. It didn't have some negative effect like making them worse, and it costs nothing, is non-toxic. It's really just not a big deal. I don't remember when I stopped, but as I aged the hair got less noticeable. Maybe my arm hair is lightening as my hair lightens? Also, it sorta comes to my memory that the hair seemed lighter in the summer with so much sunlight.

But yeah, just let her shave them if she wants to.

[J-rap]

I've always had fairly hairy arms but my hair is blonde.  It bugged me a little when I was younger, but blonde hair is really so hard to see.  Eventually  I just got over it.  A friend of mine has very dark hair against pale skin.  She does some kind of laser hair removal which takes many sessions for something like your arms, but is supposed to be permanent.  My friend can almost always find a Groupon coupon for it.  She said the results have been very good.

[MercyA]

I shaved my arms when I was a young teenager. Eventually I just got tired of doing it and decided to let it grow back during the winter when I wore long sleeves all the time. 🙂 It was fine. The hair doesn't grow back any thicker.

If it bothers her, I'd let her shave. Quick, cheap, easy. It's really no different than shaving underarms or legs. 

[tammyw]

My are light but can get long. I use the “trimmer” on my husband’s electric razor. That makes the hair super short and I only have to do it once a month or less. Much less annoying than shaving regularly, for me.

[ashfern]

My sister has very pale skin and dark hair. She gets her arms waxed when she gets her legs done. For your daughter, I would just suggest she shave.