Early Pubic and Underarm Hair

I would have let her shave the minute she got pit hair. Shaving isn't going to change who she is but being teased will.

We have very good friend and she also had this happen. The mom would shave her under arms and the little girl learned how to wear deodorant.

They treated it as though it was just like learning anything else on her body.

They never made it a big deal.

If it's embarrassing to her, I think you should shave it. You'll probably have to do it for her until she's older. Get her some deodorant and teach her to wash herself properly in the shower.

I think your daughter's feelings trump yours on this one. If it embarrasses her (as I imagine it would) by all means help her deal with it. It isn't sex, it's just body hair :(

she needs to shave, it embarases her so she needs to have it done

I have an eight-year-old daughter and she wears a lot of sleeveless shirts. If she had under arm hair, I would help her shave it. I wouldn't want her walking around embarrassed. I know having your eight-year-old shave is probably nerve-racking, but this is the hand she was dealt, teach her to deal with it! No big deal, Momma, save her the embarrassment!

I would shave it. There is no reason for her to have to be embarrasses. You would not walk around with hairy armpits would you? Also have her start wearing a deodorant.

Take her with you to pick out deodorant. Lots of fun scents for girls. Mine loved that as she needed it younger as well, but it was sporadic. She would stink for a few day or a week, then be fine the next. We just got her into the habit of using it. She was 8 or 9 when we started. Mine was 10 when she got her first period ( and every 23-25 days after that, heavy flow, poor thing....eventually we put her on the pill to regulate the heavy and too frequent flow)

As far as the hair, let her shave it. Kids will tease her mercilessly. I highly highly recommend the Schick Intuition razors. They have this huge thick sort of soap chunk around the blades. No separate foam needed. My daughter and I have used these for legs and pits for years. They work great!

She sounds just like my friend's daughter who turned 8 in May. Underarm hair, a little pubic hair, and bad body odor. The doctor said it is ok and not to worry about it. They don't expect her to get her period soon and said she is not starting to develop breasts. She's very tall for her age, so it's not surprising that some of this other stuff is happening early.

Her mom hadn't taught her to shave yet, but is planning to very soon because a couple of kids actually teased her about the underarm hair. Sad!! So, I do think you should shave, or teach her to, if it's bothering her or if kids are teasing. It might help some with the odor too. She can definitely start wearing deodorant. Get recs from the doc on which ones are safe for younger kids.

one of my daycare kids is 9 and he has all that hair too. I think its normal but i would let her shave it! help her learn though so she doesn't cut herself. and buy her some deocorant. I know its sad that your little girl is growing up but it was going to happen eventually.

Good Luck!

yes help her! I remember I was in 3rd grade when I started needing deodorant. I can't remember when I needed to shave my underarms but I do remember it was before I need to shave my legs. You have to remember that kids are so mean in school. You don't want her to stand out in a bad way or give kids a reason to tease. If she has underarm hair and odor you have to show her how to take care of it. I have 3 little girls and my oldest is only 5 so i haven't come across this yet but I always told myself that I will show her what to do as soon at that starts happening to her body regardless of her age.

My daughter has been using deodorant since she was 7. It is what it is - you don't want your daughter to be the stinky kid. If the underarm hair embarrasses her, then by all means, buy her a good razor and teach her how to do it. She is not the only one with underarm and pubic hair a bit on the early side. It's hard as a mom to deal with - I know that I really had to try hard to wrap my head around this issue, but at the end of the day, being in denial doesn't help your daughter cope. If your pediatrician thinks everything is okay, then all you can do at this point is help your daughter deal with these changes. Good luck!

Many of my daughter's friends have been shaving since second and using deodorant since first grade. Since I had my period by the time I was ten, it doesn't seem too early to me.

Well, sometimes you just have to start early. But I wouldn't say that she is stinky just because of the underarm hair. When one of my nephews was a little 3 year old, he had the worst BO ever!! My sister started putting deodorant on him then!! And when I was 9, I started my period. So my suggestion to you is, just ease your daughter into the things that she needs to be doing, since you say she is a little embarassed anyway. If she is starting the hair thing this early, you may be in for some surprises in the next few years, so just go with the flow and don't freak her out. You'll both be OK!!!!

My daughter had the underarm hair at 9 and the BO and I let her use a dipilatory cream. Seemed gentler than shaving at that young age and if the hair leads to teasing (which it will), don't let things get to that point.

If it has been happening for almost a year, then she was 7 when it occurred.
My Pediatrician, would have referred the child to a Pediatric Endocrinologist... just to make sure it is not precocious puberty etc.
If things like this occurs BEFORE 8 years old.
Here is further information:
http://www.ae-society.org/Premature_Adrenarche
http://www.ecureme.com/emyhealth/pediatrics/premature_adr...

Sure its adrenarche. But if it occurs before a certain age, then it is premature.... adrenarche.

But underarm odor, can and does occur at those ages, already.
My daughter is 9, she's been using deodorant since 3rd grade.
As well as some of her classmates.

And yes shave her underarm hair.
She will get teased.

I'm nowhere close to that stage yet, but I guess you should talk to her openly about it and tell her its absolutely OK, and it happens to all sometime. Introduce her to deodorant and shaving, again telling her its OK and everyone does it. Help her the first few times.
And your little girl is going to grow into a lovely woman...so its OK, yourself! :)

Maybe try to use a nair product for sensitive skin, it might keep it at bay longer than shaving. She's pretty young to be handling a razon, unless you got her a cute, lil' electric one, that would probably do the trick.

Shave it! You've said it--it embarrasses her. Save yourself and your daughter the anxiety. In the big picture of things, this will be a minor blip.

J.

My child start showing signs of puberity at 9. He has been using deordorant for four years now. Not uncommon, my cousin even got periods at 9 years old. If this was me, shave the hair. People develop at different rates.

I would most certainly shave her underarms w/o question. I say they should be shaved when the hair grows in (that is, if you are part of the majority of females that shaves). Yes, it is earlier than a lot of other girls, but that is actually MORE reason to shave it. I've already prepared my two oldest (I have two younger girls as well) for when they DO have to shave and things like that, so they aren't surprised or embarrassed or feel like they need to hide anything from me.

I got aluminum free deodorants for my two oldest daughters (7 and almost 9) when they started smelling slightly (both started getting BO at around 6 1/2) . Toms and Arm and Hammer make good (they work) "natural" deodorant.

my daught got hair and her period at 9 she may be your little girl but theres just some things you got 2 do if u dont let her shave sooner or later some 1 will see it and she will be made fun of and u dont want that on ure heart nowing it was your fault becuse u couldnt let go of your little girl growing up

I've never heard of armpit hair contributing to armpit smell, normally the sweat glands cause the odor. Underarm odor occurs whether there's hair there or not. I'd talk it over w/a dermatologist or gen. physician if you're not sure. I got bad underarm odor in 7th grade, about age 12, but no underarm or pubic hair, just the odor & my mom had me start wearing deodorant but again the odor is generally caused by sweat glands, not hair folicles. Good luck.

Teach her how to shave. If she is embarrassed, then you need to let her shave. Kids are so mean. I wouldn't want someone making fun of her because she had armpit hair. Then get her deodorant. It stinks that she is so young and she needs to start shaving but really we all (well I guess not all) most of us shave regularly sooner or later. Do it for her. Put aside your mommy's little girl growing up fears and teach her. :) good luck.