11 year olds getting bikini waxing

blondie7

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2010/1011/1224280782432.html I just read this and was actually horrified, why would any 11 year old need this done???? Anyone agree/disagree

metrovelvet

Could they be Islamic?

A beautician in Dublin told me the increase in the request for brazilians was more because of the increase in Islamic clients than in the influence of sex and the city, as I had thought.

barleybooley

Well, I would've probably wanted it done when I was that age if I'd known about it because a lot of the girls felt really self conscious when we went swimming and there was this fur coming out under the edge of the togs, so embarrassing, especially because my school was a mixed school.

Maple

This sort of article really makes me sad for the youth of today, especially when I remember my own childhood.

I'm not saying I was any sort of Pollyanna but at the age of 11, I was too busy having fun and a laugh and climbing trees and having waterfights to even think about the stage of my bikini line. I didn't even know what a bikini wax was.

I just feel that some young people of today are so busy trying to grow up that they miss out on an awful lot of fun and innocence.

Xiney

"Psychiatrist Prof Patricia Casey counters: “When was the last time you saw an 11 or 12 year old with such obvious dark hair? If that’s the case, they need to go to the doctor, not the salon.”


What a ridiculous, harmful statement.

I developed earlier than other girls - and it was bad enough having one of the few frank discussions with my little friends when all of them were saying "I'm getting hair in my armpits!" and I hadn't gotten hair there yet but I said, rather ashamedly, that I'd gotten hair "down there" and nobody else had, which made me feel bad, but I knew that women do get hair there and they'd all catch up immediately. (I just felt bad because I was ahead of them!)



But to have an adult say that? If I was my 9 year old self, that quote would have really upset me. She's suggesting 9 year old me wasn't normal. :mad:



What a stupid cow.

Truley

Sounds like media scaremongering to me, well I guess since the 'padded' bra saga was such a success :rolleyes:

Why would an 11/12 year old need it done? Simply put, the same reason adults want it. Some people's bikini line extends further out than average, this can be extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing when wearing swim wear or say a leotard for gymnastics. Add the young age into the equation, when the rest of your friends aren't experiencing the same 'problem,' and you have more awkwardness.

I'm not saying it should be an issue, but as long as society at large holds this attitude to body hair young children will be under pressure to conform. Most people here wouldn't go to a swimming pool with hairy legs or underarms, why would an eleven year old feel any different?

The people who argue that 12 year olds shouldn't be worrying about body hair, bad skin, sweating, bras etc obviously don't understand what it's like to experience early puberty.

candy-gal1

WTF! Seriously its like diets, mani-pedis and full makeup, they are all made for kids from 15 and up imho.

blondie7

i just think its inflicting unneccessary pain to an eleven year old, plus once they start thats it for the rest of there lives. I no when i was eleven i didnt even no that you could remove i just assumed this was part of growning up and that was it. Suppose kids are more advance now than we were.

Raspberries

Truley wrote: »

The people who argue that 12 year olds shouldn't be worrying about body hair, bad skin, sweating, bras etc obviously don't understand what it's like to experience early puberty.

I completely agree with you. I was experiencing all of that when I was 11/12.

At the same time though, I do think it's wrong that children that young are going through that kind of pain. What mother would do that to their child? My mum still suggests I should wear swimshorts instead of having to get a wax and I'm 23! :rolleyes:

WindSock

I can't imagine there would be many beauty therapists feeling comfortable with waxing a child.

Smallbit

I had developed pubic hair at age 11 too. But leaving aside Prof Casey's slightly insensitive remark, I still think it's absolutely bizarre to bring someone that young to a waxing salon. The reasons for waxing, which I don't even agree with, are 'aesthetic', not hygienic.

A perfectly natural state of pubescence is being obliterated in the name of pandering to increasingly worrying social norms. I honestly believe that any mother that encourages her 11 year old to be waxed is irresponsible. What's wrong with proper parenting? perhaps explaining normal biological processes to your daughter etc?

The only reason any young girl wants this is if her friends want it, so what we're seeing here is the establishment of a lucrative new market by peer pressure.

metrovelvet

Xiney wrote: »

"Psychiatrist Prof Patricia Casey counters: “When was the last time you saw an 11 or 12 year old with such obvious dark hair? If that’s the case, they need to go to the doctor, not the salon.”


What a ridiculous, harmful statement.

I developed earlier than other girls - and it was bad enough having one of the few frank discussions with my little friends when all of them were saying "I'm getting hair in my armpits!" and I hadn't gotten hair there yet but I said, rather ashamedly, that I'd gotten hair "down there" and nobody else had, which made me feel bad, but I knew that women do get hair there and they'd all catch up immediately. (I just felt bad because I was ahead of them!)



But to have an adult say that? If I was my 9 year old self, that quote would have really upset me. She's suggesting 9 year old me wasn't normal. :mad:



What a stupid cow.

It might not be normal. My friend started menstruating at 9. That is not on the normal spectrum. It turns out she has a thyroid problem which does not produce the right chemicals and was also the reason she could not lose any weight.

La frog fairy

I honestly find this really sad, I mean, this is the world we live in, so desperate to fit in and not be different and so much about appearances.
I mean, tanning salon for teenager, now waxing an 11 years old what's next, boob enlargement for a 10 years old!?

At 11 I had more boobs than any of my friends, and sure it was embarrassing and I wished at times I could tuck them in or something, I was taking ballet classes well that went down well, forget the ballerina dream..all gone;( but I did deal with it and learn not to care what others think of me.

Got to learn at that age that its what you got, sure there's option, have the mom trim it or something, wear boxing swimming suits, I mean don't know if its just me here but I cant see one valid reason for waxing a bikini of an 11 years old!

dearg lady

metrovelvet wrote: »

It might not be normal. My friend started menstruating at 9. That is not on the normal spectrum. It turns out she has a thyroid problem which does not produce the right chemicals and was also the reason she could not lose any weight.

I don't think this is good use of the word 'normal'. It is below average for sure, and MAY indicate a medical issue but equally it may not, it might just be the time child develops at.

Xiney

metrovelvet wrote: »

It might not be normal. My friend started menstruating at 9. That is not on the normal spectrum. It turns out she has a thyroid problem which does not produce the right chemicals and was also the reason she could not lose any weight.

Well menstruation and pubic hair are different - pubic hair (typically) appears a few years before menstruation. In my case it was 3 years.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Xiney wrote: »

"Psychiatrist Prof Patricia Casey counters: “When was the last time you saw an 11 or 12 year old with such obvious dark hair? If that’s the case, they need to go to the doctor, not the salon.”


What a ridiculous, harmful statement.

I developed earlier than other girls - and it was bad enough having one of the few frank discussions with my little friends when all of them were saying "I'm getting hair in my armpits!" and I hadn't gotten hair there yet but I said, rather ashamedly, that I'd gotten hair "down there" and nobody else had, which made me feel bad, but I knew that women do get hair there and they'd all catch up immediately. (I just felt bad because I was ahead of them!)



But to have an adult say that? If I was my 9 year old self, that quote would have really upset me. She's suggesting 9 year old me wasn't normal. :mad:



What a stupid cow.

Well it depends how you define normal. Having dark pubic hair at age 9 is statistically unusual medically speaking. She may have thought she was expected to answer from a medical point of view. Perhaps didn't even occur to her what she said would be made public.

So maybe it is the journalist you should be annoyed at rather than Patricia Casey.

Wibbs

Xiney wrote: »

"Psychiatrist Prof Patricia Casey counters: “When was the last time you saw an 11 or 12 year old with such obvious dark hair? If that’s the case, they need to go to the doctor, not the salon.”


What a ridiculous, harmful statement.

I developed earlier than other girls - and it was bad enough having one of the few frank discussions with my little friends when all of them were saying "I'm getting hair in my armpits!" and I hadn't gotten hair there yet but I said, rather ashamedly, that I'd gotten hair "down there" and nobody else had, which made me feel bad, but I knew that women do get hair there and they'd all catch up immediately. (I just felt bad because I was ahead of them!)



But to have an adult say that? If I was my 9 year old self, that quote would have really upset me. She's suggesting 9 year old me wasn't normal. :mad:



What a stupid cow.

+1. I mean what the hell was she thinking. Girls(and boys) develop at quite different rates. I had the makings of a beard by 15, yet other guys I knew didnt need to shave until well in their 20's. Some barely need to in their 30's. Hell even there I didnt have a chest hair until I was well past 30. While young boys do face some dodgy pressures in puberty IMHO girls get it worse from the point of view of changes and the societal pressure like this daft notion of waxing 11 year olds. Madness.

Wibbs

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Well it depends how you define normal. Having dark pubic hair at age 9 is statistically unusual medically speaking.

Maybe, but a lot less so at the age range discussed 11/12.

She may have thought she was expected to answer from a medical point of view. Perhaps didn't even occur to her what she said would be made public.

Probably, but at the same time a modicum of cop on should have been in play, especially when waving doctors in peoples faces.

Abi

maple wrote: »

I just feel that some young people of today are so busy trying to grow up that they miss out on an awful lot of fun and innocence.

I've nothing else to add here, except that I agree with your comment Maple. I'm just stunned by this. Tbh, I don't think I'd a hair to speak of at that age, another year or two later maybe.

Everything for kids these days are starting way ahead of their time for their parents to keep up with. Where there used to be bullying around the corner after school, now is a totally different ball game. We've got cyber bullying and text bullying etc. I know I went slightly off track there, but kids these days are so different. Then obsessed by their appearance at such a young age.. its just insane. There are a few factors to blame here on the appearance front, any form of media and the attitude the parents take. I don't know, its a mess, and like you said Maple, I just fear for whats ahead of them.

princess-lala

I wasn't even shaving my legs at 11!! Jesus whatever next :mad:

I agree with maple - there is so much pressure on kids to grow up these days that they loose their innocence

Truley

On the pain aspect of it, I know when I used to get my bikini line waxed the salon used special type of wax for very sparse hair which was viturally painless. A good salon is capable of doing something like this with minimal pain. I'm presuming that a waxing service tailored for a younger person is taking all this in mind.

That said I don't actually have a clue about how it works, a Google search doesn't bing up anything but the Times article. And there's nothing on the website of the salon itself, bar a short note stating that young children aren't allowed into the treatment areas. Hmmm...

It's not my cup of tea but I can actually sort of understand how there is a demand for this kind of service. Especially amongst young girls who swim alot or do gymnastics. It's alot safer and more effective than leting them try it themselves with a razor or cream, which can cause painful skin damage when misused. I doubt it's the endemic fashion trend the paper is making it out to be. The article is sensationalism of Daily Mail proportions :eek:

Scarinae

In my primary school there was a trip to the local swimming pool every Friday. Considering that my birthday is during the summer, I was nearly 13 by the time these swimming classes finished. I was also an early developer, much to my shame, and had boobs and body hair before most of the other girls in my class. Thankfully my hair is quite fair so I still don't have much of a problem with bikini line, but I was so concerned about underarm hair that my mum used to help me use Immac (she didn't want me shaving) If I had darker hair and more extensive pubic hair, I would have wanted to Immac my bikini line as well to be honest. Not because I wanted to be sexy, but because I would have felt uncomfortable getting into my swimming things with hair poking out the sides

up for anything

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Well it depends how you define normal. Having dark pubic hair at age 9 is statistically unusual medically speaking. She may have thought she was expected to answer from a medical point of view. Perhaps didn't even occur to her what she said would be made public.

In the article she is quoted as referring to 11-12 year olds.

Take a good look at the girls in any 6th class in primary school. These days most of them are taller, better developed and more sexually aware than I am. Mother Nature is for some reason has made a hobby out of early development or maybe it's the fact that the general age in 6th class is 12-18 months older than was the norm when I was in primary. In first year I was the only one of two who wore a bra and probably one of the only ones who had begun to menstruate. Most didn't until close to the end of second year.

My daughter got acne in 4th class - was on the pill to try and control it by the beginning of fifth class. Also, she is a pale girl with lots of dark hair. Our first waxing session was her unibrow in fifth class after she came home day after day and cried her heart out in her room because of the slagging she got for it in school. After that it was the slagging for spots and for being slightly overweight. By 6th class I was quite happy to write her notes to get her off swimming until the principal hauled me over the coals about it. She dreaded swimming and cried constantly about it.

I've never had to shave or wax anything apart from immac-ing under my arms or bikini line so we had some right screw ups on the depilatory front especially with wax. She shaves just about everything including stomach, arms and legs.

Most mothers these days I think are happy enough for their daughters to get rid of body hair. Most girls don't do it because they are thinking it makes them more attractive to boys or because they want to emulate their mothers. They do it because they feel they need to - whether their reasons are ones that would be valid to older generations I don't know. Keeping their body hair isn't going to make their innocence last longer. It just makes them miserable.

metrovelvet

Wibbs wrote: »

+1. I mean what the hell was she thinking. Girls(and boys) develop at quite different rates. I had the makings of a beard by 15, yet other guys I knew didnt need to shave until well in their 20's. Some barely need to in their 30's. Hell even there I didnt have a chest hair until I was well past 30. While young boys do face some dodgy pressures in puberty IMHO girls get it worse from the point of view of changes and the societal pressure like this daft notion of waxing 11 year olds. Madness.

Yes but if it is outside the range of the normal spectrum she should go to a doctor not a salon. I think she was right to say that. It could indicate any number of things.

We were shaving legs at 12. I think I started waxing my eyebrows at 16. But bikini lines, no not really till college, but then again in NYC swimming isnt really a part of teen life.

While girls are developing earlier [I have no evidence to back this up-but I suspect it has something to do with all the hormonal treatments of meat and dairy] I did find it weird when I was sitting next to a seven year old getting a manicure.

Nevyn

The average age for the first period is now between 9 and 12, it's no longer 12 and 16
some girls just are early developers and it runs in the family but diet plays a part in it as well. Better fed girls start puberty earlier and if those two conditions are met and the young gril is very dark in terms of hair then you will get 11 year old with pubic hair.

So it is with in the new 'normal' spectrum.

La frog fairy

this is a very hard thread to give opinion because no matter what is said the ones with kids that age will get defensive and complain that the ones without kids dont know what its like ..etc.

The end of the day 20 years ago, even just 10 years ago there were girls and boys developping faster and you know what? it was dealed with, some got bullied and lived on, grew up, moved on, its life! nothing is easy. im sure theres plenty of people out there who had it bad back then even some on boards i bet, so the idea that this to be taken in action as early as 11 now is nuts, its a child! 10 years from now it will be appropriate im guessing to wax a 5 years old then.

Posy

Why waxing?! I just don't get why a lady shave/trimmer or even immac wouldn't do the trick if a little girl is self conscious about leotards or swimsuits. The idea of bringing a child for a bikini wax is just bizarre to me.

metrovelvet

Posy wrote: »

Why waxing?! I just don't get why a lady shave/trimmer or even immac wouldn't do the trick if a little girl is self conscious about leotards or swimsuits. The idea of bringing a child for a bikini wax is just bizarre to me.

It makes more sense because it softens growth. The shaving and the immac increase growth.

And who knows how fast regrowth is from one individual to another.

Thinking on it now, waxing legs would have been wiser than shaving.

Faith

I'm 23, and my friends and I were very frank and open with each other about all the changes in our bodies. In 5th or 6th class, we had all started to grow pubic and underarm hair. I got my first period at 11, roughly the same time as several of my friends. Nearly everyone had theirs by the end of first year. This was 10 years ago, so I'm not sure why everyone thinks this is such a new thing? If anything I would hypothesise that recently there was a period when women developed later, which was unusual, and developing at 10/11/12 is much more normal historically speaking. Up until maybe the 20th century it was common for women to get married and start having babies from as early as possible, 13 upwards. Take the exchange between Montague and Paris in Romeo & Juliet:

CAPULET:
But saying o'er what I have said before:
My child is yet a stranger in the world;
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,
Let two more summers wither in their pride,
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

PARIS:
Younger than she are happy mothers made.

It's a relatively recent development that marriage and pregnancy are now waiting until a woman is in her 20s and 30s.

It has been showed that significantly earlier development is linked to being overweight, and the increase in obesity may contribute to this. But when you think about it, being thin was a sign of poverty until the mid-twentieth century, when war and depressions got in the way of food. Then it became fashionable to be thin. So maybe the general decrease in body weight contributed to later development for most of the 20th century, and now the rise in obesity is returning things to how they used to be, or accelerating things slightly.

/end off-topic speculation

Anyway, I'd agree with other posters in that young girls are highly likely to feel horribly self-conscious about body hair. But I don't think waxing is the answer either. Options like hair removal cream or a bikini trimmer should be tried first before waxing.

up for anything

La frog fairy wrote: »

this is a very hard thread to give opinion because no matter what is said the ones with kids that age will get defensive and complain that the ones without kids dont know what its like ..etc.

The end of the day 20 years ago, even just 10 years ago there were girls and boys developping faster and you know what? it was dealed with, some got bullied and leaved on, grew up, moved on, its life! nothing is easy. im sure theres plenty of people out there who had it bad back then even some on boards i bet, so the idea that this to be taken in action as early as 11 now is nuts, its a child! 10 years from now it will be appropriate im guessing to wax a 5 years old then.

What is so character building about getting bullied? Why should it be a rite of passage? If in life nothing is easy why is it wrong to make it that little bit easier?

WindSock

Thaedydal wrote: »

The average age for the first period is now between 9 and 12, it's no longer 12 and 16

You'd think girls and women would be hitting puberty and the menopause later in life, if bodies were to tie in with their societies.

Adelie

I always had dark hair, and I got a leg wax (and bikini) for the first time when I was 12 (now mid-20s), because I was embarrassed about going on a week-long school tour where we would be sharing bedrooms and going swimming. I'm very happy my mom was understanding enough to bring me to the salon and that the salon were also very nice, and I could enjoy the week without worrying about hair. Sure it's not appropriate for every 12 year old, but I think it was actually better than handing me a razor and telling me to shave every day - if anything it allowed me to keep my innocence!

Edit: we did go to a doctor too, Yes I had more hair than usual, No there was nothing wrong with me.

Lia_lia

I dunno. I'm not taking sides on this one.

I did gymnastics for years when I was younger. We had to wear leotards. And some (well, most) of the girls DID get waxed, or simply shaved at that age. Some developed earlier than others. And it was embarrassing for them! I, personally never had to get it done. My hair down there (and er..everywhere) is blonde so it never really showed.

But I can't see why 11 year olds should be getting waxed if that hair isn't on show. Like it is in the case of gymnastics, swimming etc..

metrovelvet

I dont know why everyone here is so anti waxing. I think its a much better idea than shaving or those chemical hair removal creams.

enda1

Before you all go on about shaving causing thick hair growth etc., have a read of this.

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hairgrow.asp

Adelie

enda1 wrote: »

Before you all go on about shaving causing thick hair growth etc., have a read of this.

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/hairgrow.asp

Enda I think (hope!) very few people actually believe that. The reason some people recommend not starting to shave is because when the hairs are short and blunt they look and feel much more obvious. So once you start shaving, you really will have to keep shaving them or else wait for them all to grow out and fall out, before your legs get back to normal.

Other disadvantages of introducing a young teenager to leg-shaving are that they are pretty likely to cut themselves, and also they are more likely to then start taking a razor to any bit of hair on the arms, face etc.

As for the chemical stuff, even as an adult I've gotten very slight burns from those, I wouldn't want a young teenager near them.

Nevyn

WindSock wrote: »

You'd think girls and women would be hitting puberty and the menopause later in life, if bodies were to tie in with their societies.

Births in this country are at their highest in the teen age group and in the the 30s which means for the majority of women's most fertile years they are not having kids and so 'mother nature' is lengthening that fertile window.

Which really means we should have proper sex ed in schools.

Adelie

Adelie wrote: »

Other disadvantages of introducing a young teenager to leg-shaving are that they are pretty likely to cut themselves, and also they are more likely to then start taking a razor to any bit of hair on the arms, face etc.

I still have a scar on my leg from when I was about 11
I wouldn't call it a reason to stop though, I could as easily nick myself these days.

Adelie

bluewolf wrote: »

I still have a scar on my leg from when I was about 11
I wouldn't call it a reason to stop though, I could as easily nick myself these days.

Yeah I know what you mean. I didn't really mean that girls shouldn't be allowed shave, more like I think that shaving/waxing each have their advantages and disadvantages and I think they are both reasonable options for a girl who is starting to remove leg/bikini line hair.

panda100

Why would anyone want to get the hair ripped of from their nether reasons whatever their age?

Be they 11 or 27 I think the whole bikini waxing thing,as well as armpit and leg shaving, is just ridiculous.

Nevyn

Different people have different prefernces when it comes to personal grooming.
If a woman wishes to shave fair enough but I am not going to judge her one way or the other based on if she does or not.

panda100

Thaedydal wrote: »

Different people have different prefernces when it comes to personal grooming.
If a woman wishes to shave fair enough but I am not going to judge her one way or the other based on if she does or not.

Yes I see where your coming from, but I just think the whole hairless female body thing as something that need's to be resisted as its just gone way too far.

The majority of my friends get waxed because its what everyone else does and/or their boyfriends like them shaved down below.

I can't even begin to tell you the amount of derogatory and really horrible comments I have gotten since I've stopped shaving. Its frustrating because Its okay for society to judge what is natural and normal i.e me having body hair!

Maguined

Brushing your teeth is not natural, plaque is a natural build up on teeth, just because something is not natural does not mean it is superior to artificial standards.

If someone wants to shave their body their choice should not be resisted, it should be respected, Obviously young girls at 11 makes it a very grey area so like everything it comes down to the parent making a judgement call and i would not judge any parent on such a decision.

Chuchoter

When I was 11 I was about 3 years after puberty, so I basically was fully grown up at about 10. Had I been able to get these I would have, vs being self conscious in front of other girls a good 2 or 3 years off starting puberty.

trickywitch

Yep. I agree. If pubic hair was making my child miserable (for whatever reason) I'd rather it was done properly and supervised. Otherwise, they will try and deal with things themselves and like me at that age - make a complete bags of it.

Kooli

I don't see a HUGE deal with this.

If you had an 11 year old daughter who was self-conscious about pubic hair poking out both sides of her swimsuit, would you just send her off like that?

If we're talking about brazilians or anything like that, then fine it's totally nuts. But I do actually think it is normal not to want to show other people your pubic hair in public.

So it is the waxing itself people have a problem with or is it any type of hair removal?

The Big Red Button

Kooli wrote: »

I don't see a HUGE deal with this.

If you had an 11 year old daughter who was self-conscious about pubic hair poking out both sides of her swimsuit, would you just send her off like that?

If we're talking about brazilians or anything like that, then fine it's totally nuts. But I do actually think it is normal not to want to show other people your pubic hair in public.

So it is the waxing itself people have a problem with or is it any type of hair removal?

That's the same way I'd see it! I mean, the article makes it very clear that the salon is only offering the "classic" bikini wax, i.e. just enough to get rid of whatever would be seen if the girl were wearing a swimsuit.

If you have a daughter that age who goes to swimming lessons through school or whatever, of course other teenagers will notice and bully her if she has hair visible when she's wearing the swimsuit, and the other girls don't. Yeah it's not fair, and yeah hair is only natural, but what parent would want to leave their teenage daughter vulnerable to bullying if it could be avoided?

So, you can hand her the sharp blade or the chemicals and leave her to deal with it on her own - possibly not a good idea, considering we're talking about such a sensitive area. Or you could bring her to a professional to get the visible hair waxed - waxing isn't for everyone, but it does give more lasting results, especially if the girl has never shaved before.

Just to stress - I think it's OK if the girl suggests it herself and considers all other options first, and if she is very much aware in advance that it will hurt and that there might be side-effects etc; if we're talking about a pushy mother forcing her daughter into it, well that's a whole different situation.

But the thing is, a twelve year old isn't really just a "child" ... most girls that age can think quite independently, and will be very much aware of what's going on with their own bodies. And rather than making a massive fuss about it and making the girl feel like some sort of freak, a bit of understanding and practical help from the parent could make a massive difference in situations like this.

Catari Jaguar

Before we get all "Won't someone PLEASE think of the children!!" esque, I'm just gonna add that there are plenty of 11- 12 year olds in sexual relationships.

But the "cool" thing about 5/6 years ago (around the time my 13 y/o cousin got knocked up... :rolleyes:) was wearing your hipsters so low that you could see the pubes. Lots of girls really not so self conscious of it - more using it as a bragging right about how grown up they (think they) are.

Dudess

I dunno... I'm kinda in agreement with those who make the point that it isn't necessarily being done for "sexiness" reasons, it's just something to avail of for adolescent girls who feel self conscious. I was quite an early developer - I had ample enough breasts at 10 and my hair is as black as the ace of spades :pac:. I felt horrendous about these things in the swimming pool changing rooms and would have jumped at the chance to get waxing done. All it is, is getting rid of unwanted pubic hair, which many 11-year-olds have. And for some people, the follicles can get infected and very painful if the hairs are thick.

I mean, there's all this fear of kids growing up too fast these days - but I bet when we were kids and early teens, adults were saying the very same thing. There was a time when it was the norm for women to be having babies in their teens, so if anything, we're taking longer to grow up. Now I'm not saying it's a good thing for 12-year-olds to be giving blow-jobs, or that it's not something many 12-year-olds wouldn't do only for the fact that they feel pressurised, but I do think it might be unwise to view everything "adult" as dangerous and worrying and sinister for those of pre-pubescent age onwards. Like it or not, physically, they are developing adult traits.

Someone mentioned the padded bra controversy - I flagged that here all right, not so much because I felt it meant "our kids are in danger", moreso that I considerd it a rather cynical move by retailers; a bit of exploitation of the little girl desire to be a woman. I don't see the necessity for enhanced cleavage at 10 and... not quite sexy, but certainly adult-looking undies, whereas I can understand the necessity (for some) for pubic hair waxing. That said, the "exposé" done by some rag about the "sicko paedo retailers" for selling padded bras for young girls thing was just embarrassing.

Oh and that's not the first time that that Patricia Casey one has said something totally tactless and unbecoming for a person of her professional standing. :mad:

metrovelvet

The funny thing about this is you get people complaining about women taking it all off it and trying to make themselves look like little girls, and here you have people complaining about little girls taking some of it off to look like,little girls.

metrovelvet

metrovelvet wrote: »

It might not be normal. My friend started menstruating at 9. That is not on the normal spectrum. It turns out she has a thyroid problem which does not produce the right chemicals and was also the reason she could not lose any weight.

I got my period when I was 10. Not that abnormal. Was wearing a bra by then as well. I had practically finished growing by 12.

There is no point in saying that an 11 or 12 year old shouldn't 'want to be an adult' when they're menstruating and have body hair. They don't have much choice in the matter. It's incredibly embarrassing to go to PE class with hairy legs, for example, and I'm sure it's the same for swimming. Like it or not, the peer pressure is there and it always has been. I still have a huge scar on my leg from secretly shaving with a cheap razor and I still resent my parents for not allowing me to find a safe way to do it. They were obsessed about me not growing up too fast but the fact was, I had a lot of hair and I just wanted to remove it. Why is that OK at 15 but not 11? I wouldn't be a fan of young girls wearing short skirts and lots of make-up, but this is a different issue entirely, IMO. Not too different from an 11 year old wearing deodorant or a bra if they need to.