Is 11 to early for...

Jun 15, 2012

Erin F.

If it bothers her, talk to her about her options and let her decide what she wants to do about it. If she hasnt mentioned it, then I wouldnt either. As for makeup, I think 11 is too young. If she hasnt expressed interest in it, I'd leave it alone, but if she's keen to start using it, you gotta guide her choices. At this age, i think we're talking lipgloss and clear mascara at most.

Jun 15, 2012

Jennifer P.

Shaving : When it becomes darker or thicker or more noticeable when wearing clothing...

Brow grooming : When she becomes aware that she has a unibrow from mean girls and boy at school but I didn't start till highschool plucking my eye brows they are blonde and thin but still cause break outs.

Makeup : around that age 11 & 12 of course I wasn't good at it and this can be used for girl time light make up makes you look fresh and awake expecially around that time of the month where we look like angry, hungry zombies :)

Jun 16, 2012

Livvy P.

I started shaving my legs at 12 and plucked them around the same time,for me, i was uncomftable the way i looked and self-concious when i was around people, i think that when a child gets picked on or feels like they want to get thier legs shaved or thier eyebrows then that is the right age.

Jun 16, 2012

Mara S.

Plucking the uni-brow is neccessary, i think. it won't become better and so she probably will be bullied in school (you know, little kids could be cruel). shaving is depending on the hair colour and thickness.
make up is a little bit more difficult. i think mascara and lipgloss (perhaps eyeliner on the waterline) are acceptable but a widespread make up with foundation, concealer, eyeliner, eye shadow etc. is too much for a little girl.
But for me, it's important that she feel comfortable with herself.
as a compromise you can help her paint her nails, instead of doing the make up, until you think she's old enough ;D 

Jun 27, 2012

Cyrielle A.

Thanks to all for the advises!!!

Jun 27, 2012

Rachel K.

while i wish everything on everyone could just be accepted and that people would find all sorts of things beautiful, they don't. and i can promise that middle school is already a rough time and will be much worse for a girl with a unibrow. i had a friend who was a fair blonde but pretty hairy and her mom let her tweeze between them and started brow shaping at about 13. i had some bushy brows that i tweezed a bit but wasn't allowed to wear makeup except on special occasions until i hit highschool. i support every parent's right to make their own decisions, but makeup is just not appropriate for middle schoolers (although if you go to walmart, there's the bon bon brand and even a new natural brand.. a quick coat of mascara and tinted balm is fine). it creates a lot of anxiety for some girls who aren't allowed to wear makeup and it's also just inappropriate for school because it's the age where kids start to physically mature but not so much emotionally. outside of school, if you drop your daughter off at the mall or at the movies when she's a bit older, you want her to behave her age and not like a 16 year old who rightfully should have healthy adolescent experiences.
shaving- this is another thing that i see way too young at 10, 11, 12. however, i know things are different among tweens with that there is so much pressure to be older and attractive because our culture sexualizes children. it's just wrong in my opinion; unless a girl has dark wiry leg/armpit hair, let it be.
one thing i really recommend is letting her play around with her hair and nails when they hit 12/13. they still look their age even with some highlights and cute polish.

Jun 28, 2012

Bec S.

The only thing with starting very young on plucking is that what someone likes when they're 11 might not be what they like when they're a bit older. I had a friend who had her brows plucked very young because of some poor advice and they were over-plucked and never grew back.

I don't think it's objectionable to begin brow shaping and shaving if the interest is coming from the tween, but I think as a parent, you just want to help guide their choices. It might be worth looking into eyebrow shaving options instead of plucking. If she grows up to be in an indie rock band, she might want the unibrow back! You never know! If a few years down the line she knows she's done with it, then pluck away.

I started shaving when I was around that age. Just make sure she's got a good razor so she doesn't have embarrassing razor burn.

I'm all for experimentation. On the other hand, I'm also all for letting people know that they don't have to maintain a laborious beauty regimen if they don't feel like it. If she wants to be more free and not bother with it, that's always an option too! It's important to stress that there are all kinds of beauty. A person doesn't have to do all these millions of daily things to make themselves beautiful. I do a beauty regimen when I feel like it, and some days I just don't feel like it, so I don't bother. I love knowing that I don't have to do anything one way or another.

Being stress-free is the best beauty regimen of all!

Jun 29, 2012

Kennedy M.

I started shaving my legs about a month after I turned 13. The summer after 7th grade was the first time that I got my eyebrows waxed (not much they just took off the wispies and the hair in the middle of my eyebrows) I am 14 and still don't wear make up because I just don't want to because I don't like the way it feels on my face. :)

Jun 29, 2012

Michelle A.

For me, I started shaving at 13 because that's when I start wearing shorts cuz I've been wearing jeans for the past years cuz I have quite a hairy leg. :S

For trimming brows, my first time was trimmed by a staff working in SASA for free and it hurts like a bitch but I don't like how bushy my brow looks so I brought up my courage and trimmed myself and it actually hurts less. That was this year. LOL

For makeup, I started at the age of.. 15 with eyeliner and dramatic false lashes till now, I'm 16 (but 17 this year) my makeup style changed. People say I look like a ghost that time when I just started making up. But it's all good now. XD 

Jun 29, 2012

VANECIA M.

Unfortunately I'm Latina so unibrows are a part of growing up I was 11 at the time as well my mother understood how things were like in school so I was allowed only to pluck the unibrow area and at that age it was fine for me.. as for shaving i was pretty hairy but My mom still didn't let me shave until I was 13 mostly for the fact that I had tried when I was ten and instead of shaving hair I was shaving skin so I guess it depends on how mature your daughter is.. And as for makeup traditionally for Latinas you can't wear until your 15 most commonly after a quinceañera hope this helps  

Jun 30, 2012

Christine S.

As a mom of one daughter, I can empathize. The peer pressure on kids today is tough and you hate to see them picked on for a "genetic" issue.

That being said, if a unibrow is the issue, simply deal with that hair (tweezers, wax, depilatory, etc) and leave the rest natural.

Shaving will come soon enough; usually by middle school (6-8th grade).

As for makeup, I started my daughter off slowly at 13 with Bare Escentuals and gave strict guidelines for appropriate use.

Good luck, as moms we certainly need it!!!

Jun 30, 2012

Meuris O.

I think you should wait until she is I least 13

Jul 2, 2012

Sofia M.

Just wax, pluck the middle part so she has two brows but i wouldnt recommend having her brows shaped. In my opinion, thats a little young. When youre 12 you should look 12. Youll have plenty of time to look older later :)

I started shaving my legs at 12 but didnt do anything with my eyebrows until i was in highschool. 

Jul 2, 2012

Sofia M.

Or er 11 , my bad

Jul 2, 2012

Sofia M.

Or er 11 , my bad

Aug 4, 2012

Joanna M.

I think 11 is too young for makeup, but it's definitely OK to take her to get her eyebrows threaded once in awhile and to let her shave her legs! [just make sure you teach her how to properly do so first!] 

Aug 4, 2012

Estelle C.

I was 12 and at my 6th grade dance when, on the way home my mama decided to take over my look to help me be more of a girl, shaving was dicussed, the next day we did my eyebrows, and still i wasn't allowed to wear makeup until i was 16! My mama was a Mary Kay Lady! but she had the best! EYEMAKEUP! REMOVER! lol

Aug 4, 2012

Natalie C.

Im 12 years old now going on 13. I started shaving at 11 and I wear makeup everyday but very minimal.

Aug 7, 2012

Kristina S.

I would say middle school to early high school is a good time to start minimal makeup... And her eyebrows I'd say it's ok to get the middle waxed but probably not shape them... 

Aug 7, 2012

Mia M.

Of she's 11 I don't think she needs to have her eyebrows shaped but I think it's ok if u remove the hairs in the middle 

Aug 7, 2012

Madeline W.

Ive had my eyebrows shaped since I was 9 due to a horrid unibrow. I thank my mom all the time for it, I was very self conscious of it and was not very vocal.