Epilators For Hair Removal?

[JumpyTheFrog]

http://epilatorgirl.com/epilators-pros-cons-costs/

 

I just found out about these devices five minutes ago. They have a rotating drum that more or less tweezes the hair out as you move it along your leg (or other body part). It's supposed to keep you smooth for about two weeks.

 

Has anyone tried one?

[Spryte]

I've tried these. One word: ouch.

 

And if you're prone to ingrown hairs, umm, yeh. That's an issue.

 

Oh, and the hair has to be a certain length...

 

Other than that... Brilliant!

[barnwife]

I found out about them when I lived in another country for a year. I love, love, love them.

However, it is painful at first. Once you are used to it, you don't notice at all. As for the hair having to be a certain length, that's true. However, once it is, and you use it, just continue to use it and it's not a big deal.

I can't for the life of me figure out why they aren't more popular and well-known in the US.

[Rosie_0801]

I don't think mine is great, but it beats home waxing or shaving.

 

 

[kitten18]

Yikes.

 

My mom got me one for Christmas one year. I made it about 1/2 an inch up my leg. That was it. She was able to return it.

[ktgrok]

Yeah, why would I spend 40 minutes pulling out tiny hairs by the root, causing pain, when I could spend about 3-5 shaving, a painless process? Makes no sense to me. 

[Kim in Appalachia]

My dd22 loves hers.  She had always had a terrible time shaving.  The girl was dangerous with that blade. So when she had read about epilators she wanted one.  I had gotten one as well.  It takes some getting use to, and it does hurt quite a bit the first time. But you do get use to it.  I don't use it much, because it takes so long.  I'd rather just shave, but it does last longer and when your hair grows back it's smooth, not rough.

 

She only tried it underarm once. It made her feel as if she'd pass out from the pain so she didn't do that again.

[zimom]

I love mine.  Have used it for years.  It does take time to build up a tolerance and similar to waxing, your hair grows back at a slower rate so you don't have to do it as often as shaving.   The one I use is waterproof so I can do it in the bath which is also less painful.  

 

I have never had a problem with ingrown hairs, unlike shaving.  even in the bikini area which was ALWAYS a problem before.

 

I have something similar to this, and it has lasted for years:  

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00X164MHW

 

 

[Katy]

I LOVE mine.  It has all the benefits of waxing without the hot, messy wax, and you don't have to grow the hair out as long to use it. My mom had one when I was a kid and she let me use it for a couple of years before she let me shave (I think she figured it would be too painful to stick it out, but I did). I was thinking about trying sugaring again because I was sick of shaving and waxing and I found a couple videos on YouTube about them.  I took a chance and ordered one from Amazon.  It did hurt the first time - I even had a few hair follicles bleed a bit.  But after that it was easy, my hair grows in fine and slowly.  I even started using it on my underarms.  I shower in half or maybe a quarter of the time now because I can just wash, not shave.  And I don't have to let it grow out far enough to wax any more.  I spend less than 5 minutes sweeping over my legs and underarms with it, maybe twice a week, just getting the longest hairs.  The rest of the time I am basically hair-free.  I've heard that after about six months your hair grows so slowly you can go more like 4 weeks, but the women that said that on YouTube clearly have a much higher tolerance for leg hair than I do, so I doubt that.  I do wear skirts and dresses almost daily, so I don't tolerate visible hair.

 

I haven't tried my bikini area with it though.  I tend to get ingrown hairs easily there, so I've been hesitant.  I'm sure I'll try it soon though.

[umsami]

Tried it years ago.  Gigantic ouch.  Will never try again.

[gardenmom5]

I've been using one for years, and probably need to replace it.

 

the first time is painful - but it comes with adjustable heads. (and speed)  so, if I haven't used it for awhile, I use one that is more "sparse" during the passes.  at least for the first one.

 

it's not as smooth as shaving - but it's smooth enough for me,, and I dont' have to do it as often.

eta: and because the hair is being pulled out at the follicle - it actually will grow back thinner and softer.

Edited August 1, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Georgiana Daniels]

I had a similar one back in the 90's---pure torture!

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Mom and I tried "the Epilady" in the very early 90s. I still remember the screaming! We didn't sign up for another round in hopes of "getting used to it" because that reassuring advice in the brochure sounded like a psychotic marketing ploy after what we'd just experienced.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Tibbie Dunbar

[Ailaena]

 

What I'm hearing here is: beauty = pain :p

 

No but seriously, I love how everybody agrees it's painful and some people just deal. As for my experience, my hair grows too fast and thick to deal with this kind of torture - oops! I mean beauty regimen - as often as I need to. Seriously, when I nair, I have decent stubble 12 hours later :/

[ashfern]

I use mine for my underarms. I can't stand the feel of stubble. The hair grows back softer and sparser. I keep trying it on my legs but just can't do it. The hair doesn't have to be very long for it to work. 

[Dmmetler]

Has anyone used the lidocaine cream? I saw it listed in "often bought together", and I'm wondering if it would help with the pain everyone has mentioned.

[RootAnn]

Yeah, why would I spend 40 minutes pulling out tiny hairs by the root, causing pain, when I could spend about 3-5 shaving, a painless process? Makes no sense to me. 

 

Takes me about 20 minutes to do both legs once per week. Beats having to shave every other day (10+ min each time). Much less visible hair & smoother legs.

 

I have this one for my legs. I also have one for smaller & more delicate areas (like my upper lip). I'm a hairy beast and this is the best, most inexpensive, and most convenient way to lower the hairiness factor. I've tried just about everything - shaving, tweezing, cold wax, hot wax (home & salon), hair removal creams, Silk N Flash, professional laser hair removal, and electrolysis. 

 

It does hurt like the devil at first - probably the first 2-3 times and it hurts again if you let it go too long in between uses. DD#1 said it was too much pain, but dd#2 started with a small area & we just expand it every week. I'm hoping her hair never gets as dark and coarse as mine (inherited!) this way.

 

I start in one area that isn't as sensitive (for me - outside lower leg area) and by the time I have a 4-6 sq in area done, I'm completely numb to any feeling other than happiness that the hair is going away. I have a fairly high tolerance for pain (also inherited - different parent), though, so your mileage may vary.

[ktgrok]

Wow, 10 minutes to shave, even doing it every other day? It takes me maybe 2 minutes per leg? Twice a week? Less if doing it every other day. 

[UmMusa]

For me, the pro's are that the hair comes back softer and thinner, and it takes a while for it to grow out.  Shaving creates manly stubble-type hair on my legs which is so uncomfortable as it grows out, and it feels terrible on my clothes. (and it looks awful)

The painful part is in the initial transition from the shaved hair to the epilated hair.  It hurts to pull the shaved hair out because those hairs are coarse and thick.

 

Also, for me personally, since I don't wear clothes that show my legs, I prefer the soft hair that grows back.  If I were showing legs in public I'd probably not like the job that the epilator does.  I wouldn't want to wait that long to remove the hair.

Edited August 2, 2016 by UmMusa

[RootAnn]

Wow, 10 minutes to shave, even doing it every other day? It takes me maybe 2 minutes per leg? Twice a week? Less if doing it every other day. 

 

Yep. If I go faster, I miss spots. I have a lot of territory to cover, too. If I'm in a hurry, I also have been known to push too hard & gouge up my legs. My hair grows really fast so I have visible stubble in 24 hours. That's one reason I epilate my legs every week (vs some people who do it every two-four weeks). 

[momacacia]

I'm sure I have a much better experience waxing, which I've done for about 20 years now, than I would with the tweezer machine. They look so scary!

[kewb]

I remember the epilady commercials from the 80's. My friend bought one. Used it once. Said her legs felt great but she wanted to pass out from the pain of tweezing her legs 40 hairs at a time.

 

Shaving works just fine for me.

Edited August 2, 2016 by kewb

[Katy]

My hair grows fast too.  I find the epilation really only hurts the first time or if you let it go too long.  After the first time, you feel a tiny pinch maybe but the minor itching for maybe 5 minutes afterward is much worse than the pain.  The trick is to keep it up, so the roots of the hairs don't have the chance to grow back very thickly.  I think it m]is much less pain and less messy than waxing, and you don't have to do it as frequently as shaving.

[Katy]

I'm sure I have a much better experience waxing, which I've done for about 20 years now, than I would with the tweezer machine. They look so scary!

 

If you've been waxing for that long, you might want to try it.  It would be much less painful the first time for you than for most people, you don't have to let the hair get half as long as with waxing, and there's no wax to deal with.

[SparklyUnicorn]

These are torture devices.  A friend of mine in high school had one and we played around with it.  NO WAY.  It's awful.

 

 

[jemsmom]

Takes me about 20 minutes to do both legs once per week. Beats having to shave every other day (10+ min each time). Much less visible hair & smoother legs.

 

I have this one for my legs. I also have one for smaller & more delicate areas (like my upper lip). I'm a hairy beast and this is the best, most inexpensive, and most convenient way to lower the hairiness factor. I've tried just about everything - shaving, tweezing, cold wax, hot wax (home & salon), hair removal creams, Silk N Flash, professional laser hair removal, and electrolysis. 

 

It does hurt like the devil at first - probably the first 2-3 times and it hurts again if you let it go too long in between uses. DD#1 said it was too much pain, but dd#2 started with a small area & we just expand it every week. I'm hoping her hair never gets as dark and coarse as mine (inherited!) this way.

 

I start in one area that isn't as sensitive (for me - outside lower leg area) and by the time I have a 4-6 sq in area done, I'm completely numb to any feeling other than happiness that the hair is going away. I have a fairly high tolerance for pain (also inherited - different parent), though, so your mileage may vary.

  

Ugh, that's the epilator I have, and I hate it.  I had been sugaring successfully for awhile, but that can be prep heavy and time-consuming, so I thought I'd try epilating.  It was awful--way more painful than sugaring plus I started noticing regrowth in 5-6 days (whereas sugaring keeps me smooth for at least 2 weeks). Ingrowns were a lot worse.  I figured out that the epilator was just breaking the hairs off below the surface instead of pulling them out by the root.  So I was getting all the pain (actually more pain) and none of the benefit.  I went back to sugaring.