Question about epilators?

[LaDolceDita]

I want to buy one, I've never used one. I've heard they are painful but mostly on thick coarse hair and my hair is mostly all fine. i just want it gone.
How long does epilating last? I imagine you stay hair free for longer than shaving? And HOW painful do you find it- i have a high pain tolerance so i think i'll be fine but if someone can describe what it feels like, that'd be great.

Thanks!

[SuzanneStar]

Hiya hun

I have only started using mine i found that using it on my legs was fantastic and not as painful i have gone a 5 days and still not signs of any hair growth yet and i usually shave them every 2 days.
I have also started using it on my facial hair and chin area and it hurts like mad so only doing little sections at a time but wow the results are fantastic and i have not needed to shave for 5 days on my chin area which i am so pleased about.
It does cause alot of redness and can be painful (i have thick coarsehair on my chin) but i can stand the pain to a degree.

[wbird25]

be careful...the hair you pull may grow back darker and thicker. the best hair removal system is laser. do some test areas for a couple of weeks to see what the new growth is like.

good luck.

[LaDolceDita]

But i thought it was proven that hair can NEVER change texture or colour just because you remove it. Why do people still think it does?

[KatCarney]

If you epilate it, it won't grow back darker or thicker. On your legs it will probably start to thin out.

The original Epilady from many years ago was so painful it made me cry. The current ones aren't painful at all - kind of like mild teensy rubber bands snapping on your legs. After about the 3rd time, you barely feel it at all.

Your legs should stay smooth for at least a week or more. Plus the hairs grow back without stubble.

[Jennic]

I have been using my epilator on my stomach and chest since the spring and, my chest has greatly improved and the hair on my stomach is noticably thinner. The information that came with it said that if used at least every four weeks there will be a 50% reduction in hair. And the finer the hair the less it hurts, I tried it on my arms and that was pretty rough but my stomach and my chest have thinner hair and it is more sparse so it was very tolerable. I think it is definitely worth trying.

[tweety612]

Does anybody have any brand recommendations for epilators?

[KatCarney]

Braun

[februarystar]

My epilator is fantastic. Its the best investment I ever made - and at only $30 for my first one (secondhand) - take that beauty salons and LHR clinics! haha
I had braun which worked really well but then upgraded to a rechargeable one because I got sick of getting tangled up in the cord. My new one is emjoi and is really good too. Especially because I bought it at factory outlet prices - $44.99 (down from over $120!)
If you can get past the pain the first couple of times then its easy peasy to maintain - once every week or two on the legs. I have also had success with my underarms and no longer have the 'shadow' in the armpits from the dark hairs just under the surface of the skin. Hopefully before the summer I will have been brave enough to start on my bikini line! Imagine that, no more board shorts over my bikini! lol

[Smile04]

Hey. I love my epilator, I use to have to shave my legs every 2 days but with my epilator only once a week =) I still cant use it on my underarms and bikini line coz it always bleeds a lot and hurts way to much but when im off Warfarin I might try it again. I always have that shadow on my underarms too, so I would love to be able to use it there!

[mizuza]

i find that for the most pain free epilation make sure the hair is short long ones hurt more, also tighten the skin by gently pulling it, this does 2 things.
1 it makes the hair stick out more so its can get plucked out by the epilator and 2 it stops the skin getting pulled as the hair comes out so it hurts less, the more you do it the less it hurts i have found. and i find that for the face in combination with vaniqa i can go weeks with out epilating and just need to pluck the odd one.

[TDoern]

I have to say I LOVE my epilator! I use it on my face, underarms, and legs occasionally.

First advice - make sure when you use it that you pull the skin TIGHT. It's much less painful that way. They also now have a spray out - that seems to lessen the pain some. I use it before hand when I do my face.

Second advice - dont do small areas at a time. It might "seem" good. But one thing I've noticed is that as I use the epilator - the areas around where I've already done hurt less when I do them next. For example if I do my face, I work around starting at my right sideburn area - slowly working to the left.

Third - exfoliate! I can't stress that enough! My legs are HORRIBLE when it comes to the hairs growing back weird. I can actually see them growing just under the skin sideways... creepy.

Fourth - do a small area of the area you are planning to do first and see how your skin reacts. For example my face became really red, and hurt for a bit - BUT that went away in an hour or two. My underarms I really felt nothing. My legs hurt - that was it. My chest OMG I will never do it again! I broke out so bad that my husband thought I had a rash - and it stayed for two weeks. I thought maybe that was a one time thing so I did it again - same reaction.

Some people recommend taking an icepack to the area and leaving it there for 10 minutes prior to epilating to numb it.

hugs!

[starkrazi]

i can't wait to try an epilator. I can't shave every day as i need to. If i try to shave my legs the day after they bleed all over. Nothing I do makes it work so I have had to wait till my leg hair is long enough to shave and I don't cut myself. Talk about frustrating. This forum is great you guys are wonderful.

[HippieMama76]

I love, LOVE mine. I have the Braun, and I use it on my legs once a week. For me, it hurts too much to do my pits or my lady-garden, but once I am done with mommy stuff (TTC) I plan on popping a vicodin and taking care of those. The first time you do it hurts the worst - the longer the hair grows, the more firm the root seems to be.

Taking hair out by the root also eventually leads to less hair. My girlfriend has been waxing for about 10 years and now her legs are virtually hair free. Like 1 hair per square inch. So epilating hurts, but I see it as a long term investment.

[witchgrl]

Yeah - the epilator rocks. I only use it on my face - don't have many hair issues anywhere else. It can be painful but the more you do it - the less it hurts. Do start with a small area - it can be harsh to your skin at first - and don't hold it in one area for long - keep it moving - otherwise you can get cuts.