But, in the name of beauty I decided I would try it and report back on how it went. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, actually it was quite a bit better than last time.
Turn the dial on the back to setting 1 or 2 depending on how fast you want it to go and run it over the area you want to remove hair from. The head will pivot in order to stay in contact with your skin. There are little things on either end that are there to help get your hair standing up, so that when the tweezers close the hairs are there to grab them.
In theory you can do this with pretty short hair, but I have found that 2-3 mm long really is best. It does hurt a little, but holding down the surrounding skin and epilating in the shower both help a lot with the discomfort. The little mini tweezers close, grab the hair and everything keeps rotating. It doesn't seem to always grab every hair, but it is better at it if the hair is a little longer, and you can go over an area again. The pain really comes from just having so many hairs yanked out at the same time, they do not grab the skin. But, the faster the better, I find that the higher speed is definitely less painful than the first.
Epilation does last for a few weeks, and I love that it pulls the hair out from the root, so you can't see anything lurking beneath the surface of your skin. (Sometimes having dark hair and light skin is really not fun.) It does irritate the hair follicles a little, so I would do this the day or night before an event, rather than the day of that black tie event or trip to the beach. As well, expect to need a little razor touch up.
I did find that it took about 25 minutes to do both of my legs completely, though that probably was a wash overall with the subsequent time I saved with extra shaving. It was definitely less painful than it used to be, there's nothing to fear! If you're really adverse to any pain you could also pre-medicate yourself with ibuprofen.
I'll continue using the Epil throughout the summer with my fave Venus razors. What's your hair removal of choice for summer?
Product Sent for Review
I use an epilator for my underarms - the hair doesn't grow too fast, and it's easier not to have to think about it!
ReplyDeleteThanks (for the sake of beauty) trying this and doing this review! I've been hearing about these and wanting to try them out. How much did the one you use cost? I've really not used anything but razors for my summer hair removal. I've tried waxing and the creams, but find them, in the long run, to be way more time consuming/messy.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Kallie
http://butfirstcoffeeblog.blogspot.com/
Does performing an epilation leave little scabs where the hair follicle has been pulled out? I find that it does for me when I tweeze little hairs out of my legs so I prefer to shave.
ReplyDeleteI just stick with a good ol' reusable razor for summer shaving. I'm too cheap (and too much of a wimp) to go for a wax, and I don't own a contraption like this. How much does the Epil go for? Are you seeing long-term results?
ReplyDeleteI use my epilator on my bikini area but it is too painful to use on my legs. But the epilator I have is not waterproof. I would imagine that using it in the shower would make for a less painful experience. Also mine does not have an exfoliating attachment. That is a very nice feature. It sounds like the Epil may be worth trying.
ReplyDeleteI have been shaving/waxing for a little while. But lately I've been getting inflammation around the red follicles, I switched entirely to waxing, but it still persists.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm just too embarrassed to go out wearing dresses. Is it just due to the shaving? Would an epilator solve this?
I use a more basic model for my bikini line in summer. It's the best solution I've found. First I get everything cleaned up with Nair or a salon wax (and I am NOT a take it all off girl) and then use the epilator to clean up regrowth every week or two. I apply an AHA or BHA product afterward and have had no problem with ingrowns.
ReplyDeleteI have used an EpiLady for about 20 years now. The same one. So...being aware that it could die any minute, I have been watching for what to get next. Being a somewhat light-haired person, I don't have to do this often, nor do I have much hair to begin with. I would love to be able to use this on my underarms, as well. Does the Silk Epil say it is ok to do that?
ReplyDelete@CW I haven't had that issue
ReplyDelete@Sammi I've seen this model anywhere from $80-120, so there's a big price range. Definitely shop around! I just started using it, so it is too early to tell if there are good long term results.
@Anon you might want to see your doctor, what you're describing sounds like folliculitis to me and should be treated.
@Anon- It should be fine for underarms!
Thanks for this post! Great timing too--with summer just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about using a numbing product prior to using an epilator? Do you think it would be effective?
The major reason why I won't use one is bc of the pain. But if using it wet and having a faster speed makes that much of a difference, maybe I will...
I do think that an numbing cream would work, but depending on the area you need to treat it could be A LOT of cream! Really, I'm a wimp with a low pain threshold and in the shower it stung a little but didn't really hurt. I was pretty surprised!
ReplyDeleteyou have posted a lot of different hair removal options, and i was wondering which you'd recommend most for someone with indian-brown skin, black hair, a low pain threshhold, and wants to remove hair from the bikini area. it is so depressing when it grows back super fast, gets all stubbly, and hurts like anything to wax.
ReplyDeleteI think that epilation is less painful than waxing, it's only pulling on the hair (very quickly) rather than on the skin as well like waxing does. With your skin tone you probably aren't a good candidate for laser hair removal. You might want to consider looking into threading, I know there are some ares that you can have it done in the bikini area. Otherwise I'd say your best option is definitely shaving.
ReplyDelete