Epilation has become more and more popular in recent years, and many of you may have considered buying an epilator. It’s a hefty upfront investment – decent epilators start at about $30, a wet/dry model can be in the $50 range.
I’ve been using an epilator for seven years and have watched them gaining popularity with relief. My first epilator was purchased at The Sharper Image, and had these horrid spinning coils. It worked, but buying a new one this year was a great decision. I got the Panasonic Ladies Wet/Dry (the price of which is now half of what it was just a few months ago!).
As I read about others beginning to epilate, I find that I have been using my epilator in, it seems, the one place most women are afraid to go. No, not that one. Higher. I’ve been epilating my underarms for years, and it’s the best thing ever. If you’d like to start, here are a few tips:
First, when you first get your new toy, try it out somewhere hairless, like the top of your foot, or a just-shaved leg. It should not hurt. Not at all. If it does, you’re pushing too hard. Find the right speed and pressure so that it is not pinching skin.
Second, the first few times using it, it hurts a lot. A lot a lot. Take some Advil half an hour before your session. But if you can power through, it’s worth it. The most important thing is to not try to get it all done at once. My advice for underarms is this: pick a time when your pits will be hidden for at least a week. Then take your time, epilating every day, just as much as you can stand. By the end of the week you will have taken out all the hair and won’t have gone crazy. Once you have a pattern down, you’re getting a dozen hairs or so every day, and it’s just great. You never have the grown-in, needing a wax look.
Third, if you get a model that can go into the shower or bath, take advantage of that. The directions will tell you to use a little soap, and that is important. I use shampoo – you want something that foams. It helps the epilator glide, and seems to help the hairs to stand up to be grabbed.
Finally, get used to slowing down. An epilator needs a little time to grab the hair and pull it. If you move it over your skin too fast, it either can’t grab the hair at all, or it yanks it out at the wrong angle and hurts worse, and possibly doesn’t even get it out. You cannot treat an epilator like a razor.
If you’re curious about epilating, I hope this has helped. For me, it’s the perfect balance between the ease of shaving and the results of waxing.
5 replies on “We Try It – Epilation”
YES! Epilation is great under your arms. Worth the momentary pain to never deal with the razor burn + deodorant + immediate regrowth bullshit. I’d also recommend epilation on your arms if that’s an issue for anyone. The regrowth is slow and subtle (not stubbly like shaving) and since it’s acceptable for women to have some arm hair, you can let it grow back in for two months or so before it starts to look too thick again.
I gasped out loud when I read you epilate your pits. Now my upper arms are smooshed into my sides as far as they go.
I tried one of the very first epilators, the Epilady, with the spinning coil of pain and despair. I got through one swipe on the least tender part of my calf and I think I still have some sort of hair removal related psychological effects.
You are a brave woman. I am a wienie. I’m sticking to my razors and the occasional bottle of Nair. My personal standards of beauty stop at the place where I have to cause myself physical pain to achieve them.
My Bliss trimmer has an epilator option and I tried it once.
OMG. PAIN.
Just reading this post has me flashing back to that first attempt.
So, I need to know, once the area has been epilated, what is the grow-back like? I could not foresee epilating if there aren’t some incredible results afterward. Maybe not something like soft, shiny unicorn fuzz but at least reduced grow-back? Cause omg, not worth it without some reward…
First, know that the pain gets better. Much better. I don’t know if I am just used to it, or if the repeated ripping out of hairs has killed the pain receptors. Either way, it’s not that bad anymore.
The grow-back is the best part. If you’ve ever waxed or tweezed, you know what it’s like. You get 2-3 weeks before the hair shows up again, and when it does, it is lighter and thinner. I have very dark, thick hair, and when I shaved, I had dark stubble hours after shaving. Now I can easily go a week without epilating, and no one can notice. (Going that long between does make for a very harsh session next time, however)
Wait, that’s not the best part. The BEST best part is this: If you rip a hair out by the roots, regularly, over the course of a few years, your body will eventually give up. I am already seeing this, and I can’t wait for my hair-less 40’s!
I have had a good epilator for over a year now. I alternate between epilating and shaving – depends on how lazy I feel. I actually started in the pits. I was getting chronic staph infections in my arm pits(I know, gross and TMI) and my doc suggested I stop shaving to reduce abrasions and what not. Depilatories irritate the crap out of my skin, so I got an epiliator. I use rubbing alcohol first, to remove oils, then I dust my skin with powder. The powder lets the epilator glide. I love it. Love it so much in fact, that I will use it everywhere….yeah, everywhere. It hurts like a fucker at first, but you do get used to it.