What is epilating, and what does it have to do with this scary looking contraption!? Well, here I am today to talk about one of those hush-hush taboo topics for girls: hair removal. The easy way to explain epilating is to tell you that it's a teeny tweezer machine that pulls out your hair much like waxing but without the hot goop. I've never tried waxing (I can't stand the thought of other people pulling out my hair...), but I discovered epilating after hearing xteener talk about it a few years ago. I didn't actually try it until several months ago, though, after conducting a lot of research and deciding this was the best method for me. I found lots of reviews to be helpful but nothing quite comprehensive enough to make me 100% sure until I tried it, so I thought I'd share my experience with it here. This may be a little bit of a longer post, but I'm hoping it'll help clear up some questions and anxieties for some people who are interested in trying it out, so let me break it down.
Why I Started Epilating:
This may be a bit TMI but I'm sure I'm not the only one. I am really self-conscious about my underarms and I have dark, coarser hair (thanks asian genes) that shaving didn't really help, and neither did Nair. Since shaving only cuts the hair that has already grown out of the skin, I always ended up with darkness where hair was still under the surface. Epilating pulls hairs out from the root, just like tweezing, so I hoped it would cure me of my woes.
What Research I Did + Which One I Chose:
There are lots of different types of epilators ranging from around $30 to higher end models that cost well over $100. I honestly wouldn't trust the super cheap kinds just because it's a lot of mechanics going on, and just like normal tweezers you usually get better results from more expensive ones (darn your super sharp, efficient, but equally as expensive Tweezermans! You put my dollar store finds to shame!). Some varying features include speed settings, wet/dry use, cordless options, and removable heads.
I ended up purchasing the Panasonic ES-WD-51-P Ladies Wet/Dry Epilator from Amazon Prime for about $80. The selling points were:
- The wet/dry capabilities. I read that wet epilation (i.e. doing it in the shower v. on dry skin) hurts less, which I've found is very true. I tried both wet/dry epilating and it's much more efficient and less strain on the skin when doing it in the shower because my skin is softer, making it easier to pull the hair out. Some epilators aren't water safe, but the wet/dry function is well worth the investment!
- It's cordless. It comes with a wall-charger and takes about an hour to reach full battery and lasts ~40 minutes on one charge (it usually takes me 10-15 minutes to epilate underarms/legs, so every charge lasts a few sessions!). It won't work while the cord is plugged in, but I like to use mine in the shower anyway so it's nice that it's cordless and easy to carry around and do wherever (and I'm not stuck to a wall outlet).
- It has a removable head and replacement shaver. This one not only epilates but, as shown in the photo, comes with a shaving attachment. This is an all-in-one replacement for a standard razor! Also it comes with a beginner guard for the epilating attachment to expose less tweezers at once so it hurts less and you can start out slow until you get used to it.
- It's easy to clean. Along with the removable head and different skin guards that go over the tweezers, since everything comes apart really easily it's a breeze to wash out after I'm done. Not to mention the little brush it comes with to guarantee cleanliness and optimal hygiene.
Some of the same questions and comments showed up in all of the reviews I saw but I'll weigh in on some points:
- How do you use it? After attaching the epilating head it turns on with the touch of a button. The tweezers will start rotating and opening/closing at different times. Point it toward the area you want to epilate at a 90 degree angle and run it across the area in the direction the hair grows. Repeat as needed, and viola!
- Does it hurt? Mm, yeah. A little. But honestly it did not hurt as much as I expected it to. Since there are so many tweezers rotating around at once and you move it as you go, there isn't much pain concentrated in each spot. Underarms are more sensitive than legs (it actually feels quite nice on the legs), but I find that putting some body wash on the epilator, turning it on to suds up, and then running it across the area in the shower is fast and effective. As long as you keep the skin taut it's bearable and gets better with more frequent use.
- How well does it remove hair? It does a great job at getting most of the hair. It's a bit tough to really pinpoint some pesky ones in weird body contours so I will either pull the one or two left with some tweezers or just go over with a razor, but it leaves my skin way smoother than traditional shaving. Plus no roots!
- Is it irritating? The first time I used it my skin bumped up a little and was really red, but honestly you're pulling your hair out so that's expected, right? It calmed down and was left super smooth (and no dark residue!) the next morning.
- How long does it last? I epilate maybe once every 1.5 weeks? Obviously a setback is having to make sure the hair is long enough to epilate, but honestly I haven't found it to be a problem at all. Sometimes I get lazy and will just do minor touch-ups with a razor in between, but with each time I've used it the thinner the hair growing back is and the less of it there is, so overall it's definitely worth it. I'm super impressed!
Epilating is great! I think it's way more effective than shaving in terms of leaving my underarms smooth and hairless, and a great option for those who, like me, struggle with darker/coarser underarms. It's fast and easy on the legs as well, and the fact that I don't have to shave as often is great. My hair has grown back less frequently, in less quantity, and thinner. I'd say it's a great investment and I would definitely recommend the Panasonic one to anyone interested in trying it out.
I don't know many other people who epilate among my friends, but I think it's a great solution for a lot of people who just don't know what it is (yet). Have any more questions? I'd be happy to help!
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