Epilators are basically the mechanical versions of the age old beautification and hair removal practice that is called plucking. Plucking eyebrows and upper lips via threading and tweezers is still pretty popular as a form of hair removal methods. However if you want to work on some other areas, plucking would be far too slow a method, would be extremely painful and time consuming and would not be as neat as using an epilator.
Epilators are electric devices that remove hair by capturing the hair in multiple tiny and precise blades that rotate and simultaneously work together to grasp the most amount of hair in one go. The hair is pulled out but since so many hairs are caught with each swipe, this pain is only there for a little while. It is also pretty similar to the method of pulling hair out via waxing. However unlike waxing, there is no fear of scalding or burning your skin due to the hot temperatures that the wax is heated to. The cells at the top layer of the skin are also not pulled out with an epilator and the skin is not dried out. It is also safer than using a real blade such as a safety razor as the blades in an epilator are more specialized to pluck rather than to cut.
An epilator is also a very cost effective method as all you basically have to do is charge it or use it while it is plugged in whereas waxing and shaving requires way more maintenance. It is basically up to the user what kind they want, as corded and cordless plus battery operated versions are available in the market. The devices which work with batteries can conveniently be used both wet and dry which is super nice if you are worried that you cannot handle the pain.
Talking more about the side effects and pain, the pain from epilation is mostly the same as waxing but unlike waxing it depends on the user since many devices have options with regards to speed of the plucking of hair and you also move the device along your arms or legs in the way you like. However since the hair is pulled out cleanly from the root, you can rest assured that this process results in better results that can last for weeks and leave you with silky smooth skin. If the pain is really bad and you feel like its intolerable, using a numbing cream or lotion may help you out more. However we feel that if you can tolerate waxing you can bear the pain of epilation and save on some money you will have to spend at the parlor for your monthly waxing session.
Another great recommendation is that you use the lowest possible setting on the device before you actually feel you can handle the highest setting. It is important to work your way up to the higher settings as opposed to going straight in for them. Every new experiment requires a little practice and this one does as well. It can be harder to epilate your hair if you are unable to actually get to it due to the buildup of dead skin cells on the legs and arms. Exfoliation then becomes your best friend as this clears up the pores and makes the task easier.
Never press the device against your skin with a lot of pressure as this can cause the skin to get caught between the blades which of course will hurt you and damage your skin. The blades are pretty harmless otherwise but not so much if your skin gets caught in them. Avoid this by holding the device at a 90 degree angle from your problem area and keep a little distance between the top of the blades and your skin as they will easily grab your hair from afar.
To avoid cutting the hair instead of pulling it all out at once, be sure to always make movements in the direction of hair growth. This will also help you avoid the formation of ingrown hair which is a problem which is really painful to endure.
We also recommend that you do not use this device if you have broken, patchy or acne filled skin as this might irritate the skin further and cause scarring or redness. To avoid the redness that comes from plucking hair out with an epilator we recommend applying a soothing lotion straight after and always using such devices at night so by the morning the redness has cleared out.
We also cannot stress the importance of having a good maintenance and clean up strategy in place to clean out the excess hair and gunk from the epilator each time you use it as this not only ensures that there is no risk of infection but leftover hair and dead cells may hinder the performance of your device. With any method of hair removal, there are always inherent flaws that also pop up. However unlike other methods, we feel that epilation is the safest and the most long term method out there. It doesn’t burn your skin like waxing might and it definitely doesn’t cause harmful cuts that are so common with a safety razor.
It is true that the pain can be a real let down as with waxing you are simply taking the hair off in one go but with epilators, you are in control and this may take a bit longer. On the other hand it has been proven that epilation removes hair for an extra longer time as compared to epilation creams and waxing as it expertly grabs and plucks out the hair directly from its root. You can have hairless, soft and smooth skin for up to 4 weeks although it depends on your personal hair growth and how soon you epilate again.
The bottom line is basically that you have to keep trying out different speeds and settings along with trying out whether a wet epilation is more your cup of tea because this reduces the friction between the blades and your skin making the process far more comfortable.
