Epilator, OMG!

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I'm not sure if this is the best place for this, but it seemed appropriate. I have had my epilator for over a year, and admittedly, I'd never used it...until tonight. I ran out of disposable razors, so...

I got set up in the bathroom and got to work. And, oh. my. god. Was it ever an unpleasant experience. I don't consider myself an overly sensitive person, but I didn't enjoy epilating a single bit. I didn't shave beforehand and let the hair grow back a little before trying it out, I mean, I was sporting a couple of days worth of hair growth. I must've been making some pretty awful noises, because about 10 minutes into this whole business my husband tentatively knocked at the door to see if I was okay. And when he came into the bathroom, he literally laughed out loud and asked me what in the world I was doing. And after touching it to the hair on his arm, he declared me insane and slunk back to his Youtube video on how to rebuild a motor (or whatever manly thing he was watching).

SO, I'm sure someone out there epilates. Any advice? Does it get easier, or will I just have to grin and bear it? My goal was to at least do the bottoms of my legs and knees, which I did, but I was literally sweating by the time I'd finally made my way to that second knee. And the thought of using that thing on my thighs, or more sensitive areas like my bikini zone, actually made me shudder. I have a pre-cleansing lotion, numbing spray (my round rear end) and a lotion for after, which I used, I also stretched the skin I was epilating like the instructions said, and my legs are looking pretty rough and not feeling so great after all of the plucking.

I really want to like my epilator, and all the promises of not shaving for a few weeks and lighter hair growth, but I'm not sure I can sit down and do that to myself on a regular basis. I'd really appreciate any tips or tricks a seasoned user could offer!

 
Wow! It sounds like you had a pretty trying experience with yours. While I admit my first time using an epilator was a bit of a shock, it was nothing like that. Then again, I sometimes suspect I have a relatively good tolerance for plucking pains. You do get used to it over time. Some epilators provide an attachment to let you run over the skin, without being close enough to pull, in order to help desensitize if you are very sensitive or new to epilating. 

What epliator are you using? It's definitely one of those kinds of products where brand can make such a difference. My first was a Remington and it was terribad. My current is an Emjoi and is awesome. 

Another suggestion is maybe taking some ibuprofen or advil about 30 - 45 minutes beforehand, like they suggest for waxing. 

 
Its an Emjoi, and I paid like $100 for it, so I definitely want to get some use out of it. I've gotten waxed before, and never thought it was that bad. I guess I was expecting the epilator to be similar, but it was s-l-o-w going, not a fast rip like getting waxed.

I went ahead and stole one of my husbands razor blades and shaved everything I didn't get with the epilator. My plan is to wait a day or so and attempt the rest, when the hair isn't so long. I did notice that it was grabbing some hairs, but not pulling them out, just pulling. So I'm thinking shorter hair might help some. I'll for sure try a ibuprofen or Advil and maybe a hot shower before I go at it the next time, hopefully it won't be as bad!

Thanks for the reply :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
Its an Emjoi, and I paid like $100 for it, so I definitely want to get some use out of it. I've gotten waxed before, and never thought it was that bad. I guess I was expecting the epilator to be similar, but it was s-l-o-w going, not a fast rip like getting waxed.
I'd return it, honestly.

 
Can I ask why? I've had it for about a year now, so I really doubt returning it is an option at this point. And I take that back, I think I paid like $70 for it, but add in the creams and everything, meh. Anyway, just curious to know why you think I should  return it?

 
Can I ask why? I've had it for about a year now, so I really doubt returning it is an option at this point. And I take that back, I think I paid like $70 for it, but add in the creams and everything, meh. Anyway, just curious to know why you think I should  return it?
If it's something you hate using, you're not likely to use it, over time... and having the money back frees you up to tr something else.

 
Even though the epilator wasn't all that fun to use, I'm happy to report that where I used it is still hair free. I've already had to shave the tops of my legs again...twice. I think I'll stick with it and muster up the courage to use it on places other than my calves and knees :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
I had one of these torture gadgets a couple years ago. It's one thing I never got used to, even though they say it gets better over time. I couldn't even get a half a leg done.

 
Aw, I'm feeling bad for the epilators of the world. I really love mine. Thinking back, the first time I did my underarms I may have gone into slight shock by the amount of pain and was seriously considering if I should keep it. And then I saw the results and knew that I could never go back to shaving. For a long time now, I don't even notice any pain when I run my epilator and I use that sucker basically everywhere I would otherwise shave.

 
I'm not sure if this is the best place for this, but it seemed appropriate. I have had my epilator for over a year, and admittedly, I'd never used it...until tonight. I ran out of disposable razors, so...

I got set up in the bathroom and got to work. And, oh. my. god. Was it ever an unpleasant experience. I don't consider myself an overly sensitive person, but I didn't enjoy epilating a single bit. I didn't shave beforehand and let the hair grow back a little before trying it out, I mean, I was sporting a couple of days worth of hair growth. I must've been making some pretty awful noises, because about 10 minutes into this whole business my husband tentatively knocked at the door to see if I was okay. And when he came into the bathroom, he literally laughed out loud and asked me what in the world I was doing. And after touching it to the hair on his arm, he declared me insane and slunk back to his Youtube video on how to rebuild a motor (or whatever manly thing he was watching).

SO, I'm sure someone out there epilates. Any advice? Does it get easier, or will I just have to grin and bear it? My goal was to at least do the bottoms of my legs and knees, which I did, but I was literally sweating by the time I'd finally made my way to that second knee. And the thought of using that thing on my thighs, or more sensitive areas like my bikini zone, actually made me shudder. I have a pre-cleansing lotion, numbing spray (my round rear end) and a lotion for after, which I used, I also stretched the skin I was epilating like the instructions said, and my legs are looking pretty rough and not feeling so great after all of the plucking.

I really want to like my epilator, and all the promises of not shaving for a few weeks and lighter hair growth, but I'm not sure I can sit down and do that to myself on a regular basis. I'd really appreciate any tips or tricks a seasoned user could offer!
I started using the epilator at 13 (i unfortunately suffer from a condition that produces more hair growth than the avg person - i wont get into it but i'm well used to it now in my later 20s!!) I haven't used it entirely through out my life but on and off. The brand I continually go back to and buy from is Braun. A very popular brand ,as I'm sure you're aware. I know this much it hurts like a witch the first time and a few times after that and sometime on the crimson wave!! but you do eventually get used to it. It's def a cheaper alternative to waxing, if I can't afford to get waxed that month or whenever I'll whip out that bad boy and away I go. My legs end up smooth just like i've been waxed and I do follow up the following day with a lotion to I guess close the pores and leaves it less stubbly ,i dont suffer from the stubble as much as some ladies do but I guess to give myself a post epilator lotion thingy, the same you'd use with a post wax lotion.

Some people just cannot stand the pain and it doesn't matter how much or how little hair growth they have. I'd say give it a few more tries and if it's not working and you're still wincing just give up. I know I tell myself 'no pain, no gain', but it's not worth it if your eyes are crying out for you to stop!! What brand/version are you using? It could be as simple as the blades are just too harsh for you. If you're really wanting to get into it, I'd advise you stay away from the cheaper brands and invest in one, because the cheaper ones are more likely to cause you problems and in the long run with the higher end prices you'll get more bang for your buck. I will never not epilate now! These days my waxing habits are purely down to my laziness for not wanting to waste time epilating hahah that's really it! Oh and I forgot to mention your knees and your calves will always be the sorest points, but just use some lotion the following day or use aloe vera a few minutes after and you should be grand. 

If you have any other questions , feel free to ask :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

edit: I read the other posts ,I've never actually heard of emoji for epilating. Is that brand exclusive to one country? I must check them out. 

I will say this though , please don't epilate after you've had a shower it will hurt more! Give a day after the shower and go for it ,but that day I don't know anyone i've spoken to keeps complaining how painful it is. I've not bothered after the shower as I don't treat epilating the same way as shaving. It's the only tip I can give you.

 
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I have used epilator once but never went back to it... too painful for me.

I used to shave but when I trained for becoming a beauty therapist, we were asked to wax and I first hated it. Over the years of practice, I never understood why beauty salons didn't try to minimize this pain and as I said in my introduction thread, I researched on how to do that, first for myself and then to offer it to my customers.

I eventually found an old Indian technique that I adapted to waxing treatments and tested it on some of my customers and it worked.

So all that to say: don't despair, there are solutions for painful hair removal treatments and who knows as I am training everyday more beauty therapists to the technique I developed, you might see one of them close to where you are soon :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I can give you a few tips to improve things in the meantime though:

- try to avoid removing hairs just before or just after your period. This is when you are most sensitive. The best moment is two weeks after it.

- breathing techniques can help a lot (square breathing, childbirth breathing) to alleviate the pain feeling

- relaxation is definitely important as well. The more you tense your muscles, the more it will hurt.

I hope that helps... a little :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
Here is my 2 cents on the subject. I've used epilator on and off through the years. I currently have Braun. It definitely takes time to get use to it. I use it right after shower, because I think the hair is softer and my skin is more relaxed. If I go for months without using it, the first time of use will hurt. So try to do just bellow your knees once a week and see if you will get use to it. If now maybe that is now your method. My skin is definitely softer, don't have the razor bumps and the hair grows slower. The down side is a little pain and time consuming.  

 
@@Nic1986 I think you should try it at regular intervals to see if you can get used to it. It's very much like plucking your eyebrows for the first time - in fact, it's basically an electronic tweezer. Shaving is just cutting down the hair close to or at the surface of the skin, whereas epilating aims to yank it out from the root.

Personally, I've been using an epilator on legs (thighs as well) and underarms regularly for the past couple years. Recently, I haven't been very good at keeping up with the leg-shaving, because I only ever need it done in the summer, so the slight pinching returns; however, I've pretty much gotten used to it and won't go back to shaving for anything. If you want, get them professionally waxed first, and then epilate to maintain it. That's usually what I do for my underarms.

I hope you keep up with the epilating - it really is a great tool and it doesn't use harsh chemicals and greatly decreases risks of ingrown hairs. Good luck!

 
These are highly dependent on your usage cycles and models. Watch a tutorial on YouTube for your specific model if you can. It should not be that painful of an experience. 

 
I saw an Epilator on one of those late night As Seen On TV ads and at the time I was only like 14 years old and had NO clue what it did (I thought it was an electric razor...it's not...) I bought one and my mom bought one too, as soon as we got home I got down to business, I had a few hairs that I wanted to get rid of and I figured I would just shave them off..no...I'm not sure what I screamed but as soon as that thing touched a hair I let out a few cuss words. I was NOT expecting that I took it to my dad who has very hairy arms (I didn't tell him what it did) I told him to give it a try, needless to say he let out a cuss word too.

My moms epilator is still in the package in her draw never been touched. I will never mess with one of those things again, I would rather be hairy. :smilehappyyes:

 
Hey gals
 
I have a quick question - hope it is ok to dig out this older thread:
What epilator would you suggest? And do you actually trust comparison sites like https://www.which2buy.co.uk/epilators ? Do you think they are unbiased in their reviews?
 
The first one in their list would not be my choice, I would rather choose the 3rd one ...
 

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