Has Anyone Used an Epilator
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free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:52 am

I am considering purchasing one of the new Braun epilators. Does anyone have any experience with the newer epilators and are they as gentle as they claim. Any comments would be appreciated.

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:30 am

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my epilator. I save so much money on waxing, and it's relatively fast, easy, and convenient. I've been using one for over a year now, and I regret I didn't have one all along. My hair comes back slower, finer, and in less quantity. I use the epilator once a week and still shave toward the end of the week when I want super smooth legs. The important thing is that I don't HAVE to shave.

My epilator is old and it's time to get a new one, so I can't recommend you get a particular model. There are so many out there-- make sure you get one with good reviews.

Some advice. When you first start to use an epilator in a given area, it hurts like hell. But over time it hurts less and less. It's just like waxing. When I first started, I took a couple of Motrin a half hour before beginning and I used the gentlest setting. The pain was such that I couldn't stand it long enough to get a leg or bikini area all the way done. But I remembered what it was like when I first waxed and how it got easier. So I hung in there and just did it as long as I could stand it and waited 3 to 4 days before trying again. And I found that each time I could go longer and that it would hurt less. It doesn't even bother me any more. I now go full on, high steam with no Motrin.

Do not epilate the week before your period unless you're a masochist and like intense pain.

You could try a numbing product on the skin, but do not use too much or cover too big an area at once because I've heard of people getting sick and overdosing from absorbing too much through their skin.

Good luck!

bushy wrote:

I am considering purchasing one of the new Braun epilators. Does anyone have any experience with the newer epilators and are they as gentle as they claim. Any comments would be appreciated.

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:19 am

I had an epilator a few years back but gave up on it. Was getting ingrown hairs and it took me forever to do my legs, having to go over and over the same area to get all the hair. Can't remember what brand it was though...and the new models are probably more effective.

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:07 am

I do like the fact that I only have to go over my legs once a week with an epilator - but the ingrowing hairs are horrendous.

Mind you, I get ingrowing hair with shaving and waxing too. Can't win. Crying or Very sad

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:36 am

I don't get in-growns, and I think it's because I exfoliate with scrubby mitts and use soap/cleansers that contain salicylic acid.

I think the various models are really different with results to time, effectiveness, pain, etc. They have certainly come a long way from the first models. Google "epilator + review" and do a little research to be sure to get a good brand/model.

majorb wrote:

I do like the fact that I only have to go over my legs once a week with an epilator - but the ingrowing hairs are horrendous.

Mind you, I get ingrowing hair with shaving and waxing too. Can't win. Crying or Very sad

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:38 pm

Thank you all for your input. I will certainly do the google bit for reviews. The suggestion of pain does not bother me as I am prepared to start off slowly. I will let you know how I go.

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:00 pm

I have a Braun epilator. I gave up on it and went back to my good ol' Venus razor because
1) takes forever to remove leg hair
2) not all hair is removed...must go through are several times meticulously to get every strand
3) ingrown hair
4) sometimes painful

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:44 pm

I use my Dermalogica Buffing Cloth (which is a fab exfoliator) at least twice a week, plus an exfoliating scrub containing glycolic acid on my legs daily, but I still get ingrowing hairs.

I fear that nothing will stop the blummin' things.

free skin care · Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:24 pm

I've been using the Silk Epil epilator for years and really like it. I mostly use it on my thighs/upper legs as I don't have much hair there and what I do have is really thin. It's painless in that area but time consuming if you want to get every hair. (I prefer to shave my lower legs daily.) I also occasionally epil my bikini area but holy sh!t it hurts like hell!!!! Shock

It hurts more than when I got a tattoo! I do get the odd ingrown hair here and there in the bikini area but my thighs remain soft and smooth for almost a month.

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 12:35 am

Just thought I would update on this topic as I received a Braun Silk Epil as part of my Christmas present and.....
I LOVE IT.
It has many changeable heads plus a couple of speeds so I think anyone could use this model. I started off with the gentle head for a few minutes and with no irritation, put on the normal head with an additional attachment containing rollers which stimulate the skin while epilating. Very mild sensation with this as I think I could mostly feel the rollers rather than the epilation. So I then took the roller attachment off and put the normal cover on and finished my legs this way. The sensation of hair being pulled out was extremely mild. After I had finished my legs were super smooth but did have the appearance of having measles (all the red dots) but I dug through my bathroom cupboard and found a Rosewater Mist and applied that. Within 5 minutes legs all back to normal and looking good.
I will never shave again. It also has a facial attachment so eyebrows will be next.

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 3:15 am

Bushy, what model of the Silk-Epil did you get? I have an old one that I gave up on as it hurt too much, but all of the newer ones seem to have a gentler setting now so I'm thinking of treating myself. The stores here have several different ones though, so I'm not sure which one to go for.

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 11:46 am

fifi - I think they're so much better now. Also, after the first few uses you kind of get used to the sensation. Underarms are a little tricky, though, especially trying to stretch the skin so none gets nipped (yeouch!)

I've had to stop using mine due to very bad ingrowing hairs. Mind you, all other methods of hair removal I've tried so far have also caused this problem - epilation's the worst, sadly. That's why I'm aiming to have laser hair removal.

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 12:25 pm

I got one of those Epil Silk ones, doesn't work so well on the legs or arms since I have very little hair and most of it ends up breaking. Forget about using it for facial hair.. grows back in days..

But it is great for the underarms, beats hot wax any day.

I have been applying a carrier oil + clary sage essential oil afterwards, and it has made such a HUGE difference in how the hair grows back. Normally it would take 6-8 weeks for everything to grow back completely, and it has been more than 8 weeks since the last time I used it, and hair growth has been reduced by about 80%

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:29 pm

I tried one for quite a while, but like majorb, nothing I did stopped ingrowing hairs, so I gave up.. Sad

( it also hurt like hell, it was a couple of years back now, so a now out - of - date model of silk - epil )

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 7:39 pm

fifi wrote:

Bushy, what model of the Silk-Epil did you get? I have an old one that I gave up on as it hurt too much, but all of the newer ones seem to have a gentler setting now so I'm thinking of treating myself. The stores here have several different ones though, so I'm not sure which one to go for.

The model is a 5580. I actually wanted to get the 5680 which is identical but also has a shaving attachment but it was not available in Oz.

free skin care · Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:42 am

Hmm...I'll have a look out for that model - they have a few different ones in Boots. Might be time to stop being such a wimp and try again Laughing

.

free skin care · Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:33 am

I tried using an epilator for a short time. I couldn't get past the pain. I still think that waxing is less painful.

free skin care · Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:02 pm

Hi bushy, does this look like the one you got?:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Braun-Xelle-EasyStart-Body-Epilator/dp/B000ECWZUC/sr=1-1/qid=1167853645/ref=sr_1_1/202-2759970-4299835?ie=UTF8&s=personal
The model # is the same, but I think they might vary from country to country. Couldn't see one with a model # 5680 in the UK either, but this looks good - a bit more advanced than the old one I had.

free skin care · Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:22 pm

I jsut posted a sort of review in the product reviews section. I like mine so far. It takes a bit to get used to but it's fantastic.

free skin care · Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:00 pm

I had that torture implement called Epilady a few years back. The pain was horrible, and I got badly inflammed ingrown hair. Compared to that, waxing was a piece of cake. Ouch!

free skin care · Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:53 pm

fifi wrote:

Hi bushy, does this look like the one you got?:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Braun-Xelle-EasyStart-Body-Epilator/
dp/B000ECWZUC/sr=1-1/qid=1167853645/ref=sr_1_1/202-2759970-4299835?ie=UTF8&s=personal
The model # is the same, but I think they might vary from country to country. Couldn't see one with a model # 5680 in the UK either, but this looks good - a bit more advanced than the old one I had.

It certainly looks like the model I have as it is showing some of the attachments and the cool pack. If you want to know the differences between models, check this link:
http://www.braun.com/global/silkepil/xelle.html

free skin care · Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:46 am

Hmm...they have a useful list of stores on there where the products are sold, I think I might check a few out to see if the 5680 is available anywhere. Thanks bushy!!

free skin care · Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:56 am

I tried one years ago and heard like h*ll, sounds like they must of changed some what.

free skin care · Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:01 am

tam wrote:

I tried using an epilator for a short time. I couldn't get past the pain. I still think that waxing is less painful.

I tried epilator once and that was the last time as well, I cant get over the pain waxing either so i have to shave my legs every couple of days, hard work but at least it does not hurt Smile

free skin care · Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:57 am

Brilliant, caused my husband great amusement when I first started to use one but the hairs get finer and fewer with time.

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