Are epilators worth the pain?

The real kicker. Are epilators worth the pain?

Before I get started, if you’re unaware of what an epilator is, it’s a device that has a rotating head on it which has a bunch of tweezers that pluck out your hairs, really fast. The perks of using this is you’re removing hair at the root just like waxing, so your hair doesn’t grow back as quickly. It even pulls out those stubborn thin and fine hairs, which is unbelievable since I always had to tweeze after waxing.

As you continue to use an epilator such as the Philips SatinPerfect Epilator, those hairs get easier to pull out since they’re not thick and stubbly from being cut off with a razor.

First things first. I wanted to try an epilator for the longest time because I knew it would be a similar pain sensations as waxing. Except a slower process, since it’s not as quick as waxing. Just less mess!

If you want to get an idea of pain, it’s going to feel the same as waxing. Except you’re going over the same spot a few times. So the pain is longer since you’re continually going over the spot. The reason I didn’t buy one for the longest time is the fear factor. I remember the first time I went to get my armpits waxed I was terrified. But as soon as the first strip ripped off, I was good. I knew what to expect. Eventually I bought my own waxing warmer, and while that was great, I ended up getting a little too experimental and causing some grief on myself. I’ll let your mind do the wandering on that one. No need to elaborate. Let’s all just nod in agreement.

Sure enough, a few months went by and I got lazy and started shaving with a razor. My skin can be sensitive, so shaving sometimes creates uncomfortable razor burn on my under arms.

Hence my review about the Philips SatinPerfect Epilator! As you can see it comes with a few added attachments.

Attachments:

• Shaver
• Massaging attachment
• power cord to charge it (the product itself is wireless)
• cleansing brush to clean off excess hairs

The reason I wanted to review (and received it from the Philips PR team) this is due to the fact that waxing got messy, and then I got lazy, waiting for the warmer to heat up the pot of wax. Not to mention the fact that I took off half my eyebrow doing it myself. That’s what happens when you get a little too comfortable with the product. You get cocky and try new things.

Using the epilator for the first time is like getting waxed for the first time. There was no negotiating myself to get ready to pull off a wax strip. Instead, there was this machine that could potentially eat my skin and rip all the hairs our while doing so. I mean, it sounds like a torture device when it’s turned on. I’m scaring you, aren’t I? Please keep reading, I promise it gets better.

I started with my legs. It was a little weird feeling, I cringed while doing it and I managed to get one done in about 3-4 minutes. I got brave, and then tried it out on my armpits. I shaved them 2 days ago so I thought having a small amount of stubble would be sufficient.

Pain, it’s all relative. People have completely different pain tolerances than one another. For instance I’d rather go through the armpit removal pain than tweeze my eyebrows. That stuff makes me cringe like no other! Cannot stand it. I’ve been told I was crazy for wanting to try this gadget out, but I was dead set as I’d like to think I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I don’t flinch too much when I get things waxed, so I was ready for this pretty little device to do its thing on me.

It was excruciating getting past those first few seconds (okay maybe the first minute or so), and I wasn’t alone. I tweeted about it and immediately conversed with Ashley who tried it the night before and was close to tears. I had to turn the machine off and take a break because I was starting to sweat due to the pain. I can only imagine what a tattoo would feel like getting done. I presume it’s similar to epilating. But sweet mercy does it ever kill your underarms.

Tips and tricks I’ve found that eases the sting. I mean you’re not going to eliminate it all together, let’s get real. But it’s easier when…

• Hop in the shower and get a long relaxing shower. You get relaxed, your pores open. Thus making it less painful for hair removal.
• It’s a familiar sensation to getting waxed, and just a lot less messier.
• It removes hair very well. It’s not cheap, I will give you that. But it is a high quality product
• Vibrates, so it soothes the skin as it goes.
• 1. For legs, I go up in the opposite direction of the hair growth, just like shaving. You can go in multiple directions, just go against the direction of the hair growth.

Downfalls to epilating is that you’re more prone to ingrown hairs. That was people’s number one complaint about them after watching many videos and reading reviews. There are ways to prevent ingrown hairs though. You’ll need to exfoliate on a daily basis, it’s an important step. You can purchase any body scrub, a loofa, or use an exfoliating mitt. I have all three in my shower and use it consecutively. I go a little overboard.

Do you have to let your hair grow out before you can use it? Or can you use it at any length?
This was the one issue I hated with getting hair waxed, you always needed a little longer than a 5 o’clock shadow before waxing. However, with epilating it grabs the smallest shortest hairs. Bonus is that you don’t have to epilate that much since it grabs the root of the hair, making your skin smooth for just as long as if you waxed.

How painful is epilating?
I have only used the epilator on my legs and armpits. While I do have a high pain tolerance, epilating was … er, unpleasant the first few uses, especially on the armpits. OH BOY.

How long does it take to epilate certain areas?
It took me about 6 minutes to do both my legs. As for the underarms it took a little longer. Courage made me pursue it through.

How long does it last before you need to epilate again?
Since hair grows at different rates I’ve used it twice in the last two weeks. Once I use it for a few more weeks I’m sure I won’t have to epilate as much. Then again, twice in two weeks isn’t so bad!

What do you use to remove your unwanted hair?

Have you ever tried using an epilator?