Category: Epilators

I have a nice variety of hair types on my body for some reason, from thick, coarse, dark hairs in some areas (including my head) to finer, blonde hairs on my thighs. This has given me the chance to see how different hair removal types work for different hair types. And I’ve had quite a bit of practice using epilators to pull out my fine hairs.

Do epilators work on fine hair? Epilators work for fine hair. In fact, most epilators work better on fine hairs than coarse hairs. Fine hair is also less painful to remove for most people.

There are some caveats to this, though. I’ve used epilators to remove fine hair with little problems and I know of lots of other people who report the same. But there are still some people who say they’ve had no luck removing fine hairs with an epilator.

Is this because they are using a low-quality epilator? Or are they using the epilator incorrectly? I don’t know. But there are specific things to do that will increase your chances of success when using an epilator for fine hair.

Do You Even Have Fine Hair?

Before you need to know how epilators work with fine hair, it’s good to know for sure that you actually have fine hair. So how do you do that?

Well, the easiest way is to get a strand of hair and hold in between your fingers. What do you feel?

If you can’t even feel a hair, you have fine hair.

If you feel a hair and it feels strong and thick, your hair is probably coarse.

And if you feel the hair, but it doesn’t feel particularly thick, you can consider the hair about medium.

Whatever your hair type, there should be an epilator that works for it. You just need to know what to look for when buying one.

Features of the Best Epilators for Fine Hair

When choosing an epilator, you should look for a few specific features if you want to get good results with fine hair:

Light

Many epilator models have LED lights that shine on your skin as you epilate. This is really essential if you have fine or light-colored hairs. You will be able to see the hairs well as you epilate, even in the shower or bath or a room with poor lighting.

Multiple Speeds

It’s pretty easy to find epilators with at least two speeds these days. I highly recommend getting an epilator with two speeds if you have fine hair. This allows you to try different speeds to see which works best for your hair.

Generally, a lower speed is best for fine hair. The higher the speed, the more likely that you’ll break off hairs at the surface instead of pulling them out. And this is especially important with fine hair because it is weaker.

Hair Lifting or Gripping Technology

There are different terms for this, depending on the brand, but the general idea is that you want an epilator that has some extra feature that helps to lift or grip hairs better. This will make it more likely that your epilator will grab all your fine hairs without as much hassle.

Braun calls this “close-grip technology,” a feature on most of their epilators, that increases the gripping power of the tweezers. This is why these epilators can pull out hair as short as 0.05 millimeters.

Some Philips epilators come with a “hair lifting massage cap” that you can clip on the epilator head. It combs and lifts hairs from the skin so that the epilator can grab them better.

Using an Epilator on Fine Hair

Once you have a good epilator for fine hair, you can follow most of the general advice about epilating. However, the most likely hurdle you’ll have with fine hair is that it will break while epilating instead of being pulled out completely. If that happens, the hairs will be back in a few days which defeats the purpose of epilating!

So here are a few specific steps that people with fine hair should remember:

Don’t Be Smooth

You want your hairs non-slippery and easy to grab. Even if you have a wet epilator, it’s best to epilate fine hairs without water.

Instead, you should take a shower or bath before you calm skin and open pores, but then thoroughly dry your skin and hair before you start epilating.

You should also make sure that your skin is squeaky clean with no moisturizer or anything else. To increase the traction, you can also add some baby powder, corn starch, or other powder to your hairs before you begin epilating.

Pull Skin Extra Taut

You should do this no matter your hair type, but it’s especially important if you have fine hair. Pull your skin with one hand so that it is stretched and hairs will be easier to grab and pull out.

Go Slow

This is one of the most important steps for people with fine hair. You need to start with your epilator at the lowest speed and probably just stay at that speed. Basically, the epilator needs that extra time for grasping.

Hold the epilator at a 90-degree angle against your skin and move very slowly until you get the hang of it. Then you can try speeding up until you start noticing hairs snapping off instead of being pulled out. After a few tries, you’ll find the perfect speed to go.

Move Against the Direction of Growth

Move your epilator in an upward direction against hair growth. Moving in this direction will help lift hairs better so that they get pulled out.

Preventing Ingrown Hairs

Fine hair doesn’t seem to be that prone to ingrown hairs, but when epilating, people with fine hair are at risk for ingrown hairs, unfortunately.

Why is this? When fine hairs re-grow from the follicle, the tips are so fine that they don’t make it through the skin surface very well.

To prevent this, it’s important for people with fine hair to exfoliate and remove the upper skin layers regularly. I recommend exfoliating before you epilate, the day after, and then every other day, as long as it doesn’t irritate your skin.
There are tons of ways to exfoliate. Here are a few that tend to work well:

• Washing with Massage Sponges
• Exfoliation Peels
• Sugar and Salt Scrubs
• Mechanical Exfoliation Brushes
• Using Pumice Stones

Final Takeaways

Epilators can work well for all hair types, including fine hair. The main concern you’ll have is that your hairs may break off while epilating instead of being pulled out by the root. However, you can address this by buying an epilator with the right features and then following a few guidelines for epilating with fine hair, including making sure the hairs are dry and then moving the epilator slowly along your skin.

Related Questions

What is the best epilator for fine hair?

My pick for best epilator for fine hair is the Braun Silk-épil 9 (click to check it out on Amazon). This epilator has two speeds and works great on fine hairs. The wide head covers lots of area quickly and it even pivots so you reach hairs better. It also comes with an LED light so you can see all those fine hairs and make sure you don’t miss any.

Do epilators work on coarse hair?

Epilators work on coarse hair, but not always as well. The main drawbacks to epilating with coarse hair are the pain and ingrown hairs. You can address these problems by trimming hairs before epilating and exfoliating like crazy.

Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

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I’ve gotten this question quite a few times, and I’ve always answered based on my personal experience. However, I decided recently to look into this a lot more so that I knew for sure I was giving everyone the most reliable information. This is what I found out:

So does epilation reduce hair growth? Epilation with a rotary epilator can sometimes make hair grow back thinner and less conspicuously. In some instances, long-term use damages the hair follicles, which reduces hair growth. Other epilation methods, including electrolysis, IPL, and laser hair removal, are more likely to reduce hair growth.

In my personal experience, I’ve found that after epilating for a while, my hairs do seem to be thinner, less dense, and less noticeable when they grow back. I’ve heard this from lots and lots of other epilator users online and in person.

However, this isn’t the case for every person. And this subject has not been studied very much, so we just don’t know for sure. I have drawn my ideas from tons of anecdotal accounts, the opinions of hair removal professionals, and what we know about anatomy and physiology to come to an educated, but not quite conclusive verdict.

How Epilators Reduce Hair Regrowth

If epilators reduce hair growth, how exactly is that happening? There are three possible explanations that are most frequently used to explain this puzzeling benefit of epilation.

Optical Illusions

First, compared to shaving, hair just feels softer when it grows back, giving the appearance of less hair growth.

Why is this? Shaved hair has a blunt tip, which feels thicker when it’s growing out.

Since epilation pulls the whole hair out, it doesn’t grow out with a blunt tip and therefore just feels and looks thinner without necessarily being thinner.

Hair Growth Cycles

Another aspect of hair regrowth is that hair grows back in cycles. Once you’ve epilated a few times, hairs will be growing back at different times.

if you are epilating on a regular basis, you will only see a small portion of hairs on your skin at any time. This makes it appear like you have less hair than before.

However, if you stopped hair removal for months at a time, all your hairs would make it through their growth cycles and you’d likely see a lot more hair than you imagined you still had.

Hair Follicle Damage

A third possibility is that long-term use of epilators causes damage to hair follicles and this affects hair regrowth.

This damage may be causing hair to grow back less dense or with a finer texture. Or it may be preventing some hairs from growing back at all if the follicle is damaged enough.

Other Reasons

There are a few other explainations for reduced hair growth to consider. If someone sees a change in hair growth after using the same hair removal method for a long period of time, there may be other changes causing the hair reduction besides the hair removal method.

One possibility is hormonal changes or health issues crop up unnoticed, affecting hair regrowth before other symptoms are apparent.

Another common occurrence is that hair follicles simply stop working as well as people age. This is why it’s common to see thinning hair in older people.

Other Types of Epilation and Hair Growth

Since epilation is a word for removing hair by the root, there are several other epilation methods besides rotary epilators. Out of all the methods of epilation, there are three types that have been shown in studies to reduce hair growth. These are electrolysis, intense pulsed light, and laser hair removal.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis or electrology is a type of hair removal that uses a thin metal probe to deliver electricity to a hair follicle. This damages the hair follicle after a series of sessions.

Electrolysis is the only method of hair removal that consistently produces permanent hair removal in studies. However, for it to be effective, it has to be done properly, which takes a degree of skill.

Another issue is that it just doesn’t work for about 5-10% of the population for various reasons. However, even in this subset of the population, it does provide reduced hair growth.

Laser and IPL

Laser and IPL (intense pulse light) are two types of hair removal methods that use light to cause heat and damage to the hair follicle.

The main difference between the two is that IPL uses a wide spectrum of wavelengths while laser uses only one wavelength of light.

After a series of sessions of laser or IPL, hair regrowth is reduced or in some cases, hair is permanently gone.

Other Methods that Reduce Hair Growth

Beyond epilation, there are two other methods commonly utilized to reduce excessive hair growth, particularly in women with hirsutism. These are topical cream and oral medications.

Topical Cream

Vaniqa is a prescription cream that is applied to the skin and reduces hair growth. It is different than other hair removal creams because it doesn’t remove hair, it just prevents hair from growing.

It is approved for women with unwanted facial hair. Unfortunately, it is only effective in about half of people who use it, however.

Oral Medications

Anti-androgen medications including Spironolactone, Finasteride, Cyproterone acetate, and Flutamide are sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat hirsutism and other medical conditions that involve unwanted hair. These medications can have serious side effects, but some people with excessive unwanted hair find the benefits outweigh the risks.

There are many over the counter supplements marketed for this as well, but most or all of them have little evidence to support their claims of reducing hair growth and should be avoided.

Final Takeaways

All epilation methods can potentially reduce hair growth, but electrolysis is the only guaranteed method to work for most people.

This is how I see it: it’s worth it for me to use an epilator for hair removal simply because I get the benefits of waxing at home at a reduced cost and with less waste. Getting lucky and being one of the many users who see reduced hair growth is a sweet bonus, but shouldn’t be your main reason for using an epilator.

Related Questions

Does epilating stop hair growth?

Epilation with a rotary epilator will not stop hair growth. The only well-proven method of permanent hair removal is electrolysis. However, even electrolysis doesn’t stop hair growth permanently in everyone.

Does epilating make hair grow back thicker?

Epilation, like any other hair removal method, does not make hair grow back thicker or darker. This has been debunked quite a few times.

Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

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I’ve always been a little obsessive about finding the easiest and most efficient ways of doing things. So if there is a way to speed up the horrid beauty ritual of pubic hair removal, I want in on it. And that is one reason I ended up researching if and how pubic hair can be removed with an epilator.

So can you use an epilator on pubic hair? Although this area is typically more sensitive than other body parts, epilators can safely and effectively remove shorter pubic hair from the bikini area. Hairs longer than about 3 mm should be trimmed or removed in another way first before epilating when the hairs start to grow back.

So you CAN epilate your pubic hair. But should you? Is this method really a good idea for your lady bits or should you stick with waxing or shaving? There are several things to consider before venturing into epilation for the bikni area.

Benefits of Epilating Pubic Hair

There are 6 main benefits that I love about using an epilator for pubic hair removal:

Super Smoothness

Epilation leaves the skin silky smooth and soft without pokey hairs that pop back almost immediately. After time, hairs also grow back a bit thinner too.

Results that Last for Weeks

Since epilation pulls hairs out by the roots, they take a while to grow back. You can expect to be hair-free for 3-4 weeks before you’ll need to epilate again.

Do-it-Yourself

I can get salon quality results at home with an epilator. Since I don’t like strangers looking at or touching my crotch, this is a huge benefit. I’ll save that type of humiliation for the doctor’s office, thanks.

Almost as Cheap as Dirt

A top of the line epilator without a lot of bells and whistles can be bought for under $100 and it can last 5 or more years. That translates to a cost of less than $2 a month! So maybe cheaper than dirt, depending on where you get your dirt.

Shorter Grow-Out Time

You only need hair that is about 2 millimeters long to epilate with most epilators so there is no need to wait many days for hair to grow back. And some epilators remove hair as shorts as .05 millimeters.

Sensitive-Skin Friendly

Epilators don’t really affect the skin like waxing, razors, or hair removal creams, so irritation, cuts, bumps, burns, and allergic reactions can be avoided.

Side Effects of Using an Epilator on Pubic Hair

There are no perfect hair removal methods for pubic hair, so no matter which one you choose, there are risks of side effects. Here’s what you may experience with epilation:

Pain

This is pretty much a given with epilation. It pulls hairs out at the follicle which hurts like a mofo. But like tweezing and waxing, your body gets used to it as time goes on.

Ingrown Hairs

When you shave, the razor exfoliates your skin for you, so ingrown hairs are rare with saving. For most other hair removal methods, ingrown hairs can be an issue. The best way to avoid this is to exfoliate as much as possible.

Inflammation

Epilating is pretty gentle to your skin, but not so nice to your hair follicles. They can become inflamed which can cause swelling and redness.

Bleeding

Some people have more delicate hair follicles that can bleed when hairs are pulled out. This is usually really minimal and only happens the first time you epilate. After that, your follicles heal and become more resilient.

Skin Damage

This can happen if your skin is too loose and gets caught in the epilator. You can prevent it by using your epilator slowly and carefully and keeping your skin taut.

Tips for Epilating Pubic Hair

When epilating your pubic hair, you can follow the “how to” instructions in your manual. But there are tons of extra tips and tricks specific to pubic hair that you may want to know:

Start with….Not Epilating 

For pubic hair, one of the most important things to do is make sure your hair is not too long. Long, coarse pubic hair is going to be unbearable to epilate. The area is just too sensitive for all that.

So if you want to epilate your pubic hair, I recommend shaving, waxing, trimming, or using some other hair removal method to get rid of the hair first. Then once it has grown back to .05 to 3 millimeters (depending on the requirements of your specific epilator) you can go to town with your epilator. And after that, you can continue to epilate each time the hair reaches .05-3 millimeters long.

Keep It Right, Keep It Tight

The second most important tip for epilating the pubic area is that you must pull the skin taut. Skin in this area is not the tightest and the epilator will just stretch the skin up with the hairs instead of pulling the hairs out quickly and uniformly. And this just makes it that much more painful.

So use one hand to hold down the skin, pulling it away from the area you are epilating so that you are only epilating over skin that is really taut.

Take It Easy

Go slow, hold the epilator at a 90 degree angle, and epilate against the direction of your hair growth. This will help catch all the hairs and pull them out by the root instead of just cutting them off at the surface.

Exfoliate Before and After

The pubic area is prone to ingrown hairs, especially if your pubic hair is coarse. The best way to prevent this is to exfoliate before you epilate, the day after, and then at least every other day.

Take Steps to Manage the Pain

Some women recommend drinking wine or taking a shot of alcohol before epilating the bikini area. Another option is to take an over the counter pain medication. Just don’t take alcohol with pain killers because that can cause stomach bleeding and is a no no.

Other pain management options include taking a hot bath beforehand, icing after, using numbing cream, or using an epilator with a massaging head.

The first couple times I did it I needed to be drunk. Like not a glass of wine buzzed. Legitimately drunk. It became a slightly unique pregaming ritual of mine for when I had party plans. There’s no shame in breaking out the vodka. Eventually the pain goes down as the hair is thinner and weaker. Same theory as waxing.

-Reddit User

Use the Right Epilator

Smaller epilators with lots of tweezers are ideal for the pubic hair. The smaller size allows you to navigate the area easier and more tweezers means faster results. And this is definitely an area you want to be done with as quickly as possible. Another feature to consider is an led light so that you can see better and avoid pinching any skin.

Take Breaks but Don’t Quit

It’s a pretty intense experience the first time, so take as many breaks as you need. But make sure you finish and repeat at least a few times before giving up. Each time will be easier and most people find that it is totally worth it in the long run.

I just repeat in my head how much money I save by epilating and not going to get waxed. One time I epilated my lady parts fully. I consider it in my top 5 life achievements.

-Reddit User

Related Questions

What is the best epilator for pubic hair?

My pick for best epilator for pubic hair is the Panasonic ES-ED50-N Multi-Functional Wet/Dry Shaver and Epilator (click to check it out on Amazon). This epilator is also a shaver with a bikini comb, so you also use it to trim your pubic area before epilating. The gentle epilator head is the perfect size for navigating the pubic area and has added protection that prevents skin from getting caught in the tweezers. And it has an led light as well.

Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

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At first, choosing an epilator seems like a pretty straightforward process. It just pulls hair out like tweezers, how complicated can it be? But a little further investigation and you’ll find that there are many different types of epilators on the market these days. So many, in fact, that choosing one to buy is overwhelming.

In this article, I will break down the three main types of epilators for you, plus explain all the other major variations on the market. With this information, you should have a good foundation for deciding on your next epilator purchase.

The Three Main Types of Epilators

If we divide epilators based on how they grab hairs, then there are basically three types of epilators: spring, disc, and tweezer.

Spring Type Epilators

In 1986, an Israeli company called Epilady released the first epilator. This epilator was the spring type. Spring type epilators have metal coils that rotate and move in a fashion that squeezes the coils together and then apart so they can grab hairs, pull them out, then open up to release the hairs.

Here’s a spring type Epilady epilator:

The springs on these are easily worn out and need to be replaced often. They also have a higher chance of pinching the skin and typically take more passes to pull out all hairs.

Spring epilators have mostly fallen out of popularity as newer designs have been created, although there are some manual spring type epilators still available to buy, like this one:

Rotating Disc Type Epilators

The spring type epilator was a commercial success, but the springs’ low durability made them less than ideal. In response to this, Remington used the epilator concept from Epilady, but changed up the design slightly, using an element made up of rubber discs instead of springs.

These discs were stronger and lasted longer. The discs work in much the same way as springs, though, rotating and coming together to grab hairs and pull them out and then moving apart to release the hairs. But compared to the metal coils, these discs were stronger, lasted longer, and were less painful to use.

This Lady Remington Smooth & Silky epilator commercial from 1989 shows how this type of epilator worked:

Soon after, this design began using rotating metal plates, as seen in this Braun Silk-épil model from 1990:

Tweezer Type Epilators

After more years of refining the design of epilators, most companies are now selling tweezer type epilators. As the name suggests, they work like tweezers. These epilators have a head with multiple metal plates. The plates rotate continuously to move together like tweezers, pull out hairs, then release.

This video demonstrates how the tweezer type epilator works:

Other Types of Epilators

Spring, disc, and tweezer are the three main types of epilator design. However, there are many other ways to categorize epilators. Let’s explore some of the other types of epilators.

Corded vs Cordless Epilators

You can find corded, cordless and dual epilators on the market.

Corded epilators have an attached cord that must be plugged into the wall when using the epilator. In the past, almost all epilators were the corded type.

Then there are cordless types that run on batteries. These have less power but are typically smaller and more convenient for traveling.

Today, most epilators are a combo type similar to cell phones: they have a rechargeable battery and a removable charging cord. You plug the epilator in to charge it and then you can remove it from the cord to use the epilator with more ease. However, if you don’t have time to fully charge it before you need to use it, you can leave it plugged in and charging while you use it.

Wet and Dry Epilators

Corded epilators are always dry epilators. That means they can’t be used in water. For many epilator users, this isn’t a big deal.

However, water makes epilator pain less intense, so many epilators are now designed to be waterproof. These “wet and dry” epilator models are the corded/cordless types so that you can charge the epilators, then remove the cord to use them in the shower or bath.

Manual Epilators vs Electric Epilators

All mechanical epilators are electric epilators. They won’t work without a power source. Most epilators fall into this category.

But there are also manual epilators. These are super simple versions of the spring type epilators.

They are basically just one long spring with handles on each end. You hold the handles and roll the spring against your skin. As you are rolling, the coils grab hairs and pull them out.

These are really inexpensive and use no electricity, but they lack durability and just don’t work very well. Most people use them for peach fuzz or small areas of facial hair, like in this video:

Body Epilators vs Leg Epilators

You may notice that some epilator descriptions seem to make a distinction between epilators for legs and epilators for the body. This seems odd because the legs are usually considered part of the body, right?

The main difference is that epilators designed for the legs usually can cover a larger area quickly and put less attention into reducing irritation and pain. Legs generally can take more pain and speed and don’t need to be handled as gently.

Epilators designated for the body are typically designed for sensitive areas like underarms and the bikini area. They have a smaller head to epilate a small area at a time and may have lower speeds.

Most epilators you will find are for both legs and body. They usually do this by having different caps to put on the heads. They also may have different speeds so you can use lower speeds on more sensitive areas.

Facial Epilators

There are very few epilators on the market specifically designed for facial hair only. These models are smaller and lighter, with narrow heads so you can gracefully navigate around the face to remove upper lip, chin, forehead, and eyebrow hair. They use less power, so are often a little slower and quieter, which provides a more gentle experience for the more delicate areas of your face.

Besides epilators for face only, most of the top epilator models come with attachments so you can use them for the face. This can work fine for a lot of people, but larger epilators and harder to maneuver around the face.

Women’s Epilators vs Men’s Epilators

If you couldn’t tell from the feminine designs and the overabundance of purple, pink, and light blue, almost every model of epilator is designed for and marketed to women.

But there are a few epilators out there marketed specifically to men. There are three features that usually distinguish these from the other epilators on the market:

Men’s epilators are typically black or another “manly” color. Gotta love gender stereotypes, right?

They are also usually designed to remove coarser hair as the body hair on most men is a bit thicker and coarser than women’s body hair.

And men’s epilators usually come with a trimmer attachment.

However, almost all the best epilators for women these days come with trimmer attachments and can remove coarse hairs, so men don’t necessarily need an epilator “for men,” unless they just can’t handle a “girly” color or design.

Types of Epilator Brands

There are dozens of companies that make epilators. However, the most popular and reputable brands currently selling in the United States include Braun, Panasonic, Emoji, Philips, Remington, and of course, Epilady.

Most of these companies specialize in personal care products like epilators and trimmers.

Final Takeways

Epilators have a come a long way since they first hit the market in 1986. Whether you need one to just keep your brows groomed or you want to remove hair all over your body, there is probably a type of epilator that will meet your needs.

Related Questions

What’s the best beginner epilator?

In my opinion, the overall best epilator is the Braun Silk-épil 9. However, if you are a beginner, I recommend the Emjoi Epi Slim (click to check it out on Amazon).

This epilator is small and works best for the face, underarms, or bikini area. But it has a low price that gives you the chance to test out epilation without spending tons.

After you’ve been epilating for a while and know it’s something you will be doing long-term, you can simply upgrade to a better epilator and use this as a back up or travel epilator.

Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

Want to remember this? Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it later!

After all my time using an epilator for my body and facial hair, I’ve had some pretty frustrating experiences like skin redness that I didn’t plan for and a totally obnoxious ingrown hair below my knee that I couldn’t get rid of for months. I’ve also found that the disadvantages are totally worth the benefits of epilation compared to other hair removal methods I’ve tried.

Deciding to use an epilator is a personal decision that each person will have to make on their own, though. Learning about all the major and not so major pros and cons that I’ve experienced or heard about from other users can help you do your own cost-benefit analysis before you invest in a new epilator.

So what are these epilator pros and cons?

Epilator Pros

Long-Lasting Results

One of the best benefits of epilation is that it provides long-lasting smoothness. Epilation pulls hairs out by the root, so they take longer to grow back. You only need to epilate once or twice a month to enjoy silky-smooth skin, all day, every day.

No In-Between Days

If you wax, you know that you have to grow your hair out a while before waxing will work. Not so with epilation. Epilators are better at grabbing really short hairs that waxing can’t. In fact, some epilators can remove hairs as short as half a millimeter. In contrast, waxing usually requires hairs that are at least 2 millimeters long.

Can Be Less Painful Than Waxing

Compared to waxing, some epilators are more gentle and can cause less pain. This is because many epilators these days come with built-in mechanisms like massaging heads that trick your nervous system into feeling less pain. They can also be used in a hot bath or shower, which reduces pain and makes you feel more relaxed.

Semi-Permanent Hair Removal

Epilation is definitely a temporary hair removal solution, but there are some permanent benefits if you use them long-term. Roots can only grow back so many times, so hair growth reduces over time.

In the meantime, hair grows back with finer tips than with shaving, so hairs are softer and less noticeable.

All Over Body Hair Removal

Epilators can be used all over the body, including the legs, arms, face, underarms, and bikini area. Most epilators come with multiple caps that you can put on the head so the epilator will work better on certain areas like the face or bikini area.

Zero-Waste Hair Removal

Epilators produce no waste, other than the hairs they remove. There’s no shaving creams, no supplies, no disposable parts to buy. They use a minimal amount of electricity as well. Essentially, they are one of the greenest methods of hair removal.

One of the Cheapest Hair Removal Methods

Once you buy an epilator, that’s it. There are no additional costs. A good quality epilator can be bought for around $100 and it should last at least one or two years. Many can last much longer than that.

Compare this to one waxing session, which can cost $30 or more or the price of replacing razors every month and you can quickly see that epilation can save lots of money compared to other hair removal methods.

Ideal Hair Removal for Extra Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin or skin that gets irritated easily, an epilator can be a blessing.

Epilation doesn’t pull on the skin or rub against it like shaving. It doesn’t require chemicals like depilatory creams. It’s like using tweezers, so the skin is minimally affected. You’ll be a little red, but other than the possibility of ingrown hairs, epilation doesn’t have many drawbacks for sensitive skin.

Since daily hair removal with water can dry out the skin, it’s also a great hair removal method if you have skin that dries out easily.

Hair Removal for All Hair Types and Skin Colors

Epilation won’t affect the color or tone of your skin, so no worries in that department.

There are epilators designed for every hair type as well. Whether you have coarse hair, thin hair, dark hair, light hair, or anything in-between, epilation will remove your hair.

Fast DIY At Home Hair Removal

Owning an epilator means that you don’t have to go to the salon anymore for waxing. So no more awkward moments when you are half-naked with a stranger who inflicts pain on you.

As I’ve heard one epilator user say, pain can be more tolerable when you are the one in control of it (like with an epilator). It’s more stressful when you are at the mercy of someone else (like with waxing.)

Being able to remove hair at home is also less time-consuming. You don’t have to make time for a commute to your appointment. And you don’t have to work around someone else’s schedule. You can do it anytime you want.

Convenient Hair Removal for Travel

Epilation is a great hair removal method for traveling. e largest epilators on the market can fit into a purse or travel bag with ease. There are no messy creams or waxes and you don’t need water. If you have a cordless model, you can epilate pretty much anywhere, even out in the wilderness or an airport bathroom.

Easy and Simple Way to Remove Hair

Learning to shave or wax can be a little difficult. You can end up with cuts or just a huge mess of wax all over the place until you get more skilled with those methods.

There’s no learning curve with epilation. Modern epilators are easy to use. Just one epilation session or two, and you will be a pro.

Hair Removal for Busy People

No more waking up early every morning to shave. No more rushing from work to the salon for waxing. No more sitting around with stinky creams on your legs, waiting for them to work.

Essentially, epilation is a great option for busy, stressed-out people. It is the least time consuming hair removal method. Just turn on some Netflix and chill with your epilator for 30 minutes, twice a month. That can be the extent of your whole hair removal routine. How sweet is that!?

Epilator Cons

Epilator Pain

This is one of the most dreaded aspects of epilators. Epilator pain sucks. It can be really horrible the first few sessions. Some people try epilating and decide they just can’t handle it. But for those who can get through the first few times, it does get better. Eventually, most epilator users don’t experience pain when epilating, just some mild discomfort.

Ingrown Hair From Epilating

Some people never get ingrown hairs, no matter what hair removal method they use. For those who are prone to ingrown hairs, epilating can be a huge downside.

If you want to prevent ingrown hairs after epilation, I recommend exfoliating like crazy before and after you epilate and then at least once a week. This doesn’t work perfectly to stop ingrown hairs for everyone, but for most people, it does the trick.

However, the good news is that epilation does make hairs finer and softer over the years, so it is possible that long-term epilator users can become less prone to ingrown hairs just from this side effect of epilating.

Epilator Cost

The upfront investment for epilation can be an obstacle for some people. It’s definatley more expensive than a bag of disposable razors and shaving cream.

However, even the best epilators on the market can be bought for around $100 these days. If you are on a tight budget, some epilators are as low as $30.

Epilator Charging Time and Epilator Batteries

Cordless epilators are nice to have, but you have to keep on top of charging them before you use them. And some don’t have rechargeable batteries. With these, you have to worry about the additional cost of replacement batteries. If you don’t keep some extra batteries around, you may find yourself half-way through epilating a leg when your battery dies. Not an ideal situation.

Skin Redness After Epilation

After you epilate, your skin is going to be red. If you use an epilator, you do have to plan ahead a little due to this inconvenience. Epilating at night is an easy way to solve this, though. It gives your skin time to calm down before you have to be out in public again.

Epilators and Sensitive Areas

Although epilation can be done anywhere on the body, some people find it is just too painful to epilate certain areas, like the bikini area. A lot of people end up using an epilator for legs, but then turning to other methods for their underarms, bikini area, and face. This is obviously not an ideal situation but may work for you too.

So Should You Use an Epilator?

Choosing a hair removal method is a personal decision. There is no perfect hair removal method that works for everyone.

There are many advantages and disadvantages of using an epilator for hair removal. Epilators are a cheap, eco-friendly, and time-saving way to have smooth, hairless skin for weeks at a time. However, these epilator benefits come with the cost of pain and possible ingrown hairs.

Related Questions

What is the best epilator for beginners?

My pick for the best epilator overall is the Braun Silk-épil 9. However, for beginners, I typically recommend the Emjoi Epi Slim (click to check it out on Amazon). This is a small affordable epilator that works best for the face, underarms, or bikini area. The low price lets you test out epilation for yourself without spending a lot. Then if epilation works out well for you, you can eventually upgrade to a better epilator and use this as a back up or travel epilator.

Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

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