All the fancy epilator ads make wet epilation seem like the ideal method. However, after years of epilating, I’m not as sold on epilating wet. But that doesn’t mean epilating dry is the ideal method for you.
So should you epilate wet or dry? I usually recommend epilating dry. It’s the most efficient method, for sure. However, there are benefits to epilating wet as well. To help you decide what’s best for you, I dive into the full benefits of each method below.
Benefits of Wet Epilation
Pain Relief
Pain relief is one of the main benefits of wet epilation. Warm water relaxes the body and calms the skin, which makes any pain you experience seem not quite as bad.
In addition, according to the gate control theory of pain, your nervous system can’t process multiple sensations at once. So if your skin is processing the sensation of water flowing on your skin, it will be less likely to process the signals of pain when you are pulling hairs out by the root.
So if you want to manage epilation pain easily, wet epilation is one of the best ways to do that.
Easy Clean Up
When you epilate, you are going to have hairs flying everywhere and a mess to clean up afterward. However, if you are epilating in the shower or bath, clean up is simple. You just have to rinse everything down the drain.
In addition, if you have a wet epilator, you can clean the epilator with water. In contrast, dry epilators are a bit more challenging to clean. You have to use a dry brush to remove clumps of hairs and then use alcohol to sanitize everything.
Benefits of Dry Epilation
Efficiency
The best reason for choosing dry epilation is efficiency. In the shower or bath, water weighs down hairs, making them harder to grap. Water also makes hair slippery.
So by simply epilating with dry skin and hair, you will experience better grip. This means that your epilator will grab more hairs in one go, which will mean less frustration and less time spent using your epilator.
Longer-Lasting Results
Wet hair is weaker and breaks more easily. When epilating, your goal is to pull hairs out by the root so that the results last longer. However, if you are breaking the hairs off at the surface because they are weak, then it’s essentially the same as shaving. You will have stubble the next day.
With dry epilation, you have a much better chance of not breaking hair, so you will avoid stubble and have longer-lasting results.
Easy to See
Have you ever gotten out of a dimly lit shower after shaving your legs to find that you missed a huge patch of hair? If so, you know that lighting makes a huge difference when removing body hair.
Since you can dry epilate pretty much anywhere, you can choose the best lit area in your home. Then you can make sure you don’t miss a single hair.
No Charging
Life happens and we sometimes forget to charge our epilators. If you have a corded epilator or an epilator that can be used while it’s plugged into the wall, this isn’t a problem. You can just dry epilate while the epilator is plugged in.
This is never an option with wet epilation, however, because you’ll risk electrocution if mix water and a power source like that.
More Entertainment
Of course, you can listen to music in the shower, but with dry epilation, your entertainment options are wider. You can even get a big bath towel and camp out in the living room and watch Netflix.
Entertainment like this can help distract you from the monotony and pain that is epilation. Which ultimately means you’ll be more likely to stick with it for the long haul and get the results you want.
Advantages of Wet Dry Epilators
I’ve been 100% sold on dry epilation for years now. But even so, when I bought my newest epilator, I ended up opting for a Wet Dry epilator that can be used in the bath or shower. Even if you don’t think you’ll end up epilating in the bath or shower, there are still many reasons to consider a wet dry epilator.
Cordless
Back in the 90s, before cell phones were mainstream, cordless phones were all the rage. That’s because we all knew the annoyances of being constricted by a cord attached to the wall.
And this applies to tons of appliances besides phones. It’s just more convenient to be able to take your epilator anywhere without having to worry about whether there is a place to plug it into.
And every wet dry epilator on the market is going to be cordless so that’s one reason to consider buying one.
Exfoliation
Even if you don’t epilate in the shower, you should be taking a shower before epilation and exfoliating your skin so you can prevent ingrown hairs.
Many of the more high end wet dry epilators on the market today come with exfoliation brushes or attachments that you can use before epilation to get rid of dead skin cells with ease.
Of course, you can always just buy exfoliating gloves or use another exfoliation method, but exfoilation brushes definitely create a more luxurous experience.
Easier to Clean
Wet dry epilators are designed to be submerged in water, so this makes them easier to clean. Instead of having to blow or brush hairs out of the head before having to carefully sanitize everything with alcohol, you can simply wash it with some soap under warm water.
Pain Management
Even if you want to epilate dry for better efficiency, sometimes it’s best to ease into epilation by using your epilator in water for the first sessions. If you have a dry epilator, this isn’t even an option. So keep this in mind when deciding on which epilator to buy.
Lighting
Although you can choose the best lit area in your house for epilating when you epilate dry, sometimes the best lighting just isn’t good enough. Many wet dry epilators these days have LED lights that light up the skin you are epilating. This can be really useful if you have fine or light colored hairs that are hard to see.
Epilating Wet Tips
Safety First
The most important part of epilating wet is not dying! Seriously, water and electricity don’t mix well. So make sure your epilator is designed to be used in water before trying this out. Read the manual and follow all the safety precautions so you don’t end up with an electric shock.
Charge Your Epilator
Remember to charge your epilator before you plan to epilate. This varies by epilator, but you will probably need to charge it for at least an hour for a 30-minute session.
Cleanse Skin
When you pull hairs out by the root, your skin becomes more prone to infection until it heals. So you need to get rid of bacteria and other germs before you epilate by cleansing your skin well with a mild soap before you start epilating.
If you are taking a bath, it’s probably best to rinse with a shower head as well before you get out.
Exfoliate
After you get in the shower or bath, but before you begin epilating, you need to exfoliate. Use a body scrub with exfoliating gloves or your favorite exfoliation method. The goal is to remove dead skin cells and open up pores.
Keep Skin Wet
Damp skin is essentially kind of sticky and hard to glide over. You want the epilator to glide over skin with ease, so make sure skin is very moist while you are epilating. If you are keeping skin wet, but still having issues with glide, you can use soap or a shaving gel or foam.
Experiment
You can use most wet dry epilators submerged in bath water or under running water. Experiment with how much water you use and how you epilate until you figure out what works best to grab hairs while also keeping pain down.
Clean Your Epilator
It’s usually easiest to just clean your epilator head while you’re still in the bath or shower. Clean according to your manual’s instructions, then set the epilator out to dry.
Dry and Soothe Skin
When you get out of the bath or shower, use a clean towel to gently pat your skin dry. Rubbing your skin vigorously with a towel will irritate skin so avoid it. After your skin is dry, apply Aloe Vera gel to soothe skin and moisturize.
Epilating Dry Tips
Shower First
Like when epilating wet, it’s important to have clean, exfoliated skin to avoid infection and prevent ingrown hairs. A warm shower beforehand will also open up pores, making it easier to pull out hairs. So take a shower before you epilate, cleanse skin well, and exfoliate to remove dead skin cells.
Dry Skin and Hair
When you get out of the shower, use a clean towel to gently pat dry your skin and hairs. Damp skin is harder to epilate because it creates friction, so wait until it dries well or use baby powder to reduce moisture.
In addition, wet hairs are harder to epilate, so you may have to wait 10 minutes or so for your hairs to fully dry before you start using your epilator.
Manage Pain
Since you don’t have the pain management benefits of epilating wet, you may need to put extra effort into pain management. Ice your skin, take an over the counter pain reliever, or spray your skin with a lidocaine spray such as Bactine.
Soothe Skin and Moisturize
After epilating, your skin will be irritated and inflamed. Use an ice pack to reduce inflammation. Aloe vera gel is also a good way to soothe skin and moisturize.
If using lotion or another type of moisturizer, you may need to wait until inflammation goes down a bit. Applying moisturizer too soon can sometimes cause breakouts.
Clean Your Epilator
A clean epilator prevents pimples and infections so make sure you clean your epilator after each use. Follow your manual’s instructions for cleaning.
Final Takeaways
Epilating dry is the overall most efficient method of epilation. You’ll grab more hairs, get less breakage, spend less time, and have longer lasting results. But you’ll also experience more pain.
So overall, I recommend dry epilation unless epilator pain is just too much for you without water. In that case, epilating wet may be a better choice for you than not epilating at all. You’ll still get better results than shaving and save more money than with waxing.
Related Questions
What is the best wet dry epilator?
The epilator I use and love is the Braun Silk-épil 9 9-521. This is a high end wet and dry epilator with two speeds and an LED light. However, if you want a more luxurious wet epilating experience, I recommend the Braun Silk-épil 9 9-961V Skin Spa (click to check it out on Amazon). This is the same epilator I have, but it comes with a few extra attachments, including exfoliation brushes and a massaging head.
Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!
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