Epilator Authority

Woman removing under arm hair with an epilator.

How to Use an Epilator (Ultimate Guide for All Epilators!)

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by

Heather McClure
in ,

So you’ve finally bit the bullet and bought an epilator? Woohoo! You are probably both excited and nervous about trying it out the first time, but don’t worry, it’s really pretty simple. I learned how to epilate from a lot of trial and error and have a lot to say on this subject.

However, to make sure you are starting out on the right footing, I sat down and read through the manuals of all the most popular epilators to gather all the important info a new user should know before trying out their first epilator. In this post, I have tried to summarize it all as well as possible so you don’t have to read a crap ton to know how to use an epilator.

What You’ll Need to Epilate

  • Your epilator
  • Batteries or epilator charger
  • Headband or hair ties to keep your hair out of your face
  • Facial cleanser
  • Exfoliation scrub or mitt
  • Clean, dry towel
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Epilation numbing cream or other products for pain relief (optional)
  • Mirror in a well-lit room or a mirror with a light attached to it
  • Moisturizing cream
  • Ice pack for pain (optional)

Before You Use an Epilator for the First Time

Woman brushes hair out of epilator head with small brush in one hand and epilator in the other hand.
Use the brush that came with your epilator to clean hairs out of the head before each use.
  • Consider different ways you can keep it as pain free as possible, which I wrote about in this post.
  • Read your manual. Don’t miss the safety warnings and make sure you know how to operate your specific device properly.
  • Check batteries. Either charge your epilator fully or make sure you have batteries for it on hand.
  • Start in the evening. Ideally, you should epilate at night so that any irritation or redness has time to subside while you sleep.
  • If epilating your face, pull hair back with a headband or hair tie to keep it out of your face. The last thing you want is to get the hair on your head caught in an epilator.
  • Wash skin well in warm water. Exfoliate.
  • If using a dry epilator, dry skin well. Even if you have a wet and dry epilator, overall, hairs are easier to grab when they are as dry as possible.
  • If your skin is not too sensitive or dry, apply alcohol to thoroughly disinfect it. This will help avoid breakouts from epilating as well as prevent infections.
  • Make sure your epilator head is thoroughly clean. Use rubbing alcohol to disinfect it as well.
  • If you are using skin numbing cream, apply it at this time and wait for it to completely dry before you start epilating.

During Epilation

A woman holds an epilator in one hand to epilate underarm. She uses second hand to pull her skin taut.
Pull skin taut so it doesn’t get caught in the epilator and the tweezers and grab hairs better.
  • If you have multiple attachments, choose the best one for the body part you are starting with.
  • Turn on your epilator to the lowest setting if this is your first time. Once you are used to epilating, you can try a higher speed.
  • To get used to the epilator, start on your lower legs. If you are just epilating face, start on the outer edges of your mouth or on your chin.
  • Use one hand to stretch skin while the other holds the epilator at a 90-degree angle. To stretch the skin around your mouth, you can press your tongue against your lip or cheek area.
  • Move the epilator slowly against the direction of growth. If hairs are not being pulled, turn the epilator around and see if that works better. If you aren’t holding it correctly and moving in the right direction, it won’t work.
  • Move the epilator around your skin slowly and steadily. If it isn’t working well, move it in different directions as hair growth is often in different directions.
  • Use gentle pressure the whole time. Too much pressure against your skin can cause cuts and other injuries.
  • If you notice that hairs or breaking instead of being pulled out by the root, make sure you are using the lowest speed and move your epilator more slowly.

After Epilating

Lotion on skin helps to moisturize and soothe it.
Don’t forget to moisturize skin after epilating.
  • Apply a moisturizing cream after you epilate to soothe, relax, and soften skin.
  • If the skin is really irritated or sore, you can apply an ice pack for about 10-15 minutes to help with pain and reduce inflammation
  • Clean your epilator according to your manufacturer’s instructions. Usually, this involves using a brush to get all the hair out and then applying rubbing alcohol. Cleaning your epilator after each use will help it perform better, last longer, and prevent skin infection or breakouts.
  • If this is your first time epilating, then plan to do it again in a week. Do it weekly for about a month to help your skin adjust. You’ll find that discomfort decreases each time. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can just epilate once every three weeks or as needed.

Epilating Tips

  • If you’ve never epilated before, try out a patch on your lower leg before other areas to see how painful it is. This is usually one of the least painful areas to epilate, so if you can’t handle the pain, you may want to skip your face or bikini area altogether.
  • If you are worried about pain, take a non-steroid anti-inflammatory like acetaminophen about 30 minutes before you start epilating.
  • To prevent spreading germs, causing gross breakouts and infections, never share your facial epilator with other people.
  • If your skin is irritated or broken, don’t epilate there.
  • Never epilate near your eyes unless you want to go blind. Never try to epilate your eyelashes. Not only would you look weird without eyelashes, but that’s also dangerous.
  • You can epilate a unibrow between your eyebrows if you have a Braun Face, Gillette Face Perfection, or another small facial epilator designed for that, but don’t try to shape your eyebrows with an epilator. None of them are designed for that. One wrong move and there goes half your eyebrow and then what are you going to do?
  • If your epilator head ever becomes damaged, don’t use it. It is dangerous and could cut you.
  • If using a battery-powered epilator, replace batteries as soon as you notice that power is decreasing. This will ensure you get the best results.

Related Questions

When epilating legs, I get ingrown hairs. What can I do about this? 

Ingrown hairs are a complex topic, which I dive into in a post you can read here. However, to answer your question quickly, the best way to prevent ingrown hair is to exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.

How can I epilate without pain?

The best way to epilate without pain is practice! Once you get used to using a epilator, it barely hurts, if it hurts at all. My long list of tips on epilator pain can be found here.

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!