Epilation - ouch!!!

[Calista]

I just used one of those epilation machines for the first time. It hurt like the dickens!!! I know it is supposed to get better over time - but just how many times am I gonna have to endure this pain before it finally gets better? Also, do you guys have any tips īnītricks to help alleviate the pain?

Ouch, ouch, ouch... :evileye:

[SunriseSunsetApril]

I feel your pain! (Quite literally, actually. ;)) Where were you epilating? Some places hurt worse than others. I simply cannot epilate my legs above my knees...it's too painful! It does seem to help a little to take a pain reliever (I use Ibuprofen) about 45 minutes before you plan to start.

The second time is not nearly as bad. I haven't decided if it's because the hairs pull out easier or because you just know what to expect and are ready for it.

[Calista]

I did my legs - and for me the thighs werenīt nearly as bad as the calves, especially near the ankles.

I heard there are people who do their pits and even their bikinizone that way! I canīt imagine to ever dare that... :boggle:

[Dana]

I found that it got better the 2nd or 3rd time.

I've tried my pits, but that is just too painful. I couldn't imagine the bikini line!!

I've heard that the hairs come out more easily if you take a shower/bath beforehand, so that they softenup and your pores loosen. I've never tried it (I want to shower AFTER), but it might be worth trying.

My epilator came with a 'beginner' head, which had fewer 'grippers'. If yours came with one, that might help for the first few times.


I get a lot of red bumps on my legs after I epilate, so make sure that you don't do it an hour before you want to go show off your smooth legs! Anyone have any tips on avoiding those red bumps, or is it just because my skin is sensitive?

[SunriseSunsetApril]

I heard there are people who do their pits and even their bikinizone that way! I canīt imagine to ever dare that... :boggle:

Trust me, you don't want to try.

[Calista]

I get a lot of red bumps on my legs after I epilate, so make sure that you don't do it an hour before you want to go show off your smooth legs! Anyone have any tips on avoiding those red bumps, or is it just because my skin is sensitive?
I got those, too - I put on aloe gel afterwards, and by the next day the red bumps were gone. I must say, the smoothness of my legs really makes it worth the hassle (and pain).

SSA, maybe when one is thoroughly used to the procedure on the legs one might want to conquer new horizons... :lafhard: But no, I think Iīll stick to doing my legs.

[Phantasmagoria]

What is epilation, and is it better than shaving?

[Calista]

Phantasmagoria, an epilator is a machine with lots of little tweezers that rip out your hairs. Your legs stay smooth for longer, and the hair doesnīt regrow stubbly and coarse, but fine and silky.

[Phantasmagoria]

Thanks Calista. Are there many brands of epilators? what kind do y'all use?

[Igor]

I've heard that the hairs come out more easily if you take a shower/bath beforehand, so that they softenup and your pores loosen. I've never tried it (I want to shower AFTER), but it might be worth trying.
I do that
Also I somehow feel that if I put on headphones to listen to music it’ll distract me from the pain :eureka:

[Abanilla_Surfer]

I've done it twice now - ouch! I'm hoping it will get better as I used to get my legs sugared many years ago and found that became painless in time.

I have some questions:

How often do you guys epilate? My pack says every 6 weeks which means I'm having to shave in between. Does that sound ok to you?

Have you found that the regrowth gets less after time? My friend says she hardly gets any regrowth now, but she is a bit older than me (55ish) and I wasn't sure if this had something to do with the slower hair growth.

How often do you exfoliate & how?

There is no way on this earth I would try to epilate my own underarms or bikini. I used to get both sugared without too many problems but I don't have the guts to do it to myself. I've had laser hair removal done in both those areas and it is brilliant. Wish I could afford to get my legs done too. Worth considering if those areas bother you, but it is expensive.

[Calista]

Igor, what a great idea! The noise that machine makes really drives me nuts - worse than the dentist´s chair...

Phantasmagoria, I bought a Braun epilator. Braun offers to take the thing back if you don´t like it or can´t use it. This (http://www.braun.com/global/products/beautycare/ladyshavingepilation/epilation/eversoft2004.html)is the one I have. I chose it because it was one of the cheapest I could find. Other models have more gadgets attached - like the beginners´ head Dana talked about, or a thing you can put in the freezer and it´s supposed to numb your skin, so it doesn´t hurt as much. There are also epilators that come with a regular shaving head, so you get two machines combined.

My epilator cost €30, which would be $38. I bought it at Amazon.

ETA: Abanilla, I think you can epilate as often as necessary. The companies claim that you have smooth legs for up to six weeks, but I heard so many people say that´s not true, because all those hairs on your legs have different growth cycles, so you don´t catch them all at the same time. I don´t opt for super-smooth legs but want to avoid the stubbly feeling one gets with shaving.

Also there should be less pain if you epilate more often because then you rip out fewer hairs in one go?

[Equeena]

I had been wanting an epilator for a few months now and finally got one. I had looked at the prices and was put off by how expensive they were. However, I was shopping at Marshalls the other day and found one for fifteen dollars....I was so thrilled. It is an Emjoi.

Even though I am used to waxing, I was scared to try it because I've heard it looks like a torture device and kills like you wouldn't believe...But it really wasn't that bad. Where there were lots of hairs it sorta felt like it was pinching my skin, of course it wasn't, but that was it.

I'm just hoping the red and bumpy stage goes by faster...

[Bijou]

I usually wax my legs too. But with all the mess (wax staying behind etc.) I tried an epilator 6 months ago and it really hurt... So sometimes, when I feel strong enough :happy: I use that little 'torture machine' but most of the time I just wax. To decrease those little dots I also use aloe vera gel.

[Garnett]

Im a waxer too. I have 2 epilators tho, for touch ups between waxing. And I usually epilate my underarms. Its faster, and I usually just take it when I travel. Its nice to not have to clean up wax sometimes.

[Symbple]

I have a tip I found useful for starting out epilating your underarms.
First of all shave your underarms, after a couple of days make your first attempt at epilating, epilate as much as you can handle and then let it be. Shave the underarm again perhaps the next day, after a couple of days epilate what grows back.
Basically repeat this process until you have pretty much epilated the whole underarm.
I won't lie to you it does hurt...alot!
But, the good news is it definatley doesn't hurt as much if you stick with it over time, it really is the first couple of times it hurts the most.
Make sure you keep the skin taunt, I put my arm behind my head.
Be brave and think of the benefit in the long term. I think the tip of having a pain reliever (panadol or the like) does help.
Another tip is to use the Dove deoderant in the stick form.
I think it's becasue of the 1/4 moisturising component.

I have a braun epilator.
HTH.

[Carolyn]

I didn't think the pain was all that bad but I think I'm a person who can handle quite a lot. I would like to know if ingrown hairs were a problem for anyone with epilating? I mean I had serious ingrown hairs. They were raised and red and I had to take a needle to break the skin and lift up the hair so I could pluck it out. I know you are supposed to exfoliate well before epilating and I did that. But I still got lots of ingrown hairs. I tried sugaring too and got the same results. Maybe my pores and hair follicles are just prone to being ingrown.

[Bijou]

I have those ingrown hairs too, even though I exfoliate. I use the same 'method' as you to get them out, but it's so painful. And I get some sort of scars from ingrown hairs (red spots that don't go away). The only way I can actually avoid this problem, is to shave my legs... Or does anybody else have some great ideas/suggestions/...?

[Symbple]

I get the red dots too.
I always exfoliate (dry body brushing mostly)
and I always moisturise.
If I miss doing this even for a couple of days i notice the skin over the hair follicle seems to start to cover over.
So the best thing to do is exfoliate and moisturise religiously

[LadyOttoline]

I actually gave up after a couple of tries :) Just not worth it for me - it's excruciatingly painful, takes a long time to do and I never felt like my legs were as smooth as after shaving. So I got my razor back out and returned that darn torture device. Yes I know I'm a wimp.

[Calista]

Itīs still "ouch" for me, so I reverted to shaving temporarily - also because itīs much, much quicker. Iīm tempted to go back to epilating, though, because my leg hair has gotten noticably finer. But still each hair has a thick black "bulb" at the bottom, and epilating feels like "plop, plop, plop" - just like plucking a chicken. :purplex:

[LadyOttoline]

Itīs still "ouch" for me, so I reverted to shaving temporarily - also because itīs much, much quicker.

I don't blame you - that's exactly how I felt :)

[Bijou]

I´m tempted to go back to epilating, though, because my leg hair has gotten noticably finer.

I hear that from a lot of people, but it just doesn't happen to me :purplex: ... Maybe it's because my hair is very thick in general (and dark brown, so you can see it very well).
What could be the reason that the hairs of some people get finer?

[texasgal]

I just bought a face epilator and oh man in some spots it HURTS.

[Lize]

Nah.. It will always hurt, but I love to use that on my armpits. I get eczema if I shave there too frequently.

[Liluri]

Ouch! How does this compare in effectiveness and I guess pain to waxing please?

[Bijou]

Ouch! How does this compare in effectiveness and I guess pain to waxing please?

It doesn't... :purplex:

[Scarlet]

I just bought a braun epilator last month after reading a thread on LHC.

I didn't find it painful on my legs, just interesting that I could feel the hairs coming out.

The bikini area and arm pits were another story altogether!:boggle:

Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase. I did take my razor on my trip to the Keys, though.

I think I'm gonna be using a combo of epilator and razor to control the hairy forest that are my legs!

[Liluri]

It doesn't... :purplex: I don't suppose you could expand on this please