Talk

Yes. A lot.

I know they hurt the first few times, the pain was to much for me to carry on after that,

YES

urrrr their mouthparts going ''ang ang ang''

<shudder>

Bollocks Oh drat, never mind, on with the shaving then

Yes, evil. Much worse than waxing imo. At least waxing takes a load of hairs at once, whereas an epilator is like using tweezers.

I think that nobody uses epilators after trying them. They are sold to first time users who soon realise they would rather turn into bears than using them again.

Obviously, there may be people with some very thin hair (or very high pain threshold) who may be the exception of the rule.

Yes they hurt! But they are worth it. You stay hairless for longer and it is TRUE that the hair grows back more weakly. If you do it fairly frequently, before you look like Sherwood Forest, the pain is less because not all of the hairs will have started to grow above the surface.

It is reallt worth it to avoid sticky wax horror or the whole leg-beard stubbly thing of shaving

Yes.

But if you wax first and then start epilating about a week later when there is a bit of regrowth it is manageable.

Do not believe that rubbish spouted by magazines about waxing lasting 6 weeks though!

I have been epilating for years and have quite strong dark hairs, and hating having to shave every day. It used to hurt lots so I would get stoned take painkillers before doing it. Now the hairs are much weaker it barely registers. I do it about once a month, and shave once in between times.

What Chandra said.

I still haven't forgotten the pain of using my epilator for the first time - to rip out half my thatch.

And the ice pack does not help.

To be honest, I didn't really mind the pain, but just kept getting ingrowing hairs, which were a total bugger to get rid of, so that's what put me off, rather than the pain.

Anyone done eyebrows? Seriously considering...

Eyebrows! Seriously?

I can barely bear to pluck them - usually wimp out and get the beautician to do it.

You lot are pussies. They don't hurt. Yes, you can feel it but they work good.

Yes they do, don't get one.....ever!

No they don't hurt- they just take getting used to.

I do legs, underarms, bikini line and facial hair and it is fine.

Hurts less than waxing but that is cancelled out by the fact that it takes much longer however if I have a good mag or mumsnet to distract me I don't find the job too awful.

That being said I only really do my legs. My bikini line and underarms are waxed and when I have a light regrowth I might use the epilator but really need to have had a glass of wine to numbe the pain in those instances!

I felt faint the first time I used an epilator. The pain, the pain. Bastard thing lives in a cupboard growing dustier by the year.

I got one a few weeks ago and don't think it hurt [hard as nails] but I am finding that my legs look like a plucked chicken - not sure if I'm doing it right??

Get you with your sexy legs.

I like mine- I use tend skin on it after epilating and don't have a problem with ingrowing hairs/redness. It really doesn't hurt as long as you do it regularly to keep on top of it. I find it weirdly relaxing and do legs, underarms and bikini line. Underarms are difficult but only because they are a bit awkward.

It hurts LOADS less than waxing.

mistressploppy - I am quite low pain threshold and yes it hurt like a bugger I would say the first 2-3 weeks of using but I was determined as sick of spending a fortune on razors etc. Now 1 year on its honestly the best thing i did, hairs are so fine now even when they grow back you can hardly see them, no scratchy beard legs anymore, and does not hurt a bit. However I have never managed to get past the pain of bikini line usage - just cant do it, nearly passed out from pain!!