Epilators- just HOW hideously painful and do they cause ingrown hairs

[pocketandsweet]

Following on from an earlier post and a current good price on one at Boots.... Just how painful is epilating? And does it cause more ingrown hairs?

I haven't tried one in a long time, but the last time I managed about 3 inches of leg, was in cold sweats with the pain and gave up. My Mum (whose epilator it was) used to run it up and down her legs with nary a wince. Maybe it depends on your pain threshold...

I agree - completely to do with your pain threshold. When I used an epilator in my teens, I managed to endure it for - oh - about three seconds. Now I can epilate my bikini line no problem. I think having a baby helped. :)

horrible things. very painful but don't know about the ingrown hairs bit - never been able to tolerate one long enough to find out.

They get less painful the more often you use them. I'm a complete wimp and would recommend taking a couple of paracetamol before using one on an area that hasn't been waxed or epilated before.

If you can cope with waxing, you can cope with epillation. Always less painful on shorter hairs. Less painful after a bath too, when your skin is warm.

Agree with the comment they get less painful the more you use them - recommend shaving / waxing your legs first then using it frequently on the regrowth so it never gets long iyswim?

Oh, and I get ingrown hairs if Im too lazy to exfoliate in the shower.... but I quite enjoy picking them out (sick, I know!) so it doesn't bother me and is easily avoidable if it did.

Hope that helps!

Painful but IMO bearable. But I found the ingrowing hairs a total bugger regardless of how much exfoliation and moisturisation I did.

Not too painful but then I am tough as old boots! Ingrown hairs completely messed up my legs. Gone back to wet shaving. My epilator had a bit you could freeze to help with pain.

Agree with sillymillyb. Don't go guns blazing on legs with carpet like hair. Best to start with a professional leg wax, then use epilator once or twice a week to catch regrowth. Scrub legs EVERY day (I use those scratchy glove things with usual shower gel) to avoid ingrowing hair. YY to epilating after a warm bath or shower, and avoid using just before period as skin more sensitive.

Good luck!

I agree about the pain thing. Epilators are very convenient and do job quickly. Less messy than waxing.

I do tend to get ingrowing hairs though.

Not too painful (bit wincey around the ankles and on longer hairs plus armpits are ouchy) but I waxed before switching, so may have been used to it. No ingrowing hairs either, I use a body puff in the shower every day, body scrub 2/3 times per week and moisturise straight after epilating plus every night before bed. Did this anyway though, not just because I epilate.

Unbearable. Never ever ever again. Ever.