Talk to me about epilators please

[Handywoman]

Just invested in one of these (Philips) as I'm so rubbish at shaving legs more than once a fortnight or whatever (spend most of my life in trousers though).

Just did my legs for the first time. Pleasantly surprised by the speed, took very little time. Quite exciting. Now have pretty awful rash though!!!!!

Does the rash happen ever time of does your skin get used to it? How often do you find you need to do it? How long does the re growth take?

Your experiences please

Bookmarking this. I bought one around 14 years ago (Philips) and it was great. Then my sister gave me her newer one, as did a friend, so I had 3. I got rid of the oldest one. The other 2 have given me ingrowing hairs and seem to have more of a shave effect (ie. the hairs grow back all blunted rather than pulled out and grow back faster). I don't know if it's them or my body has changed.

I'd like to know what a good one is cos I want it for my birthday.

OP, I don't get a rash but a bit goose-pimple effect for an hour or so.

Regrowth should take a couple of weeks like waxing, depending how fast your hair grows.

By 'rash' do you mean little pink/red pinprick type marks? If so, yes I get those and it takes a few hours for them to go away. But it was the same when I used to get waxed too.
Regrowth is quicker when you first start using it, but eventually it's a couple of weeks for me.
Love my epilator, Philips also, had it about 10 years. It cost less than £40 at the time and it's saved me £30 every 4 weeks that I used to spend on waxing my legs.
I don't use it for my bikini line though, I find it more painful than waxing in that area so that's still a salon job.
I reckon mine is about ready for replacing, so I'll be watching the thread for any recommendations.

Erm, not pin pricks so much as distinct red bumps all over! Hope this gets less every time. Will stick with it. Guess I need to exfoliate to prevent in growing hairs?

I love my epilator - it's a Braun something or other, I've had it about 5 years. It took me a while to find the most efficient way of doing it though, and the first couple of times I did get red bumpy skin.

So, firstly I use a scrub, then make sure my skin is really dry. Then, with your hand, rub upwards (away from the direction of growth) to make the hairs stand up a bit. Then epilate slowly.

Mine came with a gel pack you keep in the freezer, so you can whack that on as soon as you've finished, it helps keep any redness down. I don't bother now though as I hardly feel it. The hairs now grow much softer and sparser.

HTH

Redness gets better each time you use it. I find that if I use it once a week or 10 days, only a 3rd of the hairs have dared to show their little faces again. So only a third of the rash. Exfoliate, moisturise definitely. Also keep tweezers everywhere because you do get ingrowns and when you see one, you just want to get it!

Ah, I geddit. I think I did it too fast. Thanks for the tips! Never had an ingrowing hair, I'll have to watch out.

I actually have to get drunk before I can use mine!!! The pain is so bad it's like it burns - is there any way to make it less??

I don't get a rash but do get hairs that grow just under one tiny layer of skin - doesn't make a spot but means the epilator can't get them out.

Better than the cream, used that last night and melted a layer off my nails.. Eek

I had the rash for the first few uses, now I could go straight out after use. The pain has lessened, but I still get the same sense of satisfaction when you get one that feels like its root was miles away iykwim.
Mines a real cheapy and I've wondered how good a more expensive one would be as my legs are never truly 'smooth'

Vanitas, that's exactly what I get and never used to. Maybe need to really scrub my legs.

SO any recommendations? I have been looking and they seem to be v expensive these days.

I love mine - braun silk epil - and would never go back to shaving or waxing now. Do exfoliate - I've been lucky enough not to suffer from rashes or ingrown hairs though. Have been epilating for 7 years

I know this is a daft question. How do you exfoliate? Do you use a scrub thing or do you rub with a sponge or something? And is this every wash or only sometimes?

I do it with one of those spongy things that looks like a cloud of plastic. And not every wash but when I remember.

I had to have at least one beer for the first few times I used mine. Now have used it about 15 times and am really happy. I wouldn't say my legs are ever 100% smooth (battery usually runs out just before end of 2nd leg so I have to alternate which leg I start with). But I could shave every day in the summer and waiting for the wax was u bearable so I think I have found nirvana, hair-removal-wise. (will get bikini and thighs waxed in summer)

I love my epilator
I put sudocrem on as soon as I have epilated though and I would never use it just before I went out or swimming. Always the night before then the lumps have gone
The sudocrem stops them hurting and they disappear more quickly

I exfoliate in the shower before I'm going to epilate. The best scrub I've found is Soap &Glory Flake Away. Just rub it all over your legs really well (on dry or just damp skin), then wash off. It's also important to make sure you haven't got any oil or lotion on your skin, so the epilator can grip the hairs, so it's the one time I wash with a soap or shower gel rather than something moisturising or creamy.

Good tips, thanks Chablis. Do you exfoliate in between ie. every shower?

at cloud of plastic. I know exactly what you mean!

No, just when I remember! I've never had problems with ingrowing hairs (touch wood).

Which one you got?

Mine's a Braun Silk Epil, but I've had it 5 or 6 years, so I'm sure it's not the latest model. One really useful feature is that it has a light on it, which focuses on the bit you're dealing with, so it's easier to catch every hair and not miss any.

Thanks.

many of my legs hairs have given up the ghost and stopped growing back since regular-ish epilating, even those that are left seem more weakly rooted

I found it really painful the first time, then less so each time and the redness has stopped completely.

I get ingrown hairs so I exfoliate daily in the shower with some exfoliating gloves and moisturise well once a week.

If you do them every couple of days for a few weeks you'll find you don't need to do them for ages.

Oh and the first time I did my armpits they bled but now they're fine.

Agree with all the above - I would add - do a top up every week. If you leave it for a few weeks, it hurts more and the red bumps are back worse! Its a bit of a faff epilating as its only a small area at a time but the end result is the same a s waxing but sooo much cheaper in long run and you can do it whenever fits - eg two days before a night out or whatever (to let any level of redness totally go).

Don't try and epilate your toes. That is all.

I epilate my toes!