Does anyone use an epilator and NOT get in-grown hairs?!

[clutterfly]

I've started using an epilator, really like it but am now petrified my hairs are going to grow back in-grown. I keep reading that this is what happens to a lot of people. Is it as universal as it seems or does anyone out there manage not to get them? (I'm exfoliating my legs every night as a precaution).

I don't get them in my armpits but I do on my legs, puts me off doing my legs really.

I've used one for 22 years, never had an ingrown hair. Didn't know it was a 'thing'.

Used one for ten years with no issue and suddenly I am getting hideous ingrown hairs on my shins.
Exfoliating and moisturizing religiously has helped as has more regular use of tendskin.

Thank you for your replies. It's not sounding good - sorry for those of you who are getting the in-grown hairs. Guess I better go back to shaving

No you don't need to go back to shaving. Just see how you get on. I only get occasional ingrown hairs, but the long term benefits of using an epilator outweigh the odd ingrown hair. Over time you get less hair growing back!

i only do my legs and dont get ingrown hairs - i exfoliate before doing it in the bath first

I used to get so many ingrown hairs i gave up the epilator but found i got as many with shaving and the results were rubbish. I decided to persevere with the epilator and lots of exfoliation and moisturising. It took a good few months but now I hardly get any ingrown hairs and the regrowth is much finer. It's so much less hassle than shaving every other day.

I have never had an ingrown hair from any method of hair removal including an epilator in over thirty plus years!

I think some people are prone to in -growing hairs. And others not. If you are prone then epilating is a disaster. I'm prone, and despite daily exfoliating and moisturising I just cannot do epilating or waxing on my legs.

I agree with bonzo. It seems that some (lucky) people just don't get ingrown hairs at all, and others (like me) are plagued by them. I did find that they were worse with epilating - even worse than waxing. I got so fed up I bought a home IPL machine which has been fairly good so far.

I get them so I do shave every few weeks in between epilating (which generally ends up looking like a massacre where the ingrown hairs get the top taken off!)

Shaving only lasts a couple of days for me so the epilator is brilliant, giving me weeks of no/fine hairs. I also exfoliate in the shower and moisturise well about once a week. Still less hassle than shaving.

I get them badly with epilating, I epilated for about 6 years and didn't notice the hairs getting finer or reducing the regrowth, so have just recently gone back to shaving, and forgotten how much I hated it!! I will say with epilating the good thing is the regrowth doesn't feel as prickly so you can go a week and they feel great, compared to sandpaper legs i have now.

Justabigdisco what's the IPL like?

I'm prone to ingrown hairs; I use PFB vanish on them, it's brilliant

I epilate my legs and never get ingrowing hairs. I do have quite fine hair, though.

So far so good Millie - have only used it twice but can tell it is working. I don't think it will give me smooth legs as it only works on the dark hairs (I am pale and have a mixture of dark hairs and blonde ones) but the blonde ones can't be seen so I don't care. Had been dithering over buying one for ages as do expensive but I think it is going to be worth it.
Sorry to hijack OP!

Thanks everyone. I'm in two minds now whether to continue with the epilator or not. When I was a teenager I got terrible IGHs from waxing so have shaved ever since. Sadly for me, my hairs are quite dark and strong so even when I shave I can see the dark hairs under my pale skin which is really annoying and unsightly. I'm going to keep exfoliating and not epilate again until I can assess the IGH situation! It's jeans season anyway now. Can I just ask, those of you who don't get IGHs, are you hairs fine or thick? I would have thought thicker were stronger to break-through the skin?