I've had a couple - Silk Epil etc. and they do hurt like buggery! It does get better once you've used it a few times, but it still makes my eyes water!
However, I've just bought a Smooth Skin Gold IPL machine which is a semi-permanent method (i.e. it will kill the hairs at the root and if they do come back they are finer and fewer and can be easily retreated). It works best on light skin and dark hair, so not suitable for blond/red hairs or very dark skin. However, if she fits the criteria it is well worth considering.
It was a lot less expensive than the Phillips Lumea which is often mentioned on here. I think it was £160 and there was a little freebie set of cosmetics as well. Obviously a lot more than an epilator, but it is more of an investment as the results will be more or less permanent, so will save a fortune on replacing the epilator or on waxing etc in the future.
I'm currently zapping face, armpits, toes etc and will move onto legs next, but I can already see a difference in the areas I've treated for the last 3/4 weeks. You shave first so the hair is only zapped under the skin and you don't need to wait for regrowth like waxing/epilating.
It can be a little bit of a ping if it is a particularly thick hair, but nothing like as painful as an epilator! Maybe worth thinking about - you could maybe share it if you would use it too? (I wouldn't fancy sharing an epilator as it ends up with someone else's hairs lodged in it, but as this is just a little screen that you place on your skin it is perfectly hygienic to share.)
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