Epilator help!

[herbaltea21]

How on earth do you make it less painful?
I was so excited to use my new epilator but just tried it and I can't bare the pain 🙈 I want to use it on the top half on my legs!
Please help 🙈

The top of your legs is probably more sensitive, as are knees and ankles. Practice on areas that are less sensitive till you get used to the feeling like your shin and on a lower speed. The more you use it the less sore it will be. This probably isn't good advice... I used to have depilation sessions after a bottle of wine, especially for armpits 😂 I've read that to use baby talc as a lubricant on the skin and it is less painful too.

If I go down the leg rather than up to start with, it makes it feel better and kinda numbs the skin a bit. Genuinely after a few strokes, you do get used to it and toughen up and then you can use it in either direction.
Except the bikini line. That stings like crap no matter what you do 😂

Pull the skin a bit taught. I've also read about people epilating after they've taken a pain killer for something else. Doing it in small sections over a while? Mind you I do arm pits and legs and don't find it particularly painful at all so maybe I'm no help.

With time and repeated use it will become less painful as your body habituates to it.

The first time is 10 times worse than the subsequent times (you'll never be epilating as many hairs at once again).

Hair grows at different rates so after the first time, you'll be doing like a third of the hairs. It hurts loads less the second time honestly! I barely notice it now.

Don't do it around your period - stuff hurts much more then! Have only braved legs so far but I start by shaving then 2 days later start epilating the regrowth. Epilate again for the next 2 or 3 days. It only takes a moment each time and is much less painful as you're not getting it all at once.

Get tattoo numbing cream

"How on earth do you make it less painful?"

I sent it back and got a refund.

Sorry, should add it didn't even get unboxed ! I'd read too many horror stories before I received one as a 'present' !

I've got one. I got used to the pain quite quickly but they are rubbish for legs. Armpits and forearms they are brilliant and you will be hair free for a couple of weeks and not much goes wrong.

Bikini line as in top of thighs it also works quite well but legs bloody hell they are never smooth due to the growing rate and they hairs Ingrow really easily. It took a year to get rid of the ingrown hairs completely and I thought I'd never wear shorts again!!

Pull your skin taut as you epilate and do small sections at a time, so you can slowly adjust to the pain.

It becomes so much easier over time. I don’t really epilate anymore as I’ve had laser but sometimes do it for the odd patches that I still have on my arms and knees - doesn’t hurt at all anymore.

The pain subsides the more you use it. Also, if you use it a day after your period ends, the pain is a lotttt less! Something I've noticed over the years. It may just be that that's when my hair happens to be in its least painful of the three growth stages or may be the same for everyone 🤷🏼‍♀️ Yours may be different but it's def worth working out which time of the month it's least painful for you

Maybe I'm a bit weird but I quite like the pain. Not bikini line or under arm pain - that is brutal - but those little stings on the lower legs..... Yeah, that's OK.
That aside, to minimise the pain initially, I would press very hard with the head. That extra graze on your legs counterbalances the pull on the hairs and makes it less painful.

My next epilator will be a wet one. That's supposed to sting even less.

Start with a warm wax and then epilate a week or so afterwards. Keep doing little and often. It's just sore now because you're trying to pull all the hairs out at once. When you're just dealing with regrowth it's only a percentage of the hair and much less painful.

Lower legs into too bad for me.... Arms results in this 🤢 (the spots, not the scars!)

Thank you all!
I had laser hair removal on my lower legs, I wanted this mainly for the darker hairs in the top and back of my legs!
I will try again later after a shower and after growing some confidence 😅
How often do I need to keep doing it would you say? How long does the hair have to be before I go again?

You do get desensitised. I can do my legs and face and like op says it's almost almost a nice sensation.

Armpits is painful but just bearable for holidays. Bikini line was a bloodbath never to be repeated.

Best advice is shave then do it a week later. Too long is more painful. I find the leg hair thighs are ok. But the bikini line hairs. Not a snowball in hells chance. I love my epilator though and would never be without one.

How long does the hair have to be before I go again?

I always found the longer the hair, the more painful. So I only epilate when the hair is short. If it’s too long, I shave then epilate in a few days.

Nooo!! Not after a shower!!

For first few times, use a scrub in the shower in the morning
Then epilate in evening, lowest setting
Then put unscented body lotion on - I use aveeno

Legs least painful I found - don't hurt at all now. Bikini line stings a bit and underarms - forget it!

Hair length prob varies btwn devices, mine says approx 0.5cm is ideal but I've had it 3 or 4 years so my legs are used to it and there's less and less re growth each year

Ok so I tired again and it wasn't as traumatising but still horrific 🙈😅
I feel like the whole area, even yesterday is stingy! Thinking of just using some moisturiser will clear that up 🤷🏼‍♀️

You will need to scrub and use an aha cream after epilating. Will get ingrown hairs otherwise.

How long is the hair OP? The longer it is, the more painful. I find that a 3 day post normal shave is the least painful time to use it.

It gets better. Believe it or not. The first time is a near in torture device.

I have a wet and dry one but haven't tried it wet yet. I'm wondering how being wet makes it less painful though?

When you epilate wet, it needs to be in a warm bath. The theory is it makes the pores open so the hairs come out easier. And also the epilator glides over the skin better so less friction.
I don't know if that's just can old wives tale, though.

Not if you have pcos. A week means 3 inch hairs 😅I can shave and epilate the day after. But it also means that it only lasts 4-5 days as the hair grows so quickly so I've given up with it now.