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Original poster

To IPL or epilate?

29 replies

PeanutBellyJam · 15/09/2023 20:56

I have been waxing my bikini area my whole adult life, it's quite hairy in my opinion and the hairs are dark. I was getting a Hollywood wax every 6 weeks really I probs need it every 4... I can't shave I get terrible ingrowns and itching. When my dc started talking about our bodies I decided to just get a high bikini wax and trim the rest sorry it's a lot of detail Grin so female body hair is a normal part of the grown up body they see

I get underarms, legs and bikini and it costs me about £70 with a tip each time (hollywoods gone up to £35, underarms are £18 (I get Lycon wax as my underarms are very sensitive to the wax) and half leg is £20, so that's £73 plus a £5 tip each visit... if I do just a high bikini (£18.50) and shave my legs I can get away with £37.50 plus tip £43

The girls in the salon are lovely but I hate the long chats when I sometimes don't want to... I find these interactions tiring for me... I have to talk myself into them. It's the small talk in an intimate situation for a long time while feeling self conscious my vagina and fat body is all hanging out and the long silences (which actually if I was more able to I would just say hey I'm going to listen to some music and zone you out... not sure why I don't do that!!!!!

So my thoughts are do I invest in an ipl... will it work on my bikini area, or a newer epilator like the Braun silk epil? If I can save the cost of the salon then it's worth the upfront big spend? But if it's not going to at least clear my top inner thighs/groin so I can do swimwear without looking like a badger?

Any advice? Tips? Suggestions? Thanks for reading this far tooWineWine

OP posts:
Original poster
PeanutBellyJam · 15/09/2023 20:58

Thinking about trying this

OP posts:
OP posts:
Original poster
PeanutBellyJam · 15/09/2023 20:59

Or shopping around for the best priced

www.boots.com/philips-lumea-ipl-8000-series-corded-with-2-attachments-for-body-and-face--bri94500-10328366

OP posts:
thenightsky · 15/09/2023 21:12

I don't do bikini unless I'm off on holiday.

£18 for underarms is outrageous. I epilate mine every week in the summer and every 2 or 3 weeks in the winter. Take 2 mins.

Legs, epilate every week in the summer and every couple of weeks in the winter.

Bikini gets ignored except if I'm going on holiday and expecting to wear high cut swimsuit or bottoms, then its just a trim of the spider legs.

AnnaMagnani · 15/09/2023 21:12

IPL works best with pale skin and dark hair - if this is you then it is like magic.

I know some people love their epilators but personally I saved up for one for ages when I was a teen, then managed to epilate one square inch of leg before giving up sobbing with pain. Still bitter about the utter waste of money.

mrsfollowill · 15/09/2023 21:14

I have that Lumea- bought in 2020 (middle of first UK lockdown) I love it!- Has transformed me. I was getting a beard (as well as giving Tom Selleck a run for his money in the tache department) - all gone. It took about 8 months of persevering but I'd say 95% gone now. I use it on my underarms about twice a year- I used to have stubble after a day but now nada. Legs - shave twice a year now after being a weekly thing in Winter (daily in Summer) I don't work for Philips btw Grin - I have v dark brown hair and v pale skin so I'm a good candidate for it. I got mine from the John Lewis sale at the time for £300 (reduced from £500) and it has more than paid for itself. I've heard bad things about it - problems with charging etc but has been great IME.

Pleaseme · 15/09/2023 21:20

I epilate. I’d still opt for waxing for bikini line but that’s a holiday thing. The best way to start is two weeks after a wax. When you just have a few hairs peeking through. Then just run epilator over everything every couple of days and it won’t hurt much.

youveturnedupwelldone · 15/09/2023 21:34

Another vote for epilate, after a year of epilating my hair is noticeably less and requires less maintenance.

Purpleavocado · 15/09/2023 21:38

Epilators are evil. Very painful and give ingrowing hairs. I love my Lumea. I am pale olive with dark hair and its stopped me looking like a money woman!

YogaIsMyCalm · 15/09/2023 22:15

Another vote for the lumea. I get a tiny bit of baby fluff on my legs and underarms now and go weeks between shaving it off versus a daily shave. What I do notice is my skin is much smoother, especially under arms with no shaving rash or shadow appearing before bed!

Also done my bikini line. I used to get Hollywood waxes and while I liked the feeling, it would grow back before the week was out plus I'd have some horrendous ingrown hairs. A year on and I still have some marks from the ingrown hairs but they are fading albeit slowly!

I haven't tried my face yet but I fear I've left it too late. I do have pale skin and dark hair but I'm getting white chin hairs that won't be zapped with the ipl. I'm such a catch!

Overall I'm still really happy with the results though and no awkward small chat!

HoliHormonalTigerLillyTheSecond · 16/09/2023 07:17

I just bought a Diamond IPL in a sale op. It was only £99.
I think it's still that price.

bogoblin · 16/09/2023 07:50

I love my epilator but I can't use it on my underarms (going to try again post pregnancy) and I'd never use it on my bikini area, but if you're used to waxing you might be OK with it!

SweetAndSourChick3n · 16/09/2023 08:04

Definitely IPL if you have pale skin and dark hair, it's worth every penny

Mummypete · 16/09/2023 08:08

I’d love to know if the newer epilators are worth the money. Mine is about 10 years old now and still does the job but takes so much time and perseverance.

Merrilydancing · 16/09/2023 08:08

I am always on these threads going on about how amazing my Philips Lumea is!

If you have pale skin and dark hair it is well worth the investment.

I used to have to shave every day and would have stubble every evening. But not now!

nbee84 · 16/09/2023 08:16

Another one saying ipl. I have the Boots one. Fairly pale and dark hair.
I love not having to think about it before going to the gym or swimming or wearing a skirt.

After the 1st year or so I now only have to do my legs and underarms about twice a year, and my bikini line has never grown back. I have to shave my knees occasionally! For some reason the hair on them is quite blonde and fluffy 😆

Mummy08m · 16/09/2023 08:18

I love my lumea too. It's changed my life genuinely, it's the only "beauty" thing I use.

RunnyPaint · 16/09/2023 08:38

I used to epilate, but the ingrown hairs were terrible. I now have a Lumea and my armpits and bikini line are totally smooth. A lot of my leg hair is fine and pale, so that's still there but far less noticeable. My tache is gone too.

AnchorWHAT · 16/09/2023 10:54

Yes to IPL mine has transformed my beauty routine, I can go weeks without needing to shave and when I do I use it again and the time span is increasing massively before I get any hair coming back, and even then there are very few.

Original poster
PeanutBellyJam · 16/09/2023 13:49

AnnaMagnani · 15/09/2023 21:12

IPL works best with pale skin and dark hair - if this is you then it is like magic.

I know some people love their epilators but personally I saved up for one for ages when I was a teen, then managed to epilate one square inch of leg before giving up sobbing with pain. Still bitter about the utter waste of money.

@AnnaMagnani oooh this is me... pals skin dark hair! Good to know thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
PeanutBellyJam · 16/09/2023 13:51

mrsfollowill · 15/09/2023 21:14

I have that Lumea- bought in 2020 (middle of first UK lockdown) I love it!- Has transformed me. I was getting a beard (as well as giving Tom Selleck a run for his money in the tache department) - all gone. It took about 8 months of persevering but I'd say 95% gone now. I use it on my underarms about twice a year- I used to have stubble after a day but now nada. Legs - shave twice a year now after being a weekly thing in Winter (daily in Summer) I don't work for Philips btw Grin - I have v dark brown hair and v pale skin so I'm a good candidate for it. I got mine from the John Lewis sale at the time for £300 (reduced from £500) and it has more than paid for itself. I've heard bad things about it - problems with charging etc but has been great IME.

@mrsfollowill thanks this sounds promising for me then...

OP posts:
Original poster
PeanutBellyJam · 16/09/2023 13:57

HoliHormonalTigerLillyTheSecond · 16/09/2023 07:17

I just bought a Diamond IPL in a sale op. It was only £99.
I think it's still that price.

Hadn't heard of that one @HoliHormonalTigerLillyTheSecond... I'll take a look!

OP posts:
Original poster
PeanutBellyJam · 16/09/2023 13:58

Thanks everyone for all the replies! Really Appreciated! I'm sold... I'm probably going to invest in the Lumea. Now do I wait for Black Friday month or just look for the best deal now

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 16/09/2023 13:59

PeanutBellyJam · 16/09/2023 13:49

@AnnaMagnani oooh this is me... pals skin dark hair! Good to know thanks

Show quote history

The only issue was my face where the bastarding hairs just went paler and finer.

Gave up and had electrolysis which was the only way to annilate them.

Results for underarms and legs were amazing though.

orangegato · 16/09/2023 14:05

I epilate everything. I got an IPL years and years ago and it was shit and didn’t work.

Only get one if you don’t mind pain though. Had one for 10 years and still hurts to this day.