Real Life Scenarios: Epilators - Pure Torture or your BFF?

So lets shift the discussion today from the hair that I love to the hair that I hate -- my body hair.  I've always hated my body hair.  Always.  And when I say hate, I don't mean dislike, I mean I actually hate my body hair.  For almost a couple decades now, I've spent countless time and money trying to get rid of it.  From shaving and plucking to laser hair removal, I've tried it all.  Today I'm going to talk about another option that many of you may not be familiar with -- epilators.

Epilating, to me, is a cross between waxing and shaving.  It's a handheld tool that you use like a shaver to pull/pluck the hairs in your body at the root.  So unlike shaving which just addresses the hair above the surface, it's like waxing which pulls the hair at the root, thus taking it a lot longer to grow back.  Now why might one torture themselves like this, it's quite simple, you HATE the hair on your body.  If I didn't have a deep hate for my body hair, I don't think I could stand the pain of using it.  I do have a few tips for making it less painful, however what is beauty without pain, LOL. 


I bought my epilator a few years ago.  It's a Braun Silk Epi and I paid about $80 for it at Target.  After doing a ton of research on Amazon it had great reviews and seemed the best fit for me.  It comes with the epilator attachment along with a personal trimmer attachment.  I know that $80 is a lot of money, but you only buy it once and it can replace your razors and it's heck of a lot cheaper than doing wax or laser hair removal (both of which require you continue purchasing something).  A few pluses about this one is that:

• It plugs into the wall, so I don't have to use batteries
• There is a light built in
• You can change the attachments from epilator to personal trimmer
• Easy to clean

I'm thinking about purchasing a new one since I've had mine for a few years.  I typically haven't used it consistently, however, I've learned a few techniques that have made it more tolerable to use.  This morning I was able to successful epilate my legs, inner thighs, back thighs, stomach, and some of my underarms.  How did I do it?  I followed these tips:

• Allow hair to grow about .5 inches
• Take a bath/shower and allow your pores to open
• Pat skin dry
• Apply talcum/baby powder to skin
• Pull skin taut when epilating

I plan to be a lot more consistent this spring/summer and I'll keep you updated on my hair growth.  Happy hair loss!