Epilators, though invented decades ago, are still one of the most effective hair removal devices on the market today. These electrically based machines can be used by both men and women to remove unwanted hair on any region of the body.
Epilator machines work by uprooting hair completely – leaving an empty hair follicle in much the same way that waxing does. There are different shapes and sizes of epilators to target different areas and types of hair.
Everything from underarm hair to facial hair to bikini line treatments can be undertaken by epilators. These machines use springs or discs to trap hair and pluck it up from its roots, which results in long lasting hair removal.
If you’re curious about what epilators can offer you in terms of hair removal, then this is the article for you. We’ll discuss in details how epilators work, what the pros and cons of using them are and which are the best types to use in different scenarios.
But firstly, we’ll briefly cover the range of different hair removal processes available to you on the market today.
In this article you will learn...
Hair Removal Options
There are many different products on the market for people to use to get rid of unwanted hair. Some products are aimed at private markets and designed to be used by people from the privacy of their own homes. Other products are reserved for specially trained professionals.
The hair removal option that best suits you will be determined by your own individual circumstances and what you want to achieve with your hair removal procedures. Some people want to minimize pain whereas others are only interested in maximizing results.
Before scanning the below options, we recommend that you decide firmly for yourself what type of hair removal you are after. What are your priorities? Are they long lasting hair removal? Quick and easy hair removal? Pain free hair removal?
Once you’ve prioritized what’s important to you, here’s a quick explanation of four of the most common options available to you for you to read. Each option has its own unique pros and cons which you’ll need to weigh up for yourself.
Option One: Epilators
As the topic of this article, we’ll go over this option first. Epilators are an age-old way of getting rid of hair. They are usually small hand held machines that users can operate on themselves with from the privacy of their own bedroom or bathroom.
Though painful due to their complete hair uprooting mechanics, epilators allow people to obtain long lasting hair removal results without having to enlist a professional. They can come in both battery and power cord formats.
Option Two: Electrical Shavers
Electrical shavers are similar to epilators in that they too are generally smaller hand held electronic devices that people can use to remove hair themselves from home.
Where electric shavers differ from epilators is that they work by snipping hair where it protrudes from the skin, having much the same overall effect as conventional shavers would.
Electrical shavers are favoured by men for the pain free option they provide to cutting hair (anything from leg hair to facial hair) but it should be noted that these machines do not provide a long-lasting hair removal result.
Option Three: Laser Hair Removal (IPL)
Laser hair removal is a relatively modern approach to hair removal and is being touted as the best option out there for women with pale skin and dark hair.
The procedure is usually performed in salon’s and works by shooting lasers into the skin that are only absorbed by the dark pigment in a person’s hair, incinerating it and killing the follicle.
This process can lead to permanent hair removal results after several sessions.
Unfortunately, this procedure is expensive, time consuming and can even be dangerous. Hand-held devices have started to be distributed to private users but the effectiveness of these home-use devices is less than the expensive commercial grade counterparts.
Option Four: Waxing
Waxing can come in a variety of forms – hot wax, cold wax, bees wax, sugar wax etc. The common theme of waxing is that a form of wax is applied to the skin, allowed to dry (thus sticking hairs to it) and then ripped off, which rips hairs out by the roots.
Generally a painful approach to hair removal, waxing can provide long lasting results. It usually requires one person to be the applicator and another to be the ‘waxee’.
Although going to professionals is recommended, home waxing kits do exist and are becoming increasingly popular.
Now that you’re aware of the various options available on the market, we’ll go more in-depth as to why we believe Epilators are the best choice of hair removal product.
The Advantages Of Using Epilators
There are several reasons why epilators stand out as clear winners for the most useful hair removal method. Their only real con is that they can be painful to use initially, but we’ll give you some tips on how to avoid/minimize that pain later.
We can say that the small amount of pain will probably be worth it, as these are the benefits of using an epilator to remove your unwanted hair:
- The costs associated with using epilators are very low compared to other hair removal methods. These machines can be purchased for less than $100 from most retailers, and they’re a one-off expensive unlike ongoing costs for shaving razors and waxing strips.
- Epilators are not messy and leave the skin without irritating residues after treatment. Some epilators can even be used in the shower, and most don’t require shaving creams or water to achieve your purpose.
- Epilators are small and compact, meaning they are an incredibly convenient hair removal tool. You can put them in your suitcase when you go abroad, and use them anywhere, whenever you need to.
- Epilators are easy to use and don’t require the help (or payment) of a professional. They are simply held by your hand and run over your leg much like a conventional shaver would be. It’s that simple!
- Epilator use causes your hair to grow back softer and even slightly sparser than before. This is because the machines pluck hairs up from the roots, meaning the follicles have to regrow completely new baby hairs in their place.
- Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this plucking up of hair by the roots also results in long lasting hair removal. Most women don’t need to worry about removing hair for at least three weeks after an epilation session.
By now you’re probably convinced that epilators are the best form of hair removal. They do however come in many different types. Let’s explore what each type has to offer.
Types Of Epilator
There are four main types of epilator available for purchase today. Each type is suited to different use circumstances. If you’re wondering what is the best epilator for you then you need to understand the different categories of epilators available to you.
It is important to know that although these epilator categories use different mechanical functions, they are at their core all epilators, that is, they are all hand held electronic devices used to pull hair out by the root. It is how they achieve this objective that makes each type/category unique.
Rotating Disc Epilators
This epilator design is probably one of the most famous as it was first spawned by the big brand Remington and the patent for its mechanics led to a big law case. Fortunately, this case was settled and we now have rotating disc epilators.
These epilators work by having small rotating discs catch hairs between them as the machines are scanned over the surface of the skin. Once a hair is caught between the discs it is plucked up and uprooted.
Tweezer Epilators
A more modern version of the rotating disc design, tweezer style epilators use plates mounted in a plastic housing to catch hairs. The plates start apart and then move together – once per cycle of their spin over the skin.
When the plates come together they catch hairs between them, and the hairs are thus uprooted. Because of the tight clenching of the hairs it is sometimes possible for hairs to break off rather than be pulled out by tweezer epilators. This means they are not the best epilator for face treatments.
Wet Use Epilators
For many years’ epilators were regular electronic devices that couldn’t be used near water for safety reasons. Then came along wet use epilators.
These battery charged units are specially designed to operate in the shower.
Some are made to be used with a cream or a gel that may help soothe skin and keep it from becoming irritated. They are usually considered the best epilator for legs treatments.
Dry & Wet Epilators
Users of dry & wet epilators get the best of both worlds. They can choose to use their epilators in the shower, or simply in their own bedrooms. These waterproof epilators typically run off an in-built battery.
For safety reasons, it is always recommended that wet & dry epilators not be used while plugged in. Instead, users are urged to let them charge completely before using them. Because of their versatility, these are the best facial hair epilators and bikini epilators.
Regardless of the type of epilator you choose to get, there will be some common parts to be aware of.
Essential Parts Of An Epilator
As they are complex mechanical and electronic devices, epilators have many small parts put together inside their main body. Users need only be aware of the main parts that ought to come in most epilator packs. These are:
- Epilator head: This is the part with the metal plates/springs/discs which is run over your skin. It should be cleaned regularly and is usually removable from the main body.
- Main body: This is the handheld part of the machine and usually has a switch on it as well as a spot for a batter or charger plug. It needs to be kept away from moisture at all costs if your unit isn’t designed to be waterproof.
- Head cap: This is a cap that goes over the head of the epilator when it is not in use. Most high-quality outlets will provide one of these with your epilator.
- Cleaning brush: Again, this is an add-on that most retailers will include with your epilator. It is used to clean the epilator head.
- Charger & charging stand: If your epilator is not battery powered then it will come with a conventional wall plug and a charging stand. Be sure to check that your power sockets are surge protected if you are going to plug in an expensive epilator.
Now that you understand how an epilator works, you may want to know how to work an epilator.
How To Use An Epilator
The precise methods in which you should use each type of epilator will differ depending on the type you get and the region of your body that you intend to use it on. It is therefore important to consult the user manual that comes with your machine before starting epilation.
Generally though, these are the steps for using an epilator on yourself:
1. Purchase all necessary products. These might include exfoliating lotion, a loofah, moisturizer and shaving cream depending on the type of epilation you’ll be doing.
2. Shave at least 48 hours before your planned epilator session and exfoliate at the day before your session.
3. Prepare a comfortable spot to sit with a plastic sheet under you or on a lino floor that can be swept. This will make it easier to clean up hairs afterwards.
4. Wear loose comfortable clothing that exposes all the areas you intend to epilate.
5. Pull your skin taught using one hand and hold the epilator perpendicular to your skin with your other hand.
6. Turn the epilator on and run it along your skin in the opposite direction of your hair growth, preferably in circular motions.
7. After you have finished your hair removal apply some moisturizer to smooth your skin.
8. Be sure to clean your epilator using the brush provided with its packaging. As epilators are used on your body it’s important to keep them clean and sanitary.
Tips For Using An Epilator
Knowing how to use an epilator is one thing, knowing how to use one effectively and with best practices is quite another. Using these tips, you can avoid the mistakes that new epilator users often make and even if you are a seasoned pro this expert advice might help improve your epilation.
The most important thing anyone can do when using an epilator is prepare their skin and hair properly beforehand. Because epilation works best on short hairs you want to ensure that you shave only a couple of days before your session.
You also want to make sure that you exfoliate well the day before your epilation as this will help to release any hairs that are sticking to the skin and make them stand upright – able to be caught by the epilator’s discs/springs/plates.
Using products containing witch hazel after your sessions is highly advisable as it will both moisturize your skin and help prevent a build-up of bacteria that might otherwise cause infection.
Remember that the more frequently you epilate the less hair is likely to be grown back and therefore the less painful it will be.
Every second day is the recommended timeframe for new users, and every fourth day is best for those who have been epilating for more than a month.
The Pain Problem Solution
Unfortunately, there is one downside to epilation that is well known among users, and that is that it can be very painful for beginners. Take courage in knowing that the pain will reduce over time as your hair growth becomes lighter.
In the meantime, there are a number of ways that you can reduce the pain epilation may cause. Some methods are common knowledge and others are not, we’ll only go over the most effective ways to reduce the pain.
Note that even if you manage to completely minimize the feelings of pain your legs are likely to still be a little red after a session – therefore you might want to ensure you only epilate at night before going to bed.
To reduce epilation pain, you can use:
- Numbing creams: These creams essentially work by numbing the skin that you’re about to pull hairs from. There are two main contenders in the market: Elma and LMX. Elma must be prescribed but LMX can be purchased from most pharmacies.
- Light pain killers: As with any minor bodily pain, the pain from epilation can be minimized using pain killer tablets. The exact brand of pain killers is usually not important as they all perform a similar function – minimizing the amount of pain signals the brain perceives.
- Hot showers: Taking a hot shower before epilating will help to open up your pores and expand your skin so that the hairs can come out of it easier.
- Moisturizer: Post-session moisturizers can help to soothe irritated skin and special herbal ones may help to reduce any heat or swelling caused by epilation.
The most important thing to remember is that epilation does become less painful over time as hair growth becomes more light. Another way to reduce epilation pain is to use a good quality epilator. Let’s take a look at the top brands on the market.
Top Brands In The Epilator Market
There are a few leading brands in the epilator market. These manufacturers have distinguished themselves and their epilators in a variety of ways. All of them have been chosen because they offer good value for money with their products.
Getting a high-quality epilator helps to ensure effective, safe and less painful hair removal. It is often worth investigating what sort of warranty a manufacturer is willing to give their product as this can be a good indication of product quality and durability.
Phillips Epilators
Well known as the creators of a vast variety of different electronic devices, Phillips definitely have the technical expertise behind their name to manufacture advanced epilators – and that’s exactly what they do.
When buying Phillips epilators, you can expect modern features and technology, with most of their epilator machines being in the wet and dry category. Options from this brand include machines specifically made for facial hair removal.
Emjoi Epilators
Emjoi is a popular brand of epilator usually sold online. Their epilators come in a range of attractive looking designs than are also clearly made with the intention of being easy to use.
The Emjoi range of epilators boasts the world’s most powerful epilator which has a grand total of seventy-two tweezers built into it. It might just be the best epilator for bikini line treatments if epilator reviews are anything to go by.
Epilady Epilators
This is company that actually invented Epilators back in the 1980’s. Staying true to its roots, this company continues to innovate and focus on the creation of epilators today.
An old and trustworthy brand within the epilator sphere, many people turn to Epilady epilator’s because they can be sure of what they’re going to get from this brand.
Braun Epilators
The Braun brand specializes in all things hair removal. It carries a vast range of not only epilators but stylers, trimmers, IPL machines, electric shavers and more.
Fortunately for its buyers, Braun is known for exemplary customer service and is likely to have a range of spare parts on hand for use with epilator machines purchased from it.
Epilators – A Tried And True Solution To Hair Removal
It’s curious that so many men and women around the world haven’t had the privilege of knowing about epilators. These machines are not a new concept, but they offer a hair removal method that is yet to be bested in the world today.
Giving users silky smooth skin in less time than most other methods, as well as keeping hair away for longer, epilators are clearly a great option for anyone looking to remove unwanted hair.
If you’re in the market for one, we’d recommend you do some reading and research to find the best machine to suit your needs.
