Epilating

[Rachel_740]

Hi Girls,

I got up a bit early this morning, had a bath and then I got all excited.

Because I had a couple of hours to kill before I had to go out, I thought I'd get my elilator out. I nearly started on my legs (I had them waxed 2 weeks ago, so there not bad at the moment). Then I decided to do the unthinkable - I launched an attack on my tummy hair. It is fairly well under control because I have shaved it regularly, but I thought 'to hell with it, I'll have a go'. The hair was about 3/16 inch long. I had a pleasant surprise. Although It did hurt (I can't lie), it was a bearable pain, especially if I can keep it up over a long period of time, because the more I do it the weaker the hair gets and also the hair gets sparser.

After I finished my tummy I then went on to my legs, which I did the other day.

I was amazed at how much hair came off (both areas) because it didn't look to be very much.

Anne

[Julie]

Anne,

Which epliator do you use? I remember my ex having one but she hated it. I looked around the house and couldn't find it. I'm looking for an alternative to shaving. I've become hypersensitive to my previously favorite method - Veet :(

[Rachel_740]

Anne,

Which epliator do you use? I remember my ex having one but she hated it. I looked around the house and couldn't find it. I'm looking for an alternative to shaving. I've become hypersensitive to my previously favorite method - Veet :(

Hi Julie,

Its a Braun Easy Start Body System 'Silk Epil'. It's got 2 epilator heads, one with only a few tweezer things and one full of them, there are 2 'clips' to go on the heads, one 'extra fast' and one 'extra gentle'. It also has a standard razor head.

Anne

[Natalie x]

I have had no success with Veet - just doesn't seem to work on my coarse, black hair. I would like to know more about epilators. How do they work, etc?

[Rachel_740]

I have had no success with Veet - just doesn't seem to work on my coarse, black hair. I would like to know more about epilators. How do they work, etc?

Natalie,

I'm not sure you do want to know. If you imagine a load of tweezers put onto a rotating head that open and close as they go round.

What happens is the tweezers close onto the hair and as they continue round they pull the hair out at it's root :eek: .

Mine is this one (http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=3151&productId=119573&clickfrom=name) and it seems to do what it says on the tin.

Anne

[Stephenie]

:eek: sounds like something that you could use with handcuffs.

[Jonien]

Natalie,

I'm not sure you do want to know. If you imagine a load of tweezers put onto a rotating head that open and close as they go round.

What happens is the tweezers close onto the hair and as they continue round they pull the hair out at it's root :eek: .

Mine is this one (http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=3151&productId=119573&clickfrom=name) and it seems to do what it says on the tin.

Anne

I have the same model but it just painfully grabs the hair pull at it but not out it seems the hair pulls out of the tweeses all that pain and the hair is still there och gave up wax only works on half and creams just sting so its back to shaving alternate days

[Florence Crook]

I use an Epilady Legend 810-40 (may now be replaced by the 810-31 www.goodmans.net/get_item_ep-810-31_epilady-810-31-legend-rechargeable-epilator.htm). It's efficient and the only model I could find that runs on a rechargeable battery, which makes it very convenient to use.

After years of use I have no chest hair at all and very little on my legs and arms.

Happy epilating.

Love, Florence

[Natalie x]

Hmmm, thanks girls. Sounds painful but worth a try, maybe with the handcuffs.

:eek:

[Tamara Croft]

I have the same model but it just painfully grabs the hair pull at it but not out it seems the hair pulls out of the tweeses all that pain and the hair is still there och gave up wax only works on half and creams just sting so its back to shaving alternate days
Before using your epilator, try having a nice hot bath. When using the epilator, you should use a cool pack on the area you have epilated for a few seconds, it eases the pain. Waxing only works on certain lengths of hair and as hair grows at different times, you need to get into a routine. As for creams, I do not recommend them at all. They can cause skin damage. This is my epilator.

Braun SoftPerfection 3880 Epilator - Body and Face (http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=3151&productId=122767&clickfrom=image)

[Clare]

Waxing from the neck down is the only way to go!

Been doing it for a decade and its get less 'painful' the more regulary its done. And you are smoother for longer too.

Christine

[Rachel_740]

I have the same model but it just painfully grabs the hair pull at it but not out it seems the hair pulls out of the tweeses all that pain and the hair is still there och gave up wax only works on half and creams just sting so its back to shaving alternate days

Jonien,

As Tamara says, have a hot bath first to soften the hair. Also, don't go straight for the kill on a really hairy leg. Shave it first and let the hair grow back to about 5mm long. Then put on the 'starter' haed and take it really slowly.

Once you've finished use a good body lotion all over.
Anne

[AngelAshley]

I ordered a Braun Easy Start Body System 'Silk Epil' off Amazon. Absolutely great. It hurts, but not as much as you'd think. So far managed to do my legs, 1/2 of under one of my arms, some of my bikini line, belly, chest...
Personally I don't use the cold pack... I find it hurts more. If I just completely relax whatever are it seems fine.

Definitly reccomend this to anyone.

I want to try epilating my face too, so I don't have to shave for a while. Is this a good idea?

[DanaJ]

Minaki, I would say no to the face. The facial hairs are way closer together, and normally coarser too. Besides hurting a great deal, I think you may get some bleeding too..... I tried getting my face waxed once before, it didn't work well.

DanaJ

[Julie York]

I want to try epilating my face too, so I don't have to shave for a while. Is this a good idea?

If you don't have strong beard hair it might work. But from what I've heard I think it is a bad idea. I think you should just test the theory by plucking out a dozen hairs with tweezers. You'll soon know if it is "A good idea" or not!.

[Rachel_740]

Hi Girls,

I was epilating my legs this morning and I suddenly realised why it hurts so much sometimes - much more than other times.

It is because sometimes the epilator grabs a particularly stubborn hair and instead of pulling it out, the tweezers can't keep hold, so they grab it again when they come round next time .......... and next time .............. and next time ..............

I found the best way to minimise the pain of this is to just stop moving the epilator and let it do it's worst. Once the hair has been pulled out you can move on again with relatively little pain again.

Another time when epilatoing really hurts is when the hairs are too abundant. The way round this is to just bear with the pain and move really, really slowly so it doesn't grab so many hairs.

Anne,
Forum masochist

[Rachael Warren]

Hi girls, I agree with Tamara's comments. I posted a couple of bits about this in the Beauty Club thread last night.

I am now using a Philips Satin Ice unit, it has an ice pack that clips on and dulls the pain. It works where I have tried it, although I don't use the ice pack on my legs, (I have been epilating these on and off for years) it certainly worked on my under arms and other sensitive areas.

One bit of advice though, once you start to use an epilator do keep using it, if you let the regime lapse you will be back to the pain when you start again. :mad:

Lots of Love, Rachael. :)

[Alayna]

I've had my Braun "silk-epil" for about 2 years now and I've used it off and on with frustrating results. It works GREAT on my lower legs, but on my thighs and bikini area it tends to leave a lot of broken hairs resulting in a LOT of ingrown hairs. It's murder trying to get it to work right on my stomach as I get that grabbing without removing pain! I also have really thick, coarse, dark hair covering my body. Fully grown in I'm one step away from a silverback gorilla!

I'm back on it now with some of the same problems, but they're getting better since I found a couple methods that work - of course everyone is different and just like diets, no one method works for everyone. First off, I never use it right out of the bath anymore. It does make the hair softer and the pores larger, but I find that just makes the hairs prone to breaking. What I do now is shower and then wait 2 or 3 hours making sure I don't sweat or anything to make my skin dirty. I hate having to wait to give my skin a drink of lotion, but it works.

Another thing that helps me is to go with the grain at first on really thick spots, and then go back over it against the grain (like if you're shaving for the first time). I check to see if everything's working well by holding my finger over the head and catching some hair on it. If I see a bunch of hair with the little balls on the ends I know it's working - though only hair at the final growth stage has those ugly little things it's still a good check for me

[Ariel]

I have been shaving my legs, and on occaision, using lotions ( :( after the last time, the lotions are definately out, very painful burning sensation, followed by itching and red bumps, and still, hair). Have been thinking bout the wax thingy ( :eek: seems messy to me), or trying an epilator. Having read this post, think I will try the eppi.


Hugs,
Ariel

[Mx Justina]

Minaki, I would say no to the face. The facial hairs are way closer together, and normally coarser too. Besides hurting a great deal, I think you may get some bleeding too..... I tried getting my face waxed once before, it didn't work well.

DanaJ

Most of what remains of my natural facial hair (which is 99% white) I deal with by using expensive angled S.S. tweezers--since it's hair by hair, the process has very little or no pain (or bleeding)...and not particulary time-consuming when regularly grooming.

However, for body hair, this method would be impossibly time-consuming (and for which I'm greatfull to naturally have minimal body hair).

J.

[racquel]

Waxing from the neck down is the only way to go!

Been doing it for a decade and its get less 'painful' the more regulary its done. And you are smoother for longer too.

Christine
I agree fully.Stick with it and you come to love it imho.I do the wife as well,and sister -in -law.Even underarms. :thumbsup:

[Ibuki_Warpetal]

Most of what remains of my natural facial hair (which is 99% white) I deal with by using expensive angled S.S. tweezers--since it's hair by hair, the process has very little or no pain (or bleeding)...and not particulary time-consuming when regularly grooming.

J.
Do you have some kind of system down because I tweezed my face earlier today for 3 hours and I'm still not done.

I even left all the invisible white hairs alone. :/

Then again I just can't focus on doing it. :p

[Mx Justina]

Do you have some kind of system down because I tweezed my face earlier today for 3 hours and I'm still not done.

I even left all the invisible white hairs alone. :/

Then again I just can't focus on doing it. :p

Ok, the following is from personal experience over a decade...

Yes, there is a system to this...but remember that everbody's skin is uniquely different.

Firstly, the lightening of the overall facial hairs, and reduction in density are dependant on continued regular tweezings over an extended time period (the longer the period, the more lasting the effect). Essentially the repeated tweezing is causing stress to the hair roots. It will not become apparent in the short term...but as the repeated stress continues the hair roots become exhausted in their biological reactions... There is no noticeable effect on the surrounding skin...it will regenerate at the same rate it would have, if no hair root stressing had occurred.

Problem for most is that it's a process which requires patience and continued regular application (daily-to-several times per each passing week). The hair root stress effect is cumulative... So being dilligent especially at the beginning months, is important.

I opinion that persons who tend to have hair that jams up excessively under the skin, may not find the tweezing desirable... Also, it may or may not make application of electrolysis needles harder--due to supposed "curling" and "toughening" of the folicles (don't think I ever noticed such follicle effects--but each person's skin and hairs behave uniquely different).

Lastly, the reason for using high quality (professional) S.S. angled tweezers is to minimise the task by creating precise grabs and pulls on each chosen hair, and thereby minimising slips and at-surface breaks... First and foremost, the most tweezable candidates should be each hair tha regrows dark-colored.

If you adopted this, realise that although it may lighten your facial beard to the point where when you shave there is no more beard shadow...there will still be sufficient lightened hair regrowth, which will require an electric razor usage (presently for me it's at least every two days or so). Usually when I groom to present a femme image...my Norelco gets used the same day I've tweezed... Very hot humid days present no problem since I have no beard line, nor need for any sort of foundation covering.

It likely will feel odd on the first few days (the hair pulls)...but eventually your focus will be on precision uprooting and overall thoroughness.

J.

[Ibuki_Warpetal]

I've been tweezing my eyebrows for 10 years and they still grow dark and thick as the untweezed ones. :/
My tweezer is a Revlon.

[Mx Justina]

I've been tweezing my eyebrows for 10 years and they still grow dark and thick as the untweezed ones. :/
My tweezer is a Revlon.

Checked the forum once more before going offline and noticed your most recent...

I too tweeze my eyebrows to maximise femme appearance... However I don't tweeze eyebrows as frequently as lower facial areas. Many times if follicles experience stress over a small limited area, the body is better able to compensate it's regeneration...but less able as the stressed areas expand.

Genetic characteristics are also uniquely different in people. Then also there's age differences which may have effects on follicle resiliency. Males produce higher levels of testosterone in their young adult vs. their middle years also...

J.