How to use an Epilator – Experience and Tips

braun tweezer

Some of you asked me how I use an epilator. These are the steps I follow and some tips that I keep in mind. Hope it helps. 🙂

  • I exfoliate my skin the day before or the same day I have to epilate. Very important.  I epilate on completely dry skin. Never in shower or right after the bath when my skin is still damp. If you like to take a warm shower, go ahead with it. It opens the pores and softens the hair a bit. Sometimes I use a body scrub and sometimes a regular loofah. Either work in my case now. But when I started epilation initially, I was not that regular with my exfoliation and I had a lot of ingrown hair. I used to end up with a stubble after epilation. During that phase, I used only coarse body scrub every other day. That helped me a lot  in getting neater shave every time.

body scrub

  • If you are just starting with epilation, I suggest that you epilate either at night or a day before you want to flaunt your legs or arms. 😀 Initially you might get a lot of redness and it could be painful. Since my body is quite used to the process now, I epilate whenever I want – day, night, right before going out, watching TV.. 😛 whatever. The key thing is to hold the epilator right at 90 degrees. Epilate opposite to the direction of the hair and keep the epilator close to the skin. If required, go over the hair a couple of time. Also, stretch your skin with other hand especially when you are doing your thighs, knees and calves. Fold your arm upwards, you do the elbows. It gets a little difficult to do the back of arms and legs, use your other hand to feel the hair. This way you’d know where the hair are still left. For back of the arms, I suggest that you check yourself in the mirror.  For legs, sit on a chair and keep your leg rested straight on another chair infront of you.

how to epilate

  • If your skin gets very red or sensitive or if it is getting very painful for you, use an ice pack after epilation. That would numb the pain to a great extent. The ice pack needs to be frozen two hours before you use it. I don’t feel the need to use it anymore but initially an ice pack is very helpful. if your epilator does not come with an icepack, just throw some ice in a towel and use that. Make sure you dry your skin before epilating again.

ice pack epilation

  • Once you are happy with your results, follow up with a moisturizer. Ta Da! happy legs. 🙂

moisturiser after epilation

Some tips from experience:

  • Always epilate when your hair is short . It would be less painful and you’d have great results. If you have a full hair growth and you are planning to start epilation, I suggest that you either shave first and epilate when you get a few hair. or you shave. If you are hell bent on epilating only then move your epilator very fast on your skin . It would pain a lot but this fast epilation would reduce the torture pain period.You can always go back and epilate whatever is left behind.
  • If you are finding epilation very painful, keep switching between both arms and legs. Let’s say you are epilating your left leg and you are finding it very painful, switch to another leg and then come back to the left leg again.
  • While doing underarms, I shave my under arms first and then epilate. This makes the process less painful and I get rid of the stubble.
  • If your body gets sweaty during epilation, just throw some talcum powder and then epilate.
  • Reiterating – never under estimate the power of exfoliation.
  • If you end up with stubble initially, d’ont worry. Exfoliate regularly and epilate again. You’d get cleaner and closer shave as you get regular with the process.
  • Avoid using an epilator during your periods. It pains more, imo.
  • And don’t worry about the pain initially. I promise, you’d get use to it. To me, it’s less painful than waxing now. 🙂

Hope these tips help. Let me know if you have any more questions. I’d try to reply in comments. I use braun Silk Epil 5. You may read its review HERE

How To Use an Epilator
Braun 7280 Silk-Epil Xpressive Epilator Corded
Braun Silk Epil 3 Epilator
Waxing vs Epilators – What do you Prefer for Hair Removal?
10 Tips for Using An Epilator
Philips Satinelle Epilator Hp6400

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69 thoughts on “How to use an Epilator – Experience and Tips

  1. Rati…..I have kept in mind all the tips. Exfoliate, keep the epilator at 90 degrees, stretch out the skin. all of us will benefit from these tips….thankoooooooo rati 🙂

  2. Hi Rati didi….nice review..I was in search of an epilator n google directed me here…I have facial hair n its frustrating to visit parlour every week..Howz Braun Silk Epil 7, 7681(has an attachment for facial hair)???

    1. mini i think someone would review silk epil 7 so you may read then. I use silk epil 5 atm so wont be able to tell you much about epil 7.

    2. Braun Silk Epil 7, 7681 does have a facial hair attachment and can do upper lips quite nicely. I use the same for Upper lips.

  3. I am so scared of the pain 🙁 after reading your article i think i should give a try..
    I will keep all the tips in mind when i do it, you explained so well Rati 🙂

    1. actually shami one your mind and body get used to how much would it pain, you get into the flow. I am quite happy because one I can wear skirts and dresses every single day and second I dont have to depend on parlours anymore. 🙂

  4. i used to use the Braun Silk Epil Comfort epilator some years back…then the blades got blunt after some time, and I haven’t gone back to the epilator since…but yes, its so much more comfy than waxing, if you are using it regularly..

    1. I actually started epilating for the first time while i was on my period! I was in no way preparered for the excruciating pain. I ugly cried for over an hour, as i was dead set on epilating everything that day ( and i almost did, if it werent for
      my boyfriend coming in to stop me) Thank god … Anyways on your period your body has twice the hormone level as normal and pain will be felt a lot more as your body is sensitive during this time, including hair follicles.

  5. amazin tips rati!! i too have an epilator lying around which i don’t use regularly, mainly coz of the ingrowth. i am definitely gonna exfoliate properly from now on to get the best results!
    thanks a ton!! 😀

  6. I was thinking of epilating earlier this morning and then decided to wait for your post on epilation tips first. Then, I opened IMBB and realised that you somehow tuned into my Sunday-personal-grooming thoughts section of my head. 😛 Thankee for this post! I am going to try epilation on my arms today itself. 😀 😀

    Regarding underarms, when you shave them first, do you get ingrown hair? And what about darkness in that region? Does epilation prevent that?

    1. JW, actually my under arms are a bit dark but i dont have ingrown hair because I exfoliate my under arms as well. 😀 I dont think epilator would darken the under arms at all. 😐 I am personally trying to use a potato slice everyday to reduce darkness. Would probably report after 15-20 days. 🙂

      Happy epilating. 😀

  7. Thanks Rati for this post 🙂 even I have a silk epil.. but I have a question – how to keep the epilator clean? I mean I was using it every 2-3 months and then i started getng infection in my skin whenever I epilated, so I stopped using it..I always brushed away the hair from the epilator.. but what about bacterial growth? and I’m scared to use a water based cleaner becos it might short circuit the epilator.. can you help?

    1. SD I mentioned in my previous post that I add a drop of mac brush cleanser to clean my epilator. it is alcohol based that disinfects the epilator too. In manual it is mentioned to clean your epilator every now and then with alcohol.

  8. Hi Rati,

    I have been using these for sometimes but gave up due to ingrown hair and bumps,…i have gone back to axing but it is v.expensive here .will follow ur tips

  9. hi Rati.. i wanna know if its harmful to use epilators during those days as i came across this fact here in ur post only.. plz hlp

  10. This is what I needed atm! Many thanks for the tips. Although I’m still scared I think I can now go for epilation keeping your points in mind. Oh and a silly question; is the pain more or less than waxing? And as you said we may get ingrown hair at the beginning, so if we exfoliate well, do we still get the ingrowths at first?

    1. leez if you have been exfoliating well already I dont think you’d have issues with ingrown hair. I was not that regular so I had to work a tad bit more especially on my legs. But i noticed that if I stop exfoliating but keep epilating then I definitely get ingrown hair. So exfoliation should become an important part of your body care routine.

      Actually it pains more than waxing initially and that is why a lot of people give up . But you as you keep doing it and understand the use of epilator more, you get used to it. Now it pains less than waxing because I epilate once a week so i have very less hair to get rid of . W

  11. very nice blog rati didi :)…aftr reading ur facial cotton pads post i went n bought Mannings facial cotton squares for time being…will check out TBS wen i head to Inorbit mall the next tym..jomol evn im frm hyd

  12. Aaah thanks for bringing this up Rati.. Actually i was writing this article yesterday and and wanted to share with all of you.. I agree completely with what ever you have written.Just one thing that i follow everytime when i epilate my underarms is to throw talcum powder .it absorbs the sweat /dampness instantly and the epilator moves very smoothly over the area and in just 10 mins i am done..

  13. Me too wanna do this…can’t stand waxing anymore *headbang* but scared of pain 😥 Rati even I have slight dark underarms….what potato slice tip did u mention above? Please enlighten me with some more that u have tried and found useful 🙂 Bunch of thanks!!!

    1. simple ta, cut potato slice and rub it in your underarms twice a day. It “might” help. i am keeping my fingers crossed. 😛 and i am trying to exfoliate my underarms too every now and then. 🙂

  14. Do the hair have to be sufficiently long or even teeny weeny ones get snapped up…i was trying to figure out the frequency of undergoing the pain…if one usage keeps me hair free for atleast a week I am totally going to buy this one 🙂

  15. Hi Rati!
    What a wonderful & helpful blog!
    Iam now addicted to this blog and not a day passes without my checking this blog.
    Keep the great work going.I love it.

  16. Thanks for the awesome tips Rati….this post of your’s made me put an online order for my epilator.Today I used my Philips Satinelle Epilator for the first times…It was nothing more than a twiching pain..I liked it so much… now no chip-chap of waxing… and in little time I had smooth legs and arms.. :)) quite happy that I came across this post..!! you b’ful ladies rock \m/

  17. am having one from bruna good for hands and legs and underams especially……can i make it as an alternate to bikini wax….????

  18. Hi Ladies, I have just bought my first epilator. Its Emjoi /emagine… say 72 tweezers… lol… I have always battled with unwanted hair. Used it for the first time yesterday. Found it a bit painful but only did legs. The kit came with a smaller hand held one for facial hair. Which didnt remove the more stubborn hairs. I looked and felt like a plucked chicken afterwards. It was my husband who suggested i look for tips on the internet. Thank you all very useful reading. Im guessing I should exfoliate my face too.. as well as legs etc? Thanks for the support and i finally feel im not alone with this problem. *shy*

  19. Rati this is a great post. You’ve comprised the essential things to be kept in mind about epilation. I’m glad to see that you love epilating, I do too. Most women are afraid of epilators, fearing the pain. For those I would like to add that lidocaine cream can make wonders. Also, a wet & dry epilator can be of much help. And that’s about it, you’ve said all the rest 🙂

  20. Here are my tips for epilating if you are a beginner. (BTW, I’m a black girl with coarse thick hair, but believe it or not, epilating works better the finer your hair is)
    Tip No. 1: Whether you are sweaty or not: put baby powder EVERYWHERE you plan to epilate. For what ever reason it makes everything a lot better.
    Tip No. 2: If your bad with pain, or not, take aspirin like an 1/2 hour before.
    Tip No. 3: Epilator brands will always say that this process is quick. It is not quick, especially not the first time. Take your time and go over the same area as long as you need to.
    Tip No. 4: If you can, invest in a good numbing creme.
    Tip No. 5: Instead of showering before epilating, use a blow dryer to open you pores. The effects of showering on your pores don’t last long enough to effectively get the job done. Not only that, but it weakens the hair, which kind of defeats the initial purpose.
    And of course exfoliate and take your time.

    Remember, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!!!!

  21. Rati, my skin is very sensitive. After waxing, I could find big red patches on my skin. Is it the same case with epilator?

  22. Hi,

    Article is really grt.. Thanks for the same. Need small suggestion from you… How about epilating Bikni hair..I have recently got braun silk epil7 epliator and want to use on bikni area.. Can u guide how effective it would be?

  23. Hii dear… I always love to read every article of this blog and it is very informative… I am planning to order epilator but i am afraid because i heard that it causes too much ingrown hairs… Also while searched for epilator on snapdeal i saw the epilator for face, so is it safe to use it on face?

  24. Please help me with this …electric shavers before epiltaing will increase the hair growth ..as this is a tradition that using shavers will increase the hair growth like men do everyday..is it the same case with electric shavers too..plz help me so that I can use it..I have epil silk 7..do help I am in emergency..electric shaver to use ???

  25. Hi Rati, I think that exfoliation is very important since it helps remove dead skin cells. There are so many great ideas here. I have never tried icing the skin because I heard that it closes the pores. I have to try and see if it works as well as a numbing cream. I think talcum powder works well for removing moisture but I have also found it helpful for picking up flat lying hairs.

    I have heard of blow drying the skin but have never tried it. Showering is great but I think it also makes your hair more brittle. I have to try this.

    Bebo, epilators won’t darken the skin. The big difference between waxing is tweezing is that waxing removes all the the hair at once. With epilating you are plucking out just a few at a time. I think what works well is to wax first and then use an epilator for maintenance.

  26. The most important step is to get the right epilator , It can be hard because we have many models in the market. After get one , You must exfoliate before each hair removal session.The epilator must be kept at a 90 degrees angle.you must Holding the skin taut.Epilate against the direction in which the hair is growing.
    Move the epilator slowly, don’t rush it, have patience if you don’t want to break the hairs instead of having them pulled from the root. These tips also will help you for reduce the pain.

  27. You said that if you get stubble to exfoliate and epilate again. I epilated my legs for the first time today and OMG.. I didn’t realize the pain would be so much. My armpits were nothing but my legs… I did stick it out and was able to epilate the lower parts of both my legs but left the thighs, couldn’t bear it today. My epilator didn’t catch all of the hairs and I still have stubble. Is this what you are referring to? I should just keep exfoliating in the shower and epilate again in a few days or so and just keep it up? I know the pain will go down the more I epilate but I’m just concerned because there’s a lot of stubble still on my legs. 🙁

  28. I still haven’t bought an epilator as I don’t know how to use them. This article is so helpful. I am going to buy one and start using. Thanks for the helpful article. 🙂

  29. Braun Silk Epil 7681 is an excellent choice. It’s the best epilator out there and it has a dedicated facial cap so you can definitely use it to remove facial hair. And you will only have to use it once every two weeks.

  30. I have tried epilation for the first time and it works wonders for me! I bought Braun Silk 9 and am absolutely loving it!

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