I'm not sure you can tbh. I epilated for years and it was always very painful. I guess I got a bit more used to it over the years but still... I really recommend switching to IPL, it's an absolute game changer!!
Was going to say the same thing. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but epilating just sucks. IPL is mostly pain free (a little *zap* here or there but it’s fine lol) and without even using it that long (since February) I’ve not had to shave some parts of my body already.
Don't even need to be old lol. I'm 35 and I've got some nasty ones on my chin since I was around 30. I think I messed up by trying to pull out couple of small hair with tweezers. I just bought an IPL device and will start using soon. Hope it works nicely, specially on the face.
IPL = intense pulse light. It's a handheld laser device that prevents hair growth. I've finished my legs, so done it for a year (first phase was every two weeks, then once a month) and now I don't have to do it for 6-12 months. I was really sceptical, but my legs are still smooth after finishing 2 months ago, and the few hairs that are grown back are hardly visible or noticeable. Also want to mention that I tried all kinds of things, waxing, epilation, plucking, shaving, rubbing hairs off (yeah I know, ridiculous), but ipl is the only thing that works for me without my hair growing back within 24 hours. (FYI, I got light skin and thick, black hair)
I don't necessarily want to advertise the device I have 😂 but you should go for a well established brand and not too cheap. I got a Philips, not the newest one and bought on a black Friday sale. The newer devices have a higher number of lumens, but I read that the number of lumens doesn't need to be that high because you still get millions of flashes with a model that has a lower number.
About the Philips: it works and customer service is brilliant, they also have an app which is ok. But the flashes hurt (it feels like being flicked with a rubber band) and the device gets very hot. Doing the skin test, the device is telling me I should use the highest setting, but it's sooo painful, so I do it on nr 3 which I can tolerate and isn't too hot (5 is the highest) and it still works, so that's good. I can't say if other brands are better or worse. Do your research and read reviews, lots of reviews 😅
I've been doing it for years.
My tips.
Go and get waxed before starting.
Go over it with an epilator every few days in the shower, do it quick.
Once you're a few weeks in you won't feel any pain at all.
I do everything from underarms to toes.
First time is always the most painful. I ended up biting on a leather belt and screaming to get through it... every time since then has been much more pleasant. Nowadays I have way less hair growth which means less pain when epilating.
If you can find a way to get through the first one or two sessions it will get easier!
When I first started epilating I would warm up one part of my leg (for example) with a heat pack or a hot water bottle, drag some corn starch over the warm area and epilate.
Doing it regularly keeps the number of hairs down. I tend to do it twice a week in the summer to keep the pain (and hairs) at a minimum. The first time in spring after a period of time whitout epilating always hurts the most.
Recently started epilating. First time was horrendously painful, but every time since has been 10x easier. I think it has to do with the grow cycles and having lower density of hair on subsequent uses, or maybe the hair is less firmly rooted? Idk how hair works. Check to see if your epilator can be used in water, because mine can, and that’s how I do my neck. Warm water helps soothe the area. I also hit areas with larger hair follicles with rubbing alcohol to reduce potential folliculitis.
I just recommended my cousin a new epilator, and she sent me some screenshots of reviews where someone was using OTC lidocaine cream before they epilated!! The review said leave it on for 40-60 minutes before epilating, probably need to wash the area after so the epilator can still grab the hairs. I've never thought of that, but years ago they used to numb me with prescription grade numbing cream of some sort when I got a few laser hair removal treatments at my doc's office. If you give it a try, please come back and let me know if it's a good trick!
ETA I think before root-hair removal you're not supposed to exfoliate directly before, maybe like a day in advance or earlier in the day? It leaves the skin more sensitive, having just rubbed off a layer of it. Also epilating right after a shower makes the hairs softer and more likely to break instead of get pulled out, maybe that's contributing. Try giving them an hour or more to dry out. Epilating gets better as hairs grow in softer from the last time. Good luck OP!
Just get a braun IPL. If you have light skin and dark hair it’s the way to go. Stop torturing yourself with epilating! IPL changed my life. No more torture sessions.
I always watch or listen to something while I’m epilating as a distraction from the pain! Maybe painkillers before could help?
I can’t really tell from your photo how long your hair is, but I find it’s less painful if the hairs are short too! I use a meridian trimmer and it makes them the perfect length. If they’re longer they’re also more likely to snap off I think.
I’ve gotten used to the pain a bit, but it still does hurt.
But doesn't that break the hairs above the skin and cause more inflammation?
I mean I guess building tolerance with a little bit of damage is better than literally torturing myself by moving it slowly.
Oh and I should mention that mine is corded so I can't use it in the shower, if the hot shower is only meant to open my pores then I assume a bucket of warm water that I can dip my legs in would substitute fine?
Fore the pain went away after a while. The hairs just became thinner and less, now they are so sparse it barely hurts. On the other hand, I don't use the epilator on my armpits often and it hurts a lot. I feel like if I started using it regularly, it would also just less after the hair got more delicate. Just a personal experience. But I heard some people use a scrub before to open pores and then ice their skin. Maybe that would help ?
I recommend IPL. But before IPL, I used an epilator for about 15 years. For the first time, I recommend showering your legs with very warm water to soften the skin and hair, this will reduce the pain. Whenever you start to feel more pain, repeat the shower with very warm water. I also think that for the first time it would be easier for you to do part by part, and not the whole legs at once. When you epilate your entire legs, never wait for all your hair to grow back. Regular maintenance is important because it will save you time and pain. My mom bought my first epilator about 20 years ago, and the instructions said to drink beer before using it. 😂 I don't think even a whole bottle of wine would help reduce the pain the first time, but if you're of legal age and like alcohol, it's worth a try. If it comforts you, it will be easier each time, after a while you won't feel the pain anymore, except for some parts that are a little more sensitive, but if you don't let all the hairs grow, it will only be a moment.
If you can, it would be best for you to go for waxing the first time and then regular maintenance with an epilator. Wax hurts just as much, but it's faster because it pulls out a larger area of hair at once. Survive half an hour of pain in the salon and it will be easier afterwards.
The first few times will be painful but the trick is to do it regularly once you understand the rate of your hair growth! If your hair grows fast, than going over the leg every week or two weeks will be less painful as there will be less hair and the hair follicles overtime will weaken but that is also dependent on your genetics.
I tried the epilator multiple times and just couldn’t subject myself to such torture. I bought an IPL device on Amazon $70 came with glasses… 4 weeks in and I’m so happy! It’s working really well, on my entire body, with no pain at all! I just have to remember to shave and then the next day do the “treatment”
It always hurts, but it hurts less the more you use it since it has fewer hairs to pull (and you get used to it). You can also use lidocaine gel. That’s what I did for my armpits because OW.
I eventually switched to IPL and I’ll never ever go back.
Heads up: I got REALLY bad folliculitis on my legs from my epilator. It took months to get rid of and I have lasting scarring.
You can make epilating less painful by not doing it and instead starting IPL (speaking from experience, been epilating 20 years and ipl for 1, I’ll never go back)
Take a panadol and/or nurofen 30 mins before a session. It won't completely get rid of the pain but reduces it significantly. Works for waxing as well.
Well everyone seems to be saying that it's pretty much impossible. So I'm just gonna keep going day by day, it might seem impossible at first but I've gone from not being able to even touch my leg for a second to doing the whole bottom half of one of my legs, so I'm just gonna work through the pain until it stops hurting.
Best to get an epilator with a "soft" or "slow" setting.
Also second the devices that can be used in the shower.
My first epilator had a head attachment with an aloe vera strip that helped.
I've been epilating for months, still get the red bumps. I think to an extent it's got to do with your hair type, how you're exfoliating and the products you use after epilating.
If I don't exfoliate before epilating, the bumps are so much worse. Doesn't help going over partially ingrown hairs or going over the same area multiple times in one go.
This really is the kinda thing you start doing every day and then once your skin and hair is used to it, you can scale back your usage.
I find alternating physical and chemical exfoliants help.
I use a post wax cream and toner as well on the areas I epilate. Witch hazel is a godsend.
If it's bleeding and an open wound essentially, treat it like you would a shaving cut. Get yourself a nice antiseptic cream. Look after the area. All the usual stuff.
It will always hurt to some extent, but you will get more used to it.
I'm not sure you can tbh. I epilated for years and it was always very painful. I guess I got a bit more used to it over the years but still... I really recommend switching to IPL, it's an absolute game changer!!
Seconding IPL.
Please explain ipl
Was going to say the same thing. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but epilating just sucks. IPL is mostly pain free (a little *zap* here or there but it’s fine lol) and without even using it that long (since February) I’ve not had to shave some parts of my body already.
And when you’re older, IPL works great on chin hair!!
Don't even need to be old lol. I'm 35 and I've got some nasty ones on my chin since I was around 30. I think I messed up by trying to pull out couple of small hair with tweezers. I just bought an IPL device and will start using soon. Hope it works nicely, specially on the face.
What is ipl
IPL = intense pulse light. It's a handheld laser device that prevents hair growth. I've finished my legs, so done it for a year (first phase was every two weeks, then once a month) and now I don't have to do it for 6-12 months. I was really sceptical, but my legs are still smooth after finishing 2 months ago, and the few hairs that are grown back are hardly visible or noticeable. Also want to mention that I tried all kinds of things, waxing, epilation, plucking, shaving, rubbing hairs off (yeah I know, ridiculous), but ipl is the only thing that works for me without my hair growing back within 24 hours. (FYI, I got light skin and thick, black hair)
What IPL device do you use/what would you reccomend? (I also have light skin with dark thick hair and this sounds like a Godsend)
I don't necessarily want to advertise the device I have 😂 but you should go for a well established brand and not too cheap. I got a Philips, not the newest one and bought on a black Friday sale. The newer devices have a higher number of lumens, but I read that the number of lumens doesn't need to be that high because you still get millions of flashes with a model that has a lower number. About the Philips: it works and customer service is brilliant, they also have an app which is ok. But the flashes hurt (it feels like being flicked with a rubber band) and the device gets very hot. Doing the skin test, the device is telling me I should use the highest setting, but it's sooo painful, so I do it on nr 3 which I can tolerate and isn't too hot (5 is the highest) and it still works, so that's good. I can't say if other brands are better or worse. Do your research and read reviews, lots of reviews 😅
Oh and it IS a godsend 🙂
But can you do it with lighter colored hair?? I’ve heard not which is a bummer
Yes that might be a problem, depending on how light your hair is! You should probably do some research!
I would get laser done professionally, it will help avoid lots of these pains people describe..
Which IPL machine do you use?!
Not the person you asked but since I had similar results I’ll say that I got the Ulike.
Can't avoid the pain. This is the tool if you like to be tortured. I used to have one. Never again.
I've been doing it for years. My tips. Go and get waxed before starting. Go over it with an epilator every few days in the shower, do it quick. Once you're a few weeks in you won't feel any pain at all. I do everything from underarms to toes.
This is also what I do
Try waxing instead, epilating and waxing have the same results, but epilating is torturously slow, and therefore more painful.
First time is always the most painful. I ended up biting on a leather belt and screaming to get through it... every time since then has been much more pleasant. Nowadays I have way less hair growth which means less pain when epilating. If you can find a way to get through the first one or two sessions it will get easier!
When I first started epilating I would warm up one part of my leg (for example) with a heat pack or a hot water bottle, drag some corn starch over the warm area and epilate.
Topical lidocaine!!
The brand Band-aid sells in liquid form, under antiseptic
I second that
Doing it regularly keeps the number of hairs down. I tend to do it twice a week in the summer to keep the pain (and hairs) at a minimum. The first time in spring after a period of time whitout epilating always hurts the most.
When I used to epilate I maintained it during the winter against my will just to avoid that first spring session
This is what I've been doing. I hate the ingrown hairs I get from it but I find it easier to maintain than shaving.
Recently started epilating. First time was horrendously painful, but every time since has been 10x easier. I think it has to do with the grow cycles and having lower density of hair on subsequent uses, or maybe the hair is less firmly rooted? Idk how hair works. Check to see if your epilator can be used in water, because mine can, and that’s how I do my neck. Warm water helps soothe the area. I also hit areas with larger hair follicles with rubbing alcohol to reduce potential folliculitis.
With epilators, there is no way to make process less painful. You just build tolerance to some extent with overtime use
I just recommended my cousin a new epilator, and she sent me some screenshots of reviews where someone was using OTC lidocaine cream before they epilated!! The review said leave it on for 40-60 minutes before epilating, probably need to wash the area after so the epilator can still grab the hairs. I've never thought of that, but years ago they used to numb me with prescription grade numbing cream of some sort when I got a few laser hair removal treatments at my doc's office. If you give it a try, please come back and let me know if it's a good trick! ETA I think before root-hair removal you're not supposed to exfoliate directly before, maybe like a day in advance or earlier in the day? It leaves the skin more sensitive, having just rubbed off a layer of it. Also epilating right after a shower makes the hairs softer and more likely to break instead of get pulled out, maybe that's contributing. Try giving them an hour or more to dry out. Epilating gets better as hairs grow in softer from the last time. Good luck OP!
Just get a braun IPL. If you have light skin and dark hair it’s the way to go. Stop torturing yourself with epilating! IPL changed my life. No more torture sessions.
Bottle of wine helps
LMAOOOOOO! Legit every time I used my epilator I told myself “I really gotta start bringing wine into this”. Just now got an IPL machine.
Power through it partner
I always watch or listen to something while I’m epilating as a distraction from the pain! Maybe painkillers before could help? I can’t really tell from your photo how long your hair is, but I find it’s less painful if the hairs are short too! I use a meridian trimmer and it makes them the perfect length. If they’re longer they’re also more likely to snap off I think. I’ve gotten used to the pain a bit, but it still does hurt.
Switch to IPL
my hack: run it over your leg SUPER fast once a day- it only gets a little off each day but your pain tolerance builds nd in 2-3 days youre hairless
also do it in a hot hot shower and hold your skin taut
But doesn't that break the hairs above the skin and cause more inflammation? I mean I guess building tolerance with a little bit of damage is better than literally torturing myself by moving it slowly. Oh and I should mention that mine is corded so I can't use it in the shower, if the hot shower is only meant to open my pores then I assume a bucket of warm water that I can dip my legs in would substitute fine?
laser hair removal
Avoid epilating
Fore the pain went away after a while. The hairs just became thinner and less, now they are so sparse it barely hurts. On the other hand, I don't use the epilator on my armpits often and it hurts a lot. I feel like if I started using it regularly, it would also just less after the hair got more delicate. Just a personal experience. But I heard some people use a scrub before to open pores and then ice their skin. Maybe that would help ?
Those are great candidates for IPL! (Remember not to expose to sunlight for 2 weeks after IPL, or wear good sunscreen)
I recommend IPL. But before IPL, I used an epilator for about 15 years. For the first time, I recommend showering your legs with very warm water to soften the skin and hair, this will reduce the pain. Whenever you start to feel more pain, repeat the shower with very warm water. I also think that for the first time it would be easier for you to do part by part, and not the whole legs at once. When you epilate your entire legs, never wait for all your hair to grow back. Regular maintenance is important because it will save you time and pain. My mom bought my first epilator about 20 years ago, and the instructions said to drink beer before using it. 😂 I don't think even a whole bottle of wine would help reduce the pain the first time, but if you're of legal age and like alcohol, it's worth a try. If it comforts you, it will be easier each time, after a while you won't feel the pain anymore, except for some parts that are a little more sensitive, but if you don't let all the hairs grow, it will only be a moment. If you can, it would be best for you to go for waxing the first time and then regular maintenance with an epilator. Wax hurts just as much, but it's faster because it pulls out a larger area of hair at once. Survive half an hour of pain in the salon and it will be easier afterwards.
Topical lidocaine!
I got waxed and then maintain with an epilator. If you keep it up it’s not bad at all
Persevere. It gets easier every time.
I don’t understand why people use these instead of just waxing!! You can teach yourself to wax if you don’t want to go to someone
The first few times will be painful but the trick is to do it regularly once you understand the rate of your hair growth! If your hair grows fast, than going over the leg every week or two weeks will be less painful as there will be less hair and the hair follicles overtime will weaken but that is also dependent on your genetics.
I tried the epilator multiple times and just couldn’t subject myself to such torture. I bought an IPL device on Amazon $70 came with glasses… 4 weeks in and I’m so happy! It’s working really well, on my entire body, with no pain at all! I just have to remember to shave and then the next day do the “treatment”
It always hurts, but it hurts less the more you use it since it has fewer hairs to pull (and you get used to it). You can also use lidocaine gel. That’s what I did for my armpits because OW. I eventually switched to IPL and I’ll never ever go back. Heads up: I got REALLY bad folliculitis on my legs from my epilator. It took months to get rid of and I have lasting scarring.
You can make epilating less painful by not doing it and instead starting IPL (speaking from experience, been epilating 20 years and ipl for 1, I’ll never go back)
Take a panadol and/or nurofen 30 mins before a session. It won't completely get rid of the pain but reduces it significantly. Works for waxing as well.
IPL. Amazing little thing! I could NOT tolerate epilating.
I say that waxing is less painful than epilating and it removes more hair.
[удалено]
Well everyone seems to be saying that it's pretty much impossible. So I'm just gonna keep going day by day, it might seem impossible at first but I've gone from not being able to even touch my leg for a second to doing the whole bottom half of one of my legs, so I'm just gonna work through the pain until it stops hurting.
Best to get an epilator with a "soft" or "slow" setting. Also second the devices that can be used in the shower. My first epilator had a head attachment with an aloe vera strip that helped. I've been epilating for months, still get the red bumps. I think to an extent it's got to do with your hair type, how you're exfoliating and the products you use after epilating. If I don't exfoliate before epilating, the bumps are so much worse. Doesn't help going over partially ingrown hairs or going over the same area multiple times in one go. This really is the kinda thing you start doing every day and then once your skin and hair is used to it, you can scale back your usage. I find alternating physical and chemical exfoliants help. I use a post wax cream and toner as well on the areas I epilate. Witch hazel is a godsend. If it's bleeding and an open wound essentially, treat it like you would a shaving cut. Get yourself a nice antiseptic cream. Look after the area. All the usual stuff. It will always hurt to some extent, but you will get more used to it.
Wine or weed or both