Epilators are electric-powered tweezers that remove unwanted hair. They use coiled wire, mini-pincers or rotating disks that are angled to converge on individual hairs and pull them out to the root. The efficacy of treatment depends on the individual, but it lasts longer than traditional shaving, which only cuts the hair shaft at the skin surface.
Types
Any hair removal involves a down side, and with epilating, it is pain. Waxing and manual tweezing are other extremes of epilating—tweezing is best if only a few hairs need removal and waxing is for larger areas. Hair takes much longer, sometimes weeks to grow back and may be finer than it was. In comparison, shaving has to be done more often but is a lot less painful. They are battery operated or electric.
Procedure
Since hair was never meant to be pulled out by the roots, epilation can be painful. Those with sensitive skin and a low pain threshold may find it overwhelming. Some epilators have built-in massage and cooling options, but none are totally pain-free. The hair must be long enough for the epilator to catch it and pull it out, at least 1/4 to 1/3 inch. It is best to start at the edge of the area to be epilated and work very slowly toward the center. Stretching the skin taught and opening the pores will help ease the procedure, in addition to loosening the hair roots by washing the area with warm water beforehand.
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