Just like putting your makeup on, there’s an art to epilating. While dozens of women swear by this method of hair removal, there are plenty of others who claim that the agony of it all just isn’t worth their while.

Could it be possible that they’re just not doing it right? Read these tips and decide for yourself:

1. Choose the right epilator for you

First things first, you need to make sure you’re using the right epilator. There are many different kinds available, and many women find that one style is far less painful, or far more efficient, than another style. Some epilators have a rotating disc mechanism, some use rotating spirals of wire, while others use multiple tweezers to yank those irritating hairs out of your legs. It may be that you have to try all three types before you find the one you’re most comfortable with.

While the hair-pulling mechanism is the most important consideration, be aware of other features that may make your experience more rewarding. You can choose between dry and wet epilators, corded or cordless, while some more expensive models are designed with in-built massagers or cooling devices to lessen the pain, features that can make epilating much more bearable.

2. Starting out

For first time epilators, it’s advisable that to do so at night time, or even one day before you step outside and flaunt your newly de-haired legs. For most women, the first few times they epilate will almost certainly be painful, and they’ll definitely experience a lot of redness.

Many women advise taking a hot bath before they epilate, and this is especially advisable for first times. The warm water helps to open up those pores, so you can wash away any oil on your skin. It’ll also help the hair to stand up on end, which makes them a better target for your epilator.

3. How to epilate the right way

As stated above, epilating is almost a kind of art – there’s most definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about it, so pay attention and focus on what you’re doing.

The trick to successful epilation is holding the epilator at a 90° angle at all times. Most epilators will tell you to do just that in the instruction manual, as this is the optimal angle at which the hairs should enter the epilator, so the tweezers or discs can grab those hairs securely from the bottom.

The second most important tip is to epilate in the opposite direction your hair is growing (against the grain, if you like). Third, while you should never push the epilator too hard against your skin, it must always remain close to the skin – so apply very gentle pressure as you epilate at all times. Fourth, don’t rush it! You need to move the epilator slowly across your skin.

While epilating, be sure to use your other hand to stretch the area of skin you’re going over, as this will help the hairs to stand up on end and make them easier to grab. Just remember that no matter how expensive your epilator is, or how many rave reviews it’s received, no device is perfect. No doubt you’ll come across some difficult areas where you’ll need to go over the hair two or three times.

4. After epilating

Silky smooth skin is the ultimate goal, and unless that can be achieved it’s probably not worth putting up with the pain of epilating. Even so, you should realize that epilating alone is not going to achieve that goal. Your skin will only feel smooth so long as it’s kept well moisturized, and so it’s essential that you exfoliate immediately after you’ve finished epilating (not to mention, at least once a week!).
Jump right in the shower after epilating and apply a good exfoliating scrub, and don’t forget to rinse it off well.

You’re also going to need to lock that moisture into your skin, and the best way to do so is by applying body oil five minutes after you get out of the shower. Oil helps to keep your skin hydrated, and ensures a gorgeous sheen as well.

5. Final tips (so you don’t scream the house down!)

• Never, ever epilate when your hair is too long, as doing so is sure to be much more painful than normal. The optimal length with most epilators is between ½ and ¾ of a centimeter, although this might vary from model to model, so be sure to check. If it means shaving your legs first of all and then waiting a couple of days for the hair to grow back – so be it!
• If epilating really gets too painful, try switching between your arms and legs.
• If you find you’re starting to sweat while epilating, throw on some talc and make sure the area of skin is dry before you continue.
• Last of all, you might want to avoid epilating while you’re on your period – lots of women say it makes the experience far, far worse!

About the Author: Looking for the right epilator to have? Visit us at www.ElectricShaving.net to see our choices of the best electric shavers and epilators for men and women.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

A person’s first waxing appointment can be a little awkward and nerve wracking. Most estheticians do everything in their power to make the experience as comfortable, gentle and painless as possible. However, there’s no getting around some definite moments of discomfort. Here is what can be expected on each different type of waxing procedure.

What To Expect When Waxing

Eyebrow Waxing

For women, be sure to have a clean brow line before going to the waxing appointment. For the esthetician to clearly see one’s natural eyebrow shape, the skin must be clean of make up. For men and women, it is best to not use heavy moisturizers before the waxing appointment.
The esthetician will ask how thin the customer wishes to have eyebrows. If unsure, ask the technician to just clean up the natural brow line. A thin brow is very stylized and causes one’s face to look fuller. A thicker brow brings youth to one’s face and appears much more natural.
The esthetician will spread warm wax on the customer’s skin and then lay a small sheet of muslin clothe over the wax. Then, in a flash, (s)he will literally rip off the muslin sheet. Most estheticians will follow up by using tweezers and scissors to shape the brows perfectly.

Lip Waxing

This procedure is not as involved as having eyebrows waxed. If a customer is wearing make up, it is fine and will not get in the way of waxing. Three strips of muslin/wax are usually used to get the entire mustache area of a man or woman. This procedure takes under 5 minutes.

Waxing Arms, Arm Pits & Legs

These three areas require much more preparation and time to successfully wax. To begin with, one has to allow their leg, arm and arm pit hair to grow out about a half an inch. Otherwise, the wax cannot grab the hair and waxing efforts will be futile. This growing out process must also be endured between waxing appointments.

Once one has sufficient growth, the waxing appointment is rather easy. Long strips of wax are applied along with long strips of muslin clothe. Just as the esthetician rips off the clothe from the lip or eyebrow area, (s)he will do the same on the legs, arms and arm pits. Because this skin is less tender than facial or bikini area skin, there is much less pain.

Bikini Waxing

Now the discomfort element is added to the waxing appointment. If one is getting a traditional bikini wax, (s)he should not have to remove his/her underwear. In fact, if one is asked to remove their underwear, be sure to clarify that the esthetician knows that only a standard bikini wax is desired. A person will, of course, have to remove their pants or shorts.

There are several different ways for the esthetician to reach this area without getting too personal. Some estheticians tie a ribbon around the loops in each leg hole of one’s underwear and thus pulls the top of the underwear together. This gives direct access to each side of the bikini line at once. Another way is to have the customer hold their underwear over to one side so the technician can reach the bikini area.

Exotic Bikini Waxing, aka Brazilian Waxing

This is definitely as awkward and uncomfortable as it can get. However, a good esthetician will put the client at ease. This is, after all, as personal as one can get with a stranger without going to a gynecologist. Underwear usually must be removed, just to protect it from dripping wax and such. Warm wax is spread in all intimate areas of a women’s pelvis and buttocks. Section by section, the hair is removed. Yes, it is quite painful for most women. However, the results are fantastic and hair will not grow back for a couple of months. In addition, once the hair does grow back, it will be much more fine and thin. Thanks to this reduction of toughness in the hair follicle, each exotic bikini wax appointment afterward will be less and less painful.

Looking for home waxing? We love the Gigi Mini Pro Home Waxing Kit.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page