How to Epilate Properly

In the modern world, an epilator is one of the simplest and most effective ways of getting rid of unwanted hair.

This 5-Minute Crafts article is going to tell you how to use an epilator properly and avoid the most popular mistakes.

Make sure you have enough time.

In order not to be in a rush and not feel nervous, make sure you have enough time.

Try epilating in the evening — it might seem less painful and the redness will disappear by the morning. Don’t epilate during your period, as it might feel more painful.

Prepare your skin.

• Shave your legs several days before the epilation. In order to make epilation most effective, the length of the hair shouldn’t be less than 0.5 mm. But long hairs might get tangled. In order to prevent this, shave the areas you want to epilate 2-5 days before the procedure. This will let the hair grow evenly and make the process easier.
• Exfoliate. Exfoliating the hair around 24 hours before the epilation will remove the dead cells and make the procedure more effective. Exfoliation will also reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.
  ❗ Don’t use moisturizing lotions or creams before epilation. It will make the hair heavier and make it stick to the skin.
• Take a hot bath or a shower. To make the epilation less painful, take a hot bath or a shower. The water will heat the skin and open the pores to make hair removal easier.

Prepare for epilation.

❗ If you have a waterproof epilator, use it in the bathtub or shower. It will help minimize the pain.

❗ If you have an ordinary epilator, make sure the skin is completely dry before the procedure. To help the hairs stand up, dry the skin with a towel in the direction opposite of the hair growth.

• Pick the speed. If you’ve never used an epilator before, pick the slowest speed. At this speed, the device can remove the strongest hair without braking it and make the process much less painful.

• Don’t start on the sensitive areas. To adjust to the unpleasant sensations, try epilating the least sensitive areas, such as the front of the leg, just under the knee.

Epilate the skin, step by step.

Step № 1: Stretch the skin area you are going to epilate. These simple manipulations will make the epilation less painful.

Step № 2: Turn the epilator on and place it at a 90-degree angle to the skin. Most epilators are supposed to work in this position. Bigger or smaller angles make epilation less effective.

Step № 3: Start the epilation in the direction opposite of the direction of hair growth. The direction of hair growth might be different — don’t forget about that. You can make circular motions with the epilator in the areas where the direction changes.

Step № 4: Start from the areas with the thickest hair, and go slow. If you go too fast, the epilator might skip hairs or brake them instead of removing them completely. Do all the necessary areas one by one. If you notice leftover hair, repeat the procedure.

Step № 5: Moisturize the skin. After the hair removal, the skin might be a little irritated with some red spots on it. To calm down the skin, put some moisturizing cream on it.

Step № 6: Clean the epilator. Remove the hair from the epilator. Most models include a special brush you can use.

Step № 7: Exfoliate the skin several days later. This will help you to avoid ingrown hair. Also, several days later, you might notice the hairs you skipped. Use the epilator to remove them too.