Excavation after excavation across the globe leads to the same verdict: Humans have been tweezing since time immemorial. From the golden Sumerian pincers found at Urs royal cemetery to the Roman Britain tweezer cache that made headlines earlier this year, these finds are often thousands of years oldand instantly recognizable. Plucking implements were pretty much stuck in the Bronze Age. That is, until the s, when electric epilators came whirring onto the scene.
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Epilation, explains New Orleans-based dermatologist Mary Lupo, M.D., is basically mass plucking. Often equipped with dozens of tiny tweezers apiece, the tools motorized discs pull hair from the root while rolling over your skin. Unlike electric razors, which cut hair at the skins surface, these devices wont lead to stubble.
They may even hold off regrowth for weeks, and eventually thin it out because of the trauma to the follicle, according to Dr. Lupo. Indeed, enough repeated plucking can outright disable follicles, says Los Angeles-based dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D. And while certain lasers do as well, epilators may work better if you happen to have gray hair, as its extremely difficult to target with a pigment-seeking beam.
Many people also find epilation less painful than waxingand more effective at grabbing super-short hairs. So if you think epilators may be for you, the picks below reflect experts criteria for efficacy, comfort and more, and all come with limited warranties of at least one year. Scroll down for detailed shopping and usage advice.
Girlbomb Rechargeable Epilator
Some degree of discomfort is almost inevitable with epilators, especially at first, before regrowth thins out, and you figure out your pain-minimizing techniques (more on that below). But the adjustable ice roller that you freeze for four hours before attaching it to this device soothes the skin instantly. That chilling also helps prevent chicken-skin appearance, says Dr. Shamban of the tiny hives that can form wherever youve just plucked. The device is beginner-friendly in other ways, too. At around 5½ ounces and 5 inches tall, its light and easily maneuverable. And the 40-tweezer disc stays put. The only things you snap on and off are a sensitive skin attachment (a shield that narrows the tweezing field for bikini line and underarm epilation) and the aforementioned ice roller.
Epilator Series
Cordless, suitable for wet or dry useand equipped with 32 ceramic tweezers and a spotlight that make even the shortest and finest of hairs hard to missthis epilator also comes with several bonus features. Special attachments are useful for allover hair removal with one device, says New York City-based dermatologist Dendy Engelman, M.D. In this case, they include a trimmer to get hair to the optimal length for epilation (3 to 4 millimeters, though even 0.5 should work); a soft-bristled exfoliating brush to help safeguard against ingrowns; a delicate area cap to narrow the tweezing field for bikini area and armpits; an efficiency cap (aka skin stretcher) to keep your skin taut and reduce pain; and for good measure, a lightly gritty callus removal disc. With the basic epilator attachment on, the device weighs 6 ounces and measures approximately 6.5 inches in height.
Epilator & Shaver System
Packing 60 tweezers, this wet-dry, cordless epilator promises to epilate, shave, trim, buff and exfoliate. With the switch of the head it transforms into an electric shaver with a pop-up trimmer. Theres also a hair-thinning bikini comb, a cap for when youre epilating sensitive areas, another cap for anyone who wants extra gentleness, a spinning ceramic foot file and a sonic scrub brush. For the Hermosa Beach-based esthetician Erica Marie Gatt, this assortment is key, but so is the long battery life. Factor in the manageable dimensions (5.9 ounces and 6 or so inches tall), and youll understand why she considers this a worthy travel companionjust note that it cant go into your checked luggage because of its lithium ion battery.
Silk-épil 9 Flex Beauty Set + Face Spa
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Essentially a me-day in a box, this kit is anchored by a fan favorite epilatorthe wet-dry, 40-tweezer, light-assisted Silk-épil 9and filled out with a medi-spas worth of extras: a soft, nubby body massage pad, a superfine silicone facial massage pad, a facial brush, a whole separate facial epilator (a wispy 3.6 ounces to the regular epilators 6.5), three separate epilation caps, plus a body shaver and trimmer. For all the useful add-ons, its the rare, fully flexible head that Gatt prizes most: I love it because it can get into those awkward areas. She also singles out the exfoliating brush. The bristles are fine and softgreat for sensitive skin.
eMagine AP-18 Epilator
With 72 tweezersthe most of any device on this listarrayed over a series of discs, this corded, 5.4-ounce epilator aims to pluck the most hair possible per pass. To give yourself even better chances of a clean sweep, move slowly and pull your skin taut as you goalways against the direction of your hair growth says Dr. Engelman. So if youre using it on your leg, you would start at the ankle and move upward. Though the device comes with a loofah pad, you may want to slough with something gentler before 72 tweezers roll through.
Speed Corded Epilator
From the brand that gave the world electric epilators in the 80s, this compact powerhouse (3 ounces, 4 inches tall, 40 whirling tweezers) makes for a great travel partner. In addition to fitting in the palm of your hand, the device is corded, so no worries about verboten lithium ion batteries when you pack your checked luggage.
If the answer falls anywhere between pretty and very, talk to your dermatologist before trying one of these tools. You run the risk of hyperpigmentation, says Miami dermatologist Flor Mayoral, M.D. Post-epilation, that can look like darkened, pint-point dots wherever a tweezer landed and yanked, and thats very difficult to hide, Dr. Mayoral adds. Not that there arent remedies, of course, but to avoid having to go down that road, plot a spot-test with your doctor or consider a different means of hair removal.
Because your skins barrier will be compromised, theres a small risk of bacterial infection, especially in the genital area, says Dr. Shamban. So make sure everything is clean before you start (tools included), and once youre epilating, she advises that you stretch the skin so that there are no folds and the device has a flat smooth surface to work on. When youre done, apply some hydrogen peroxide, then a lightweight basic moisturizer. If you still wind up with irritation that doesnt recede in the next few days, talk to your dermatologist. Ingrown hairs or infection could be to blame.
For some, the pain is all but imperceptible; for others, theres a definite spiciness to the experience, especially at the beginning. Though several of our epilator picks have built-in pain mitigatorsthe ice roller, the skin-stretchers, the gentleness-inducing capsyou can take pre- and post-epilation pain-reduction steps, too. Pulling your skin taut can help prevent pinching, but if it doesnt help enough, you can consider a numbing agent. Dr. Engelman recommends Aspercreme (4% lidocaine) as an easy over-the-counter option. Dr. Mayoral is a fan of 4% lidocaine solutions, tooemphasizing the importance of limited use and thin layers.
Though most epilators offer at least two, and the slower (or slowest) one is often said to be the least painful and most beginner-friendly, this is a particularly subjective arena. Though starting slow does let you ease into your technique, the lowest speed can, however counterintuitively, feel more painful than higher (or highest). Youll want at least two speeds to choose from, and some room for trial and error.
It usually takes about three to four weeks for the hair to grow back after epilating, says Dr. Engelman. Those who are new to epilating may find that their hair grows back a bit faster, while those who have been doing it a while may not need to epilate again for more than four weeks.
Abbie Kozolchyk is a contributor to Buy Side from WSJ.
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