Braun Silk-épil 7 Wet + Dry Cordless Epilator for Legs, Body + Face*
Epilation is one method of hair removal which never caught on with me. I owned a Braun epilator about eight years ago, used it a couple of times and then let it retire to the great gadget heaven in the sky. With that model, the results did not outweigh the pain and effort involved.
This new offering from Braun can be used dry or wet - in the shower or bath. Using it wet lessens the sting especially if the water is hot as your pores are more open for extracting the hairs. Epilation is never a pleasant experience - the device is essentially 40 evil little tweezers yanking your hair out from the roots, however this newer model was much more bearable to use than my old one and glided over my contours - (*cough* knobbly knees *cough*) - with ease thanks to the pivoting head.
I find it easier to epilate at night with the light on rather than daylight as this is when the light on the device really shows up the little hairs you need to grab. The Close Grip Technology has improved its performance for removing very short hairs, but I'm still to be persuaded that it can remove hairs as short as a grain of sand (0.5mm). Perhaps if you have very thick hair, but mine is very fine so a good few get left behind. The result is not as smooth as a shave because very tiny hairs remain, however used regularly over time the results are better than shaving as it takes longer for the hair to regrow from the root.
The Silk-épil 7 comes with an impressive number of interchangeable heads to make it easier to epilate difficult to reach place such as armpits and bikini line (I've been too much of a wimp to go there yet!). You also get a shaver and trimmer attachments which make the device really versatile. My old Braun had to be plugged into the mains, so the fact that this one is cordless is fantastic as you really get to those awkward places with ease, plus you can take it on holiday without worrying about leads or power supplies. - a red light flashes when the battery is running low To plug into the mains however you do need a two pin plug adaptor, but these are very easy and cheap to come by.
The major drawback for me with epilation, and this isn't a criticism of the device but merely the method of hair removal, is that I am very prone to ingrown hairs. I haven't included a photo of how some ingrown hairs on my ankles have turned into angry red blotches as it would probably turn your stomach! But be warned, if you have fine hairs - which find it difficult to break through the skin and as a consequence can become 'ingrown' I would caution you from epilating. I get the same issues with waxing - anything that involves ripping out hairs.
If you are a seasoned epilator and looking to upgrade your kit, this is a fantastic versatile and efficient option. I've found a wide variety of prices for this model so make sure to shop around.
While I'm not sure if epilating is the hair removal solution for me, let me know in the comments how you find it and what you do to prevent ingrown hairs.
The 40 rotating tweezers in action:
If you're epilating dry, wipe one of these specialist Olay wipes over the area first, then wait 30 seconds before going in!
The skin on my leg right after epilation - all the raised bumps are where hairs have been pulled out - efficient right? They faded away after about half a day, so it wouldn't be a good idea to epilate right before going out if you are planning on sporting bare legs - plan ahead!
Look away now if you are squeamish!
