Holy jeez epilators hurt

[TeaCoffee]

I got an epilator, because I read really good things about them (No hair for a week or two instead of stubble in a couple of days!). I heard they were uncomfortable, but holy crap! It felt like burning. I might be a bit of a wimp, though.

Those of you who use them: How did you adapt? Any tricks to get used to it faster?

[Nicole]

They do, however I long long time ago I worked them out and have been using them ever since, I have shaved or waxed (my legs or arm/underarms) in more than 10 years.

Heres the steps;

* Go and get waxed
* from the second day use the epilator on your body for 5 minutes, quickly going over every part you had waxed, you'll start to pick up the odd hair that was missed in the waxing
* after a few weeks, you'll pick up a few hairs each time.
* Do this once every 2 days until you want to give it up.

Now, I haven't had a hair on my legs or arms/underarms that I could see in so many years its not funny. I do my arms because the only thing HRT didn't help with me was I have dark, but thin hair on my arms.
Because I'm plucking at the roots, you can't see any really growing at all and one of my friends commented when I was in bali that I have the smoothest legs shes ever seen and wanted to know my trick.

[EmmaD]

The advice to get waxed first is worth considering.  This clears everything that is there, actively growing or not.  Then you start epilating as regularly as you can do so comfortably (but not being too much of a wimp!!).  Over time, the strength of the hair will diminish, the growth rates diminish and you get more tolerant. 

Been doing front, arms & legs for a few years and it is just a time thing now.  I don't really feel it any more.

I don't advise starting epilation on virgin ground - I did that and it took all I had just to do it once.  I didn't repeat it often enough in the early days and the first 5 or so times were very difficult.  Once you have cleared by waxing or epilating (that is, you have removed it all by the roots), often is much much better. 

Finally, look after your skin.  Exfoliate and all that stuff. In the early stages, this is important.

[suzifrommd]

Those of you who use them: How did you adapt? Any tricks to get used to it faster?

Self-hypnosis pain control techniques.

The easiest is to imagine a pain knob in a control room in your mind. While you're epilating, imagine yourself turning the pain up and feel it getting more intense. Then turn the pain down, and feel it getting less intense. Once you are able to control the pain with your mind, adjust it to the point where you can stand it.

If that doesn't work, I have a few more. My favorite is to hypnotize myself to feel the tearing of the hair as a warm gentle caress.

[TeaCoffee]

I'll definitely try waxing first! And maybe self-hypnosis, though I'm not really convinced. Going from "intense burning sensation" to "gentle warm caress" sounds very, very hard.

I was googling this question, and one suggestion I found boiled down to "a shot of whisky and loud heavy metal"  . I'll try to mix and match methods and maybe together they'll work.

[MugwortPsychonaut]

Get really into skateboarding.

Epilating hurt for me when I started. The first time I epilated my whole body, I... by the end, I started to enjoy the feeling. Also, the more you do it, the less it hurts, and the more effective it is.

[TeaCoffee]

Hah. Maybe I will! A friend of mine is pretty into longboard; I could ask her to teach me a thing or two!

I've gotten to the point where I can do small patches, so it is getting easier.

[MugwortPsychonaut]

A friend of mine is pretty into longboard

Hey now. That's as much skateboarding as RuPaul is transgender.

[TeaCoffee]

Sorry! Didn't mean to use fighting words

[yami]

I bought one a few weeks ago.

First time it did in shower and it hurt. Also hair grew with stubble and quick.

Then did some research , bought a body scrub, had a shower and then did it when completely dry in bedroom. Second time legs are lot more smoother and less stubbly.

It gets less painfull each time.

Also used Veet a week before epliating