So most of the epilator posts on this board are pretty old so I thought I'd start a new thread rather than necro one.

I'm currently shaving my whole body every 2nd/3rd day and thinking about buying an epilator and I just have a few questions for anyone MtF that regularly uses one.
For context I am pretty hairy.

1. I will be using it primarily for legs and arms. I would like to use it for chest as well but a lot of the posts say it is much more painful there and is almost intolerable. Is it realistic for chest hair removal or should I just wax / consider laser? (Obviously this might be subjective to an individual's pain tolerance.)

2. How long do you get in between epilating sessions before the hair grows back again? (Pre-HRT)

3. How long does it take you to epilate legs/arms/chest?

4. What length does the hair need to be before you can epilate?

The epilator I am considering is the Braun SE 7681 Silk-Epil Wet and Dry Epilator as it appears to be the best overall based on reviews.

Thanks!
Rachel

Thanks for starting this thread Rachel.  I have an epilator attachment for my home laser (Elos Me).  I haven't used it for a while mainly because it's painful, but it does work.  I'll give it another try.

Paige

I'll be honest I'm pretty hairy and there are places on the body that hurt bad enough that I avoid those areas. I was really dysphoric about hair on my breasts so I epilated anyway. The first several times I had problems with the hairs being so deeply rooted that they would occasionally pull skin with them. I'm using an opposing wheel design which I dont recommend as it can occasionally catch loose skin and that hurts like blazes.  I can use it now everywhere except part of my back (I cant reach) my booty (hurts alot) and my crotch from just above my genitals to just maybe an inch past onto my thighs. Part of that is that I am prone to yeast infections and heat rashes and so have to be careful of damaging the skin there. I'm sure I could get used to it but I don't want to risk infections.  For the chest you really just have to take it over a week or so each time. Do a little each day and you'll get to where you can do the whole torso in one sitting. If you have the courage to go get waxed that would be ideal and the epilator would allow you to make the waxing last longer. I have bad anxiety so paying people to do things when I have an alternative rarely happens.

Thanks, that's a good point about the waxing. It may make it easier to epilate after waxing once. I don't think I would have a problem going to get that done.

Rachel,

I am just about to start HRT and pretty hairy myself.

I kind of wish I had started with a full waxing. Reason I say that is I seem to need to use it in a little over a week. However, I have a few thoughts about that.

I am glad I didn't do a full waxing to start because of pain of cost; and the pain of the initial time yanking. It does seem to be worst the first few times and gets better.

First times, it is really helpful if you are relaxed(read a nice hot long bath or shower fairly recently and maybe a glass or two of ________) and a pain killer an hour before hand. Pain is still there but not as intense.

Chest and belly seem more sensitive than the legs even after this time but that doesn't stop me. Sometimes the underarms seem as sensitive, and other times not so much. Meh, who knows?

I can attest to what someone else said that the lower bum to the back way upper calf was hugely painful the first couple times. Still is painful but not like some of the other areas.

I can use it up to the groin but don't do there because I can't pull it all flat enough. If you can't, it will catch skin and cause bleeding. It still leaves red bumpy areas and occasionally catches skin if I am not paying attention.

Now to get to the frequency issue. I hoped I could be good for 3-4 weeks the way many women have reviewed these items. I think I may be breaking some of the hairs off with each attempt and not pulling them out. So it is acting like shaving in a weird way. I don't always have the time to do a good prep (long hot bath or shower much less a glass of something) and that is not helping. My hair also grows pretty quickly but it shouldn't be that quick. I think it is working a little better but because of a weekly schedule to initially do this, I think I now have  3 or 4 cycles of hairs going at the same time(as in ripped out some one week but broke off others, ripped out others that had broken or not been hit the first, and again 1 or 2 more times).

I have been shaving a few days after to get some of the areas I just have troubles getting cleared. Now that I have a handle on this pain(I have gotten used to it and the initial times are done), I am toying with the idea of letting it all go with a weekly shave for 3-4 weeks(getting to fall soon), then forking over the dough for a full waxing. I am sure it will be more painful in the swaths of hairs being ripped at once compared with going over and area slowly or a couple times slowly. Then I hope to go back to epilating myself. This is just a theory. If I try it, I will try to remember to post the results.

I am using the Braun SilkEpil 7 with the shaving head package. Not sure if I have pushed it too hard and need to upgrade. If I am doing my whole body in one shot, it takes 35-45 minutes. The first time, (trimming down to 5 mm or so then doing it) took like 2 1/2 hours and a lot of pain, tears and sweat(I seem to perspire a little when in pain, go figure). On the up side. I am only recently coming to understand the self loathing I have held for years. Perhaps I am more unstable than I thought but in a way the pain is almost therapudic. However, I could deal with a little less right now.

I think the hairs do ideally want to be 3-6 mm. It seems if it is much shorter, it may not catch them. If  longer, it hurts more and may break the hairs off.

I am sure others will have different experiences.

Your sister in pain XP

Joanna

Just purchased the Silk Epil 7. I guess it is the same one you have as the one I mentioned in the original post (Braun 7681).

Gonna hop in the shower quick and then try it out. I'll let you know how it goes!

Thanks for the inspiration Rachel, I've started using my epilator again.  Hopefully the epilator will weaken the roots making the hairs thinner.  I've been told repeated waxing does this.  The only problem is that you have to let the hair grow a little longer for the epilator to get them but it does take much longer to come back.  Funny this time it didn't seem to hurt as much when I did my chest.

Paige

After years of being on HRT I have so little hair I don't bother about it anymore, but when I was having to get rid of the hair on my legs I very quickly chose an epilator over shaving.  True enough using an epilator hurts, but you get used to it and regrowth is much finer and not so deeply rooted.  Mine was a Braun and they are a good quality epilator.  Because I no longer use it anymore I gave it to my daughter and it's still going strong and hasn't given a moment's trouble.

So far I've just done my arms and lower legs. I think I might be breaking some of the hairs but it seems to work better if I move the epilator slower across the skin. It is definitely painful but I think in time I will get used to it. Hopefully once I start HRT the hair will thin out and it will be a breeze.

I offered my wife to try it, turned it on, and she just said "Hell no, that's all you." lol

I am mostly past the pain (except armpits...) but I still get a lot of nasty red bumps,  sometimes they stick around for days.   Any suggestions there?   I'm doing all the things they say,  like exfoliating,  lotion,  etc.

I started epilating due to the cost of waxing. I went back to waxing because the time to epilate top to bottom took to long, and frankly, I found that it "broke" hairs below the root causing way to many ingrowns. I also had a few occasions where the unit grabbed ahold of my skin enmasse leaving large bruises....

Joanna

Quote from: Jocee on August 09, 2016, 11:44:25 AM
I started epilating due to the cost of waxing. I went back to waxing because the time to epilate top to bottom took to long, and frankly, I found that it "broke" hairs below the root causing way to many ingrowns. I also had a few occasions where the unit grabbed ahold of my skin enmasse leaving large bruises....

Joanna

I've epilated for quite a while though, although i used a razor for holiday as i dont want any power surges knocking it out abroad. I know what you mean about it grabbing your skin, but that's only happened to me rarely and it never left a bruise, will probably change when I finally get HRT, just need to see a therapist and my GP and get stuff ironed out. Never had any problems with ingrowns, are your hairs particularly delicate? If so you might want to check out the cause of it, your thyroid might not be functioning optimally perhaps. Good health is a conglomerate of many factors. Estrogen is a major one, don't forget the small systems that also support you too though.

we are still using good ol' Gillette disposables. She is good for about a month, me for a bit over a week. Unless we have some, um..., 'activity', planned; then it is immediate. We are less diligent during the "non-bikini" months.

I just started using the epilady.. keep in mind i'm post op 15+ years... the arms rather quickly became near-hairless, as did the legs.. I use it on those about 1-2x a week after a month using the epilady.   Under the arms, I am still going pretty strong at least 3-4x a week.. and its finally becoming less traumatic.  My face if I feel the one or two hairs I have growing, i'll do it there too.. once a week.

What they recommend for red bumps is exfoliating before using it in the problem areas, and then using lotion afterwards.  From what I understand there is a psychiatric disorder called hyper trichinosis that essentially mimics waxing/tweezing only people do it from anxiety.. it often results in permanent hair loss or severely damaged hair.  This is the primary reason i was convinced to go epilady & never go back.

Hope this helps.