Epilating underarms or depilating underarms got quite popular since Givenchy made the little black dress iconic with Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s Dress. A lovely sleek dress that fits the curvature of the body, sleeveless whit a high neckline to show off the jewellery. 

Ever since then every woman wants their own little black dress. To carry this dress off, the underarms must be spotless. Who wants to see an armpit with Santa’s beard there.  

Epilating underarms or depilating underarms

Epilating is uprooting the hairs, from the hair follicles on the underarms. Using an epilator or waxing is the most popular method of epilating.  Pulling out the hairs from the root provides a number of benefits, the most beneficial of which is smooth skin for weeks. 

While depilating the underarms is a little different, it is getting rid of the hairs from above the surface of the skin using such method as shaving or trimming. The main benefit of this is that you get a quick result. In no time you are through the door. 

Epilating the underarms

Epilating the underarms is different from epilating the legs. If you should imagine an epilator pain scale from one to ten, epilating the armpits is like an eight while the legs are probable a 3 on the scale. 

The armpits have lots of twist and curves that the epilator have to navigate. It goes without saying that most of us find it to be quite painful. You may ask whey do it but, hey, no pain no gain. 

It doing the underarms, this is where pulling the skin taut become critical if you want to epilate without pain. As most will tell you, the first time is very painful but as you continue, the pain will subside and you will start enjoying it more. You may actually find it to be quite pleasant. 

How to epilate underarms

In epilating the armpits there a few things to consider. 

Get an epilator that you suitable for the armpits

In getting the right epilator we have to bear in mind that the skin in the armpits is softer and more delicate than your other skin. 

You should get an epilator that is probably not too broad, the underarms have lots of contours and if it is too broad you may not get into all the little crevices and corners. Not to worry, most modern epilator comes with attachments that are suitable for dealing with the underarms. I like the Braun Epil 9 with its attachments. 

Trim your underarm hairs short. 

Trim your underarm hairs to below 3 mm because the shorter the hairs in that sensitive area the less painful it will be. Alternatively, you can shave the hairs or wax them, have them grow out and them epilate using an epilator. 

Exfoliate and clean the area

The armpit is a breeding ground for bacteria, therefore, is important that you clean that area properly and exfoliate thoroughly using a loofah or a scrub. 

Keep the skin taut 

As said before the underarms is not a smooth surface like the legs but are instead quite curvy. Pulling the skin taut is a good way to allow the epilator to get in the smallest crevices. Lightly touching the epilator to your underarm at a 45-degree angle can work to get the first set of hairs. 

The underarms are a small spot therefore short strokes are OK. As you become more comfortable with the epilator you can use longer strokes and hold the device at the required 90 degrees to get more hairs in one glide of the machine. 

Underarm epilation aftercare

Now it is time for some good underarm epilation aftercare. If you are using the wet process then all the hairs should be cleaned up. 

Have a closer look at the area to see if there are any hairs that were not epilated, then epilate them. Put on some lovely moisturising cream on the underarm to get it nice and hydrated. 

How long does underarm epilation last

Epilating is always more effective and longer-lasting than shaving. You know the reason, epilation remove the hairs from the hair follicles, giving smooth skin for up to 6 weeks. 

Nonetheless, a few of my friends touch up the area with an epilator once a week just to make sure that they get all the hairs that may be growing on a different growth cycle. 

Epilating underarms benefits

The main benefit is that the results lasts for up to 6 weeks. No more shaving every two to three days. 

Much more cost-effective than waxing at the salon and less messy than waxing at home. 

The epilator removes shorter hairs than waxing about four times shorter. 

Epilators can damage the hair follicles and therefore less hair regrowth with repeated epilation over time. 

No weird black shadow like you get when are freshly shaved.

Epilate or shave underarms: That is the question

Much better than shaving, especially in summer as a daily shave often caused irritation for me.

More long-lasting than shaving – Shaving cuts off the hair at the surface of the skin, while epilating pluck individual hairs out at the root. It can take twice as long for hair to regrow, or longer!

Conclusion

Epilating the armpits at first can be eye-watering but you will quickly get used to the pain. The results are worth the pain felt. Remember, no pain no gain. Epilating underarms often is necessary to keep unwanted armpit hairs away. Imagine having smooth underarms that do not draw the wrong type of attention. No 5 o’clock shadows on your underarms. 

It can be tricky to get into the crevice of the underarms. However, the problem is quickly solved if you hold the epilator at different angles and epilate in different directions to make sure you epilate all the hairs. 

Most people find epilating the first time to be painful but after using an epilator, over time your pain tolerance increases and you feel much less pain. In my opinion, it is worth it, the results are amazing.