We all want to show off our lovely legs, on a night out, at the beach, or on a special outing without having hair stubs protruding from the skin and ripping that lovely stocking. Epilating can let us achieve this desire.
Therefore, learning how to epilate legs properly is good to know especially I want to have smooth legs that last for weeks. I find epilating to be a great alternative to regular waxing or shaving.
Epilating is a fraction of the cost of waxing without the mess and the expensive salon visits. Furthermore, epilating is more convenient than shaving. With shaving, my hairs grow back too fast.
Epilating can be painful for some people but the results are always amazing. If you are worried about pain, read the article, “How To Use An Epilator Without Pain?”
If you are a first-time visitor and want to know about epilation and what is an epilator, I will share that piece of information with you here.
What is an epilator?
An epilator is a modern beauty device that pulls out the hairs or stubble from the roots, so you’ll have smooth legs for up to six to eight weeks. It is no more painful than waxing but provides much better results.
When you epilate, the epilator is able to uproot much shorter hair stubble, up to four times shorter hairs. Shaving may be quicker but the results only last for days.
What to do before epilating your legs?
If you are thinking of doing the same as I did – epilating your legs, it is important that you buy a good quality epilator.
A cheap epilator doesn’t work as well as the good quality ones. The poor quality or cheap epilators may cause pain because spinning heads are not as powerful and lack the technology to be able to pull out the shorter much finer hairs.
It is a good idea to buy a good quality epilator since it will last a long time and work better in uprooting the hairs. As part of choosing the perfect epilator, consider whether you need a cordless or corded version, or a wet or dry epilator.
Cordless Vs Corded epilators.
With the cordless, you will be able to take it with you. Travelling abroad and want to epilate? They are so convenient, no need to worry about foreign plugs.
While corded may not be as flexible but you can be sure that these epilators will work at full power, ensuring that it glides effortlessly over your skin.
It is, therefore, important that if you are going to use a cordless epilator that it be fully charged. If not fully charged it may shut off before the epilation process is completed.
Decide how to epilate: Wet or Dry.
You have to decide whether you want to epilate wet or dry. Wet epilators can be used in the shower because they work fine in a moist environment. Or do you prefer to epilate dry, in your room or anywhere else without the use of water, gel or using moisture?
Some people find epilating in the shower to be more pleasant, especially if you are going to epilate for the first time. Showering with lukewarm water opens up the pores and makes the epilation process less painful and more enjoyable.
Do you prefer to epilate dry? Epilating dry allows the epilator to grasp the hairs easier. This ensures that you have to do fewer passes of the epilator over the same spot. Doing it dry pulls out more hairs in one go.
Which is better, wet or dry? None is better, it depends on you. However, if it is the first time that you are epilating I would recommend that you epilate wet. If you plan to use this method, try epilating in a shallow warm bath.
Prefer to epilate dry? If you want to epilate dry, make sure you dry your skin completely. The dryer hairs and skin the better the epilator will grip the hairs and pull them out. Damp hairs are slippery and may stick to the skin making the epilation process more difficult.
In doing it dry, you will still have to exfoliate to get rid of dead skin cells. After exfoliating, dry your legs properly and sprinkle them with baby powder before you begin. The baby power allows the epilator to glide more easily on the skin.
Electricity is dangerous, therefore please do not drop the device in the water. In order to make the process better, put some shower gel on your legs to help the epilator to glide more easily.
How to epilate your legs without pain
If you feel that the epilation process is very painful you can take medication at least a half-hour before epilating. Before you take any medication, even over the counter, make sure that you speak to your doctor.
One medication may react to another and may be harmful. If you have overly sensitive skin then using a numbing cream may help. Using a numbing cream to dull the pain from epilating is the choice of people who cannot bear the pain of epilating.
Preparing your legs for epilating
In learning how to epilate legs effectively there are a few things that you have to do and a few steps to follow.
#1 Shave your legs to get the hairs to the optimum length
The first thing is to shave your legs one to three days prior to epilating. The main reason for this is that epilators work better with shorter hairs.
If your hairs are too long they easily get tangled in the epilator. On the other hand, if your hairs are too short the tweezers on the epilator head will not be able to grab the hairs and pluck them out.
Therefore in learning how to make epilating legs less painful, you have to consider shaving a few days beforehand. Plus shaving ensures that you get the best results as all the hairs are at the right length for the epilator to work at its best.
#2 Exfoliate your skin before epilating
The exfoliation step is a necessary one. You need to exfoliate your legs in the shower to get rid of dry dead skin cells and bacteria. Getting rid of dry skin will prevent ingrown hairs from occurring later.
How to exfoliate your skin? In exfoliating your skin, take a warm shower and then exfoliate your skin using a loofah or body scrub. It is necessary to rub your skin in a gentle circular motion to gently slough away the dead skin.
#3 Epilate your legs
While you epilate your legs it is important that you epilate from the ankle up. This is perfect you Epilate your legs against the direction of hair growth so that you get most of the hairs in one stroke motion.
Observe the direction of the hair growth and epilate your legs against the direction of hair growth. Continue to do so until the hair is completely gone from your legs. If you are worried about how long does it take to epilate legs, don’t.It should take no more than a half-hour. While epilating hold the epilator at a 90-degree angle.
After epilating your legs
After you epilate your legs you should moisturise it. Some reviewers suggested that you should moisturise before epilating but it is much better for you to do so AFTER epilating.
You should apply nourishing body lotion for the best skin-smoothing results. IF you plan to go out try epilating 24 hours before you need to go out because after epilating your skin may look bumpy.
How to use an epilator on legs without pain?
On the epilator pain scale, epilating the leg is quite bearable. If the scale is from ouch to Oh my god that hurts then it would be an ouch.
Learn how to use an epilator on legs correctly to get amazing results with minimal discomfort. Some epilate one hour after taking a pain killer.
I personally just epilate without pain using my trusty Braun epil 9.
FAQ
How long does it take to epilate legs?
The length of time it takes depends on how hairy you are. If you are not that hairy it may take 30 minutes or so to properly epilate. If you are just doing a touch up it does not take that long.
How often should you epilate legs
Your legs should be free form unwanted hairs for at least two weeks. However, depending on your hair growth cycle you may want to increase the frequency of your routing to about one time per week. When you epilate consistently you do not have to epilate often.
Which direction to epilate legs?
For the best result, it is advisable that you run the epilator against the grain of your hair growth.
The hairs on your legs may grow in multiple directions therefore it is important that you check each section of your leg closely to see which direction the hairs grow in before you start epilating.
Epilating against the direction of hair growth makes it easier for the epilator to grasp your hairs properly. Run your hand against the grain of growth to make the hairs stand up.
How long does it take to epilate your legs?
Epilating your legs should not take that long. I epilate both my legs within 30 minutes. It is not a problem if epilating takes longer. When doing it for the first time it may take up to an hour to get both legs completed. Shaving may be quicker but the results are not as good. It is not a race, so you can go slow.
How long do epilating legs last?
Epilating your legs should last about 4 weeks. Why does it last so long? Remember that epilation is removing the hairs by the roots, so like wax, it gives you long-lasting results.
Conclusion
Epilating my legs give good result. I am so proud of my legs after epilating. For my leg, it normally lasts up to 4 weeks. I love my braun epil 9, it is amazing.
