I grew up watching my mom epilate and used to cringe at the idea of doing it on my own legs. But ever since I finally gave it a shot, I swear by Philips SatinPerfect epilator. (It's pictured above and worth every single penny.) But wait, let's back up a sec.
Because I can already hear you guys asking, "What on Earth is epilating?" (Which, if you're younger, is totally valid. If you're older, COME ON!) Anyway, think tweezing at the speed of wax using something that looks like an electric razor. It looks just like an electric razor, too, but instead of a blade, an epilator has between twenty and forty tiny tweezers opening and closing crazy quickly to literally tweeze the hairs out of your legs. The model my mom -- also a beauty guru -- used (actually, still uses) has a metal coil to grab hairs, but tons of newer epilators have hypoallergenic ceramic disks instead, so skin won't get as irritated from the tweezing process.
Now, the question that usually follows is, "Why on Earth would you epilate?"
Well, since you're actually pulling hair out from the root -- instead of just shaving off stubble -- your legs will stay smoother, longer. I can go about two weeks after epilating without spotting any stubble, though I've seen people go as long as a month. Plus, as soon as I spot a prickly guy, I can epilate again since these things can work with hairs less than a millimeter long. And much like waxing or tweezing, hairs are lighter and less noticeable upon regrowth since these processes damage the hair's follicle, causing the new hair to be much finer.s
So, doesn't using a tweezer on steroids hurt? Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. It kind of sucks the first few times. But once you get use to it, it's so not a big deal. (Like waxing, in my book.) In fact, my mom's been doing it for decades and thinks I'm super lame for saying it hurts at all. But if you really do err on the side of sensitive, choose an epilator with a slow speed and a smaller head. That way, you'll pull less hair out at a time so it hurts less. A good one to try is the Braun Silk-epil 3, which has half as many tweezers than their other models. Another good tip for sensitive-skinned gals? Hold skin taut when you're epilating. I swear it hurts way, way less.
Oh, also, the more you do it, the less hair actually grows. Think about your eyebrows for a second -- if you've been tweezing or waxing the same shape forever, hair stops growing back as thick in those areas, right? Well, ditto for legs. Keep pulling hair out at the root and eventually reduces the amount of hair growth.
But the thing is, you should start right now. Yes, during this Polar Vortex. Hair grows in different cycles so not all of it is above the skin at the same time. When you shave every other day, you never notice, but when you epilate (or even wax) hair grows back at different rates. So, start epilating every two weeks or so over the winter and put up with a few stray hairs, and you'll be totally smooth between sessions when shorts-weather hits.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Phillips
