If you want to know all there is to know about epilation, there’s no easier and better way than talking about disadvantages of epilators, covering the main epilator pros and cons. It’s easier to decide about something when we gather all the pros and cons.
And costs – the price for this particular hair removal method is a very important deciding factor for many. It was influential when it came to my decision.
Truth be told…I’m not exactly sure how many of you have heard about epilators.
There are women who haven’t heard about epilators up until now, when they read something about them on the Internet or hear something being mentioned by a friend.
Contents
My Top 3 Epilator Picks
1. Cheapest: Philips Satinelle BRE235
This is everything you might want from a basic epilator with an acceptable price. It’s corded and it even has a sensitive area cap that can transform it into an epilator that can be used for facial hair removal. It’s pretty great but it lacks a built-in light.
2. Best Value: Braun Silk Epil 5280
Another corded epilator but this time a model with a lot more power, faster, with 40 tweezers that remove all types of hairs without any problems. It also has a built-in light and it’s good enough to last many years as your favorite epilator.
3. Powerful: Braun Silk Epil 9
I wouldn’t say the the Silk Epil 9 is an epilator for beginners, it’s on the painful side but it moves very fast and it has a facial cap. Too bad it’s a cordless epilator and that it lacks a sensitive area cap for the intimate area but it still remains a wonderful model.
Epilators Pros and Cons
Before digging in in all the epilators pros and cons, let’s start with the basic stuff.
What exactly is an epilator?
An epilator is a device that removes hairs from the root through the spinning of tiny metallic tweezers.
So, it’s similar to waxing, meaning that the hair is removed from the root. Hairs are pulled from their follicles so they grow back slowly.
From that parallel between waxing and epilation there is one conclusion to be drawn: the results are smooth soft skin that stays that way for at least two weeks.
That sounds really good and it’s why I decided to use such a device and since then it became my one and only hair removal method.
The only exception is made by me eyebrows. I tweeze them myself and once every two months I go to a beauty salon to have them beautifully shaped.
There was also another exception: my upper lip – I used to use cold facial wax strips for that tiny line of hair. When I started using an epilator I was already home-waxing my upper lip – it was really affordable and easy.
But not anymore. Nowadays, I alternate between using my Braun Silk Epil 9561 and my Braun 7561 to remove facial hair, as well.
It works great. And there are no more additional costs involved or any purchases to be made.
Disadvantages of Epilators
Epilation is not a perfect hair removal method. Epilators come with disadvantages, like most things in life.
On short, the disadvantages of epilators are:
- ingrown hairs
- pain
- it takes a while
1. Ingrown Hairs
The biggest disadvantage is ingrown hairs. They mostly appear on the legs.
Ingrown hairs are not solely a consequence for these tiny devices, waxing and shaving can lead to their appearance, too.
Preventing ingrown hairs is basically reduced to one word: exfoliation.
This is the most important thing that can be done in order to keep your skin free of ingrown hairs.
I’ve written a fully documented article on preventing ingrown hairs here, feel free to read it in order to be prepared, whether you wax/shave/epilate.
2. Pain
Another big disadvantage is the thing that many women fear: pain. Pain is the thing that makes plenty of women give up on using epilators or waxing.
Shaving is the ideal solution because there’s no pain involved, which is wonderful.
Just know that it gets better. In time, you get used to the pain and after more than a few epilation sessions you will only feel something like tiny pinches.
After many years, you should be able to endure a session without a single flinch.
My recommendation would be only this one:
If you want to switch from razors to epilators then you might consider a waxing session or maybe two in order to get used to the pain. That’s a great advice for women who don’t have a high pain threshold.
3. It Takes a While
It’s also a good advice for tackling the last disadvantage: the first epilation sessions take a while until all the hairs are removed.
The sessions become much shorter after some time.
If you don’t get lazy and let the hair grow for more than two weeks then you can epilate your legs in 40 minutes or so.
At the moment, for me: 40 minutes of battery time are enough for my upper lip, legs, and underarms.
I have to recharge the battery for the bikini area.
So the good news is that none of these downsides are permanent. For each of them there is a solution and patience is a great remedy.
I also have to mention one last disadvantage but it only addresses women who want to use their epilator to remove facial hair.
Some women suffer from breakouts or redness after epilation but there are plenty solutions for this pretty big inconvenience. You can read all about it here.
Epilators Pros
On short, you get:
- smooth hairless skin for about 2-3 weeks if you epilate properly
- epilators are affordable
- you can epilate whenever you want
- epilators are not messy
- hair grow back thinner
Now, let’s see the more detailed picture.
1. Long Lasting Results
From my point of view, the fact that the results are pretty long lasting, as compared to shaving, is their biggest advantage.
Here’s the deal:
If you find that beauty salon waxing is too expensive for your budget and if you can’t manage to wax at home (unfortunately I couldn’t) but you want something that lasts as much as waxing. then you can try an epilator.
Take one for a ride and see if it’s something you see yourself doing in the future.
When it comes to epilators pros and cons, the idea that you can go hairless for 2 weeks is a very important thing to consider.
2. Epilators Are Affordable
Here’s the best part of all these epilators pros and cons: these hair removal devices are affordable.
Their price can be as low as $30 so that’s amazingly cheap, like the pretty incredible Philips Satinelle BRE235.
Top models cost around $100, like it’s the case with the Braun Silk Epil 7 and 9 series.
You pay for it only once and then use it for at least 2, 3 years. Or even longer than that. My first Braun epilator still works, although no one is using it anymore.
3. You Can Epilate Whenever You Want
For waxing, the hairs must have a certain length (one fourth of an inch or more than half a centimeter) otherwise the wax won’t be able to pull the hairs from the root.
That’s not the case with epilators.
You can have an epilation session whenever you feel like it.
Whenever you think that your skin is no longer as smooth as you’d want it to be.
4. Hairs Grow Back Thinner
This hair removal method makes hairs grow thinner but that only happens in time, after many many epilation sessions.
I know that not everyone is going to agree with me on this.
The counterargument would be that it’s only an illusion because if I were to let my hairs grow for a few months, I would notice that the hairs are still as thick as before and as many as before using an epilator.
It might be so and from a rational point of view it sounds quite true, like it is the case with the fact that shaving doesn’t make hair grow back thicker/darker.
That’s a myth, it’s just our impression that shaving makes the hairs grow back thicker and darker.
I believed this myth to be true for a very long time, until I started reading on the subject.
But why would I let my hairs grow for months and months in a row without taking hold of my epilator and putting it to work?
Here’s the best part:
It might be true that after a long period of time the hairs are just as thick and as many but what matters to me is that even if I don’t epilate for a whole month, the number of hairs on my body is considerably reduced.
And the hair is thinner. So I consider it to be an advantage.
Top 3 Epilators for Every Budget
So, you’ve seen all the epilators pros and cons and that this is a low-cost hair removal method. Now, let’s talk about some actual epilators that you can buy no matter what your budget is.
You don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy the benefits. I’ve compiled a small list of three epilators that can fit any budget:
- low priced – Philips Satinelle BRE235
- medium priced – Braun Silk Epil 5280
- high priced – Braun Silk Epil 9
Let’s see what they have to offer.
1. Philips Satinelle BRE235: Cheap Epilator
You couldn’t get a better deal than the Philips Satinelle BRE235.
It’s a simple, corded epilator that works great!
It removes the hairs from the root without ripping them at the surface of the skin and that’s all that matters, considering the price tag.
It doesn’t have a built-in light but you can use a lamp to get a better view, or the torch on your phone.
What you get for the price:
- has 21 tweezers so it’s going to take a bit longer to remove all the hairs but it works on all areas of the body
- comes with a sensitive area cap that you should definitely use on the bikini area and the underarms but the sensitive area cap can also transform this cheap epilator into a facial epilator, that’s quite good
- it can be used on any part of the body as long as you can tolerate the pain
- corded
- 2 speeds, use it on speed one for areas where the pain is more intense
This one capable epilator for an unbeatable price.
It doesn’t come with a cleaning brush.
Even so,
Detach the tweezers head and wash it after each epilation. Then pour some rubbing alcohol for a more thorough cleaning.
Do that regardless of which epilator you are using.
2. Braun Silk Epil 5280: Medium-Priced Epilator
It’s just a bit more expensive than the above model.
However,
The Braun Silk Epil 5280 is totally worth it:
- it has 40 tweezers so it’s fast and efficient
- it only comes with: massage rollers attachment, efficiency cap, shaver head and trimmer cap, cooling glove (use it after epilation not before but only after you’re moisturized the irritated skin), cleaning brush
- built-in light
- corded
- 2 speeds
- it can be used on the entire body but not on the face
The Braun 5280 wins at speed, efficiency, and the pretty affordable price tag.
It doesn’t have a sensitive area cap or a facial cap.
It would be excruciating for someone to use it on the intimate area if they were only used to shaving before.
The pain can be handled by someone who used to wax before switching to epilation.
3. Braun Silk Epil 9: Expensive Epilator
There are many models belonging to the Braun Silk Epil 9 series.
All share the same epilator, it’s the same device with all its features and characteristics.
They’re differentiated by the accessories that come with each. Also, by their price.
It has the following features:
- there are 40 tweezers, this epilator moves fast
- it removes hairs with speed and accuracy, only really tiny hairs are left behind but those aren’t visible to the naked eye, you’ll get them during your next session
- there are quite a few accessories: massage rollers attachment, skin contact cap for a direct contact between the tweezers and the skin, facial cap, shaver head and trimmer cap, facial cleansing brush, and cleaning brush
- built-in light
- 2 speeds
- cordless
- there is no sensitive area cap to use on sensitive areas like the bikini area
My personal opinion is that the Braun 9 series would have been even more popular if it were corded.
People are somehow reluctant to buy cordless epilators for 2 reasons:
- there’s only a 40-minute run-time, which for many isn’t enough because they epilate a large part of their body, me included
- there’s always the risk that the battery might malfunction and won’t hold a charge anymore
If you want a cordless epilator that comes with a facial cap and a sensitive area cap for the bikini area, it’s best to choose the Braun Silk Epil 7561.
The Bottom Line
These are all the epilators pros and cons and how much you have to spend on a good epilator. Plus, a bonus of 3 amazing models for every budget.
Have you ever used one or are you planning on using an epilator in the future? Maybe for some the disadvantages of epilators will outweigh the pros that come with them, which is perfectly fine, I just hope you find the right hair removal device for you.
