How Often Should You Epilate (for The Best Long-Term Results)?

I’ve always admired and desired to have that smooth hairless skin I find in models and celebs until I discovered the secret.

I used to think they were just blessed to have such smooth skins. Mine, on the other hand, was usually cluttered with hairs.

Hair removal can be frustrating and it has got to be one of the most hellish beauty routines or so I thought. When I dawned on the revelation of epilating, I screamed my own Eureka!

These days, I admire my skin instead of my idols.

So the question still endures, how often should you epilate?

But I think you should know what epilating is all about, it would be downright unfair to just jump right into the question and answer, won’t it?

I thought so too.

What Is Epilating All About?

Epilating is a beauty act done with the intent of removing hairs from the skin right out of their roots.

An epilator is used for epilating. It has the same form as an electric shaver but with wheels like a spin and a tweezer mechanism that roots out hairs from the skin when pressed against it.

An average epilator has about 20 to 35 tiny tweezers opening and closing almost immediately as they tweeze the hairs out of the skin. But there are models with up to 72 (!) tweezers.

Some of the remodeled ones now come with a hypoallergenic ceramic disk so the skin won’t react negatively to it.

This is a more effective hair removal process relative to waxing. In waxing, it peels off hairs from the skin even as small as hairs of 2mm in length. Epilating, however, can grab hairs as small as 0.5mm in length.

Warning: Epilating does hurt. You are evicting hairs away from their natural home and you are even going deeper to pluck them out of their roots to prevent further growth.

It should hurt, the pain is, however, bearable and you could get used to it with time.

Why Should You Epilate in The First Place?

The idea behind the process is to have a smooth skin and the hairs kept at bay for at least two weeks.

For some, the process could keep the hairs out of their skin for up to 4 weeks. It all varies per individual. Everyone has a unique hair growth pattern.

For me, the more I epilate, the more I keep hairs away from my skin. Now I just look at my skin and smile in pure admiration.

How Often Should You Epilate?

In as much as I would want to answer this question straight away, I can’t because it’s a factor dependent on individual hair growth patterns.

My own hair grows faster and after epilating, I notice hair growth within a weeks’ time.

My underarms take the lead in the growth, followed by the hairs on my pubic region. My legs follow suit and then facial hairs are the last to arrive.

I’ve understood my hair growth pattern and so I epilate weekly to keep the hairs out of my skin.

My answer to anyone just starting out in the epilating world:

Frequent Epilation = Fewer Hairs to Epilate = Less Pain Each Time

After you’ve been a longterm epilator gal, only then can you allow to let go for 3-4 weeks.

That’s my own system and that answers the question of “how often should you epilate? Take a cue from mine. I monitored my hair growth pattern and with the full knowledge and understanding of how it works, I then knew how often I should epilate.

You could have skin like the Sahara were grasses rarely grow or you could have skin like the rainforests of Brazil where there’s always hair at every given time. Notice the difference and know how often you should epilate.

The frequency of your epilation can also reduce the pains associated with the process. The more you epilate, the more you have lesser hairs to remove and lesser pains to endure. Plus adaptation is a gift for everyone under the sun.

How to Epilate the Right Way

Knowing how to epilate the right way can also reduce the pains experienced in the process. Epilating is beyond just getting an epilator and keep it busy on your skin pronto.

Follow the steps below to learn the right way to epilate.

Exfoliate First

Before I epilate, I usually exfoliate my skin.

This makes the epilating process seamless and less painful. Exfoliating get rids of dead skin cells and paves the way for a hitch-free epilating process.

I use an in-shower body scrub to massage my skin in a circular motion and I exfoliate every time I’m in the shower. So every time I epilate, it’s always a sweet and never sour experience.

I also shower with warm water after exfoliating. The warm water weakens my hair follicles and causes them to succumb faster to the tweezers.

However, I don’t linger in the shower when the water is warm, or else my skin gets irritated.

Dry the Skin

I don’t just begin epilating after coming from the shower. I wipe my skin dry with a towel and allow cool air blow across it.

Drier skin helps the process of epilating a great deal.

Using the Epilator

Don’t go too hard on your skin, take it gently, the tweezers are powerful enough to act on a little pressure applied.

It’s common to see a little blood here and there, pay no mind to it and move on. It’s not a problem.

I usually move the epilator in circles around my skin and with time I got used to the prickling sensations.

For first-timers, get ready to be prickled and teased. Don’t fret, it’s not going to hurt that much.

Areas to Epilate

Well, this applies to individual needs. For me, I can tolerate hairs on my arms, legs and a little on my underarms. But facial hair and pubic hairs are a big No for me, personally.

Why? Facial hairs I find easier and quicker to shave with the good old Tinkle razors.

Even though I have written a separate article on the best epilators for a Brazilian (because my friends are courageous Goddesses who are able to do it), I can’t seem to be able to do it to myself.

So, personally, I find waxing the bikini area to be quicker and less painful.

To Sum It All Up

All the aforementioned areas of the body can be epilated depending on what you like for your skin.

There’s however the need to be careful especially in the pubic region. But it’s possible. As I mentioned above, I have courageous friends who do it on a monthly basis.

No matter which body part you epilate – be gentle as a dove and epilate regularly to lessen the pain.