Never shave or wax again with the Philips Satinelle

Waxing was my favorite way to get rid of body hair, but most days I just shaved and called it a day. I don't really have time to drop by a waxing salon for an hour or so (including travel time), and besides it can be expensive if you must get it done twice a month. That comes down to P1,200 a month at a modest salon ha! I can buy better things with that money than getting rid of my leg hair, truth be told.

So, I embarked on a casual online hunt for electric hair epilators. Basically it looks like a razor but instead of cutting the hair close to the skin, the gadget pulls out each hair. Sounds like torture? Eh, depends on your pain tolerance. I'll discuss that later.

What is this sorcery and where can one buy it

I didn't know there were electric epilators available locally. The blog posts I've seen about it all talk about getting one abroad, or via pre-order. Clearly, my Google-fu needs improvement. Imagine my surprise when I saw one in Watsons Mall of Asia (SM department store area) a couple of weeks ago! I was actually checking out Baby Bliss hair curlers when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the mythical epilator. I knew I was going home with it, no questions asked!

Well there were questions asked because the first one I saw cost almost P5,000 I think. Haha. Good thing I rummaged behind the box to look for other models; the boxes look alike. The one I bought, the Philips Satinelle HP6400, is only P2,299. That's super affordable for something I absolutely need! Like toothbrushes!

How to use an epilator

Okay so on to the usage. The Philips epilator is fairly idiot-proof to use although you will need to practice. To start off, your hair should be a comfortable 5mm so that the pluckers have something to grab on to. Have a towel on hand to brush up your hair so they would stand on end (easier for the epilator to grab). 

You must hold the epilator at a 90-degree angle from your skin - no need to push it onto the skin, it should just hover close to the surface for a few seconds. You'll feel the hair being plucked out neatly while you hold it in one place.

Do NOT keep it in one place for long (like over five seconds), and never let it get too close to the skin while at it. It will sting. Not enough to cause any real pain or god forbid, wounds, but I hope no one finds out. It's so awkward to go to the hospital with welts and wounds on your legs and explain to the doctor "I WAS PULLING HAIR FROM MY LEGS OH GOSH WHAT HAVE I DONE".

Well. It shouldn't come to that.

How painful is it?

If you're used to waxing your body, using an epilator should be a cinch when it comes to pain. It stings a little as it pulls the hair out but it's nothing unbearable as it does the job quickly. However, if you're not yet desensitized from relentless hair-pulling, then this will probably hurt. A lot. Initially. You'll get used to it but be ready! Taking paracetamol 40 minutes before might help.

It also helps to do the deed immediately after you take a bath. Your hair and skin would have already been softened, and your pores, open. Your body hair should be easier to pull out then.

Hairybelles. See that clear strip in the middle? That's where I tested the epilator first.

Hair roots

What hair?

How long will it take for the hair to grow back? Will it be thinner?

My hair leg took almost three weeks to grow back. Not bad right? I also noticed the growth was sparser and thinner since the hair was pulled out by the roots. I will never have to shave or go to a waxing salon again! Seriously, love the savings.

Pop and lock mechanism is easy to operate, useful come cleaning time

Additional tips  

The Satinelle HP6400 is only recommended for legs and armpits. The more expensive model (the one that's almost P5,000) has attachments for facial hair and the bikini area. To clean, simply detach the blade head and rinse under running water. You can probably use a dishwashing fluid to really clean out any stubborn dirt.

After you remove the hair, make sure to apply a heavy, moisturizing lotion on the area to lessen the trauma and dryness the epilator will cause on skin. Scrub after two to three days to prevent ingrown hair. 

So there you go, I hope this review helped! Go forth and stop shaving/waxing. Epilators are the best thing since sliced bread!