Easy to use epilator for first time user

As summer rapidly approaches, many of us are gearing up for shorts season. How can we get our legs smoother without nicks and razor burn from shaving? How can we reduce the time spent on shaving? How can we eliminate money spent on razors, creams or wax? Epilating may be the answer for you! Check out the Braun Silk-epil EverSoft Solo 2170 Epilator and see if epilating is the solution to all your hair removal needs.

About this epilator
The Braun Silk-epil EverSoft Solo 2170 Epilator is a yellow hand-held device that removes hair via a rotating head covered with little tweezers. There is an attachment that fits over the end of the epilator that has massaging beads to help reduce the pain.

To operate this epilator:
1. Attach the power cord and plug it into a 110 volt electrical outlet
2. Hold it at a 90 degree angle to your skin
3. Turn the unit on by setting the speed to 1 or 2
4. Move the unit on the skin in the opposite direction of the hair growth in slow, sweeping motions
It takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on how much hair is being removed.

Cleaning the epilator:
It is recommended that you clean the epilator after every use:
1. Remove the pain softening attachment and epilation head
2. With brush included, brush hair from attachment, head, and epilator main body
3. Wet brush with alcohol and clean head and attachment with alcohol
It takes about a minute to clean the unit.

This epilator includes:
1. Epilator unit
2. Rotating epilation head
3. Pain softening attachment
4. Power cord with 12 volt transformer
5. Brush for cleaning unit
6. Storage bag

My experience with this epilator
I was attracted to this epilator because it claimed to be the “most gentle epilator” and it had a “new pain softener”. I purchased it at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $39.99 with a coupon (retail is $49.99). It also came with a handy storage bag, which is not included with all epilators.

Overall, I like this epilator because of the results it produces. The cost of this unit was rather reasonable, the storage bag is convenient, and the unit is easy to clean.

There have been only two aspects of frustration with this epilator:
1. It is a little difficult to determine the best amount of pressure to apply because of the pain softening attachment. I finally decided to try it without the attachment and found that I was able to remove more and much shorter hairs.
2. The power cord is a little difficult to maneuver around, but at least I do not have to worry about batteries. It would be nice to have the option to use either batteries or the power cord.
3. It abruptly stopped working.

What I like
• Works well to remove hair
• Easy to use
• Easy to clean
• Reasonable cost
• Includes storage bag and cleaning brush

What I don’t like
• The power cord is a little short
• It does not remove as many hairs with the pain softening attachment
• Reliability is questionable

One more thing…
I also tried the Braun Silk-Epil Eversoft 2270 but found that the pain softening attachment was more difficult to clean and that the epilator scratched my legs.

A few words about epilating
I have actually attempted epilating two times. The first time I gave up in frustration over the in-grown hairs that I experienced. The second time (almost a year ago) I attempted epilating was after I had stopped working to take care of our infant daughter and found that I had a little more time and patience to work on this project.

Epilating can be painful, but I got used to it quickly. After a few weeks the pain amounted to mere tingling. After trying every other method of hair removal, I have decided that the long-term smoothness that can be accomplished with epilating is well-worth the short-term pain.

All methods of hair removal have their annoyances. Shaving results in razor burn and nicks. Waxing can remove the skin as well as the hair. Lotions can cause skin reactions. Epilating can cause in-grown hairs, inflammation, and skin reactions, but following the tips below can minimize these annoyances.

Tips for a more successful experience:
1. Exfoliate regularly – I use Clinique’s sparkle skin body exfoliator
2. Wash skin thoroughly before beginning to remove dead skin and decrease risk of infection
3. Clean epilator after each use to reduce risk of infection
4. Practice, practice, practice!!!

Epilating does require time and patience, but it is worth it. It is nice to be able to go out of town without having to worry about shaving. I do not miss the nicks and razor burn from shaving. This is far cheaper and way more effective than waxing. And, I do not have to worry about the effects of applying chemicals to my skin.