Have any of you guys ever used an epilator on your face?

March 10, 2006 2:51 AM

I'm a man looking for a better "shave". Have any of you guys ever used an epilator on your face?

Yes, I've read that one MSNBC article by that one guy who does Shaveblog. He's so full of shit. Ok, maybe not completely full, because I use a brush and mug instead of gel now and it's great, but his advice is all hype. I don't trust him. I honestly gave the whole thing a try for several weeks. Yes, I went and got an old 1940's double-edge Gilette. Yes, I got some rad Merkur blades. Yes, it all looks so cool and everything, but it seriously doesn't even come close to the shave I get with a disposable Shick Xtreme 3 razor.

Still, I'm not satisfied. Shaving sucks. I do not look at shaving as some sort of manly ritual. So now what?

I'm thinking of epilators. Some company named Epilady invented them. I first heard about them in the 80s. Everyone made fun of them because they hurt so bad. They're still being made, apparently. Braun even makes one.

All of the reviews I've found talk about women (and even a man or two) using them on their legs. A lot of pain is mentioned. I haven't seen any man post about his experience with one of these and his face. I'm curious. My face hairs are very thick and very close to each other - would this thing just tear chunks of skin off of my face?

Has anyone else ever tried using an epilator on their face? Is it too painful to even consider doing twice? Does it make your face bright red for more than a few hours? Should I be kicked in the nuts for even asking this?

posted by redteam to clothing, beauty, & fashion (41 comments total)

An epilator! Ow! I haven't tried it, but I can only assume it would hurt like hell. You know the things pull hairs out right? They don't cut them. At least that's my understanding. Maybe they pull, then cut. Either way, they yank the hairs. Try plucking one facial hair out with a pair of tweezers, then multiply that sensation by 10,000. I can't begin to imagine the eye-watering that would happen as you do your upper lip.

Nut kicking is entirely optional. Personally I think creative thinking should be rewarded, so I'll leave it out.

Sounds like I've got a similar beard to you. Even after the closest of close shaves my stubble is just about visible. Dark thick hair on white skin is to blame for that. I'm not particularly hirsuit, but I can't get a close shave easily. Plus my hair grows in stupid spirals under my chin, which almost guarantees razor-burn. Shaving against the grain for me nearly always results in in-growing hair.

I use a double-edged 1940s style razor, and a brush. These both work fine for me. The real secret I've found is to shave in the shower. Yep, actually in the shower while the water is still running. After a 5 minute shower your skin is nice and warm, and staying in the shower keeps it so. Seriously, this is the one thing I've found to minimise discomfort and razor burn. I used to do it without a mirror, but now I've got a mirror on one of those concertina wall-mounts, which pokes through the shower curtain and lets me see what I'm doing. Give it a go.

The only other thing I can suggest is to try some sort of depliatory cream. I know men of African descent sometimes use the stuff, since their hair tends to be thick and curly, which can easily lead to ingrowing hairs after shaving. I've never tried it though.

You could always grow a beard.

Good luck.
posted by ajp at 3:31 AM on March 10, 2006

I am not a guy and have not used one on my face, but I recommend giving it a try on your leg first--just to see if you think you can handle that kind of pain on your face. I think you will decide you cannot. Why not investigate waxing? If you can wax things as sensitive as the genitals, the eyebrows, and the upper lip, why not the rest of the face? I'd try using a professional the first time.
posted by gokart4xmas at 3:33 AM on March 10, 2006

shaving does suck, grow a beard.

If you do use an epilator please record it. I'm a sadist that way... will be pure comedy gold. It's going to hurt like hell and will probably leave your face a red glowing mess.

Waxing genitals..... did anyone else cross their legs at that?
posted by twistedonion at 3:37 AM on March 10, 2006

"Have any of you guys ever used an epilator on your face?"

I tried an epilator once.

Once being the operative word. They're primative torture devices, absolutely not suited for such a thing. The only reason you'd ever want to use one is that the excrutiating yanking process is supposed to be a good way of killing the hair follicle and preventing it from growing back... but if you really want to do that, electrolysis is the best solution. The closest shave is no hair at all.

My advice for a close, comfortable shave? Traditional wet shaving. Crappy shaving gels and disposable razors are for the birds, and don't set up your beard and skin for the abuse that a close shave can potentially do to it.
posted by insomnia_lj at 3:42 AM on March 10, 2006

AJP-- Do you use a fogless mirror? If so, which brand, and is it actually fogless? (I've seen the threads on here about it, just curious about your personal experience.)

Sorry for the hijacking hijinx.
posted by disillusioned at 3:46 AM on March 10, 2006

Oh, and if a woman ever makes a humorous suggestion / dare that you try her epilator, just say no. Her leg hair is probably a lot more amenable for plucking than your facial hair. I mean, the thing grabbed my stubble, tried pulling, and got stuck on it, growling away as I ran with wincing, watery eyes to pull the power cord on the monster.

Ow. I'd rather shave my nuts, thanks.
posted by insomnia_lj at 3:47 AM on March 10, 2006

Epilators hurt. They work, but they hurt. I use one on my legs in the summer, and it's the equivalent of having 100 band-aids ripped off. I once tried it on my bikini line and almost passed out with the pain after about 3 seconds.

I would guess that face bristles would be too thick to pluck out with an epilator. But if you're determined, I'd suggest first plucking a few bristles out with tweezers, to give you an idea of how much it'll hurt, then multiply that by several hundred. Do this after a hot shower, so your pores are open.

And yes, record it on the interwebs for future entertainment.
posted by essexjan at 3:49 AM on March 10, 2006

I've a reasonable amount of experience with epilators on legs and various other bodily bits, and I really don't think using one on your face is a good idea. I've plucked facial hairs before (and I'm a lifelong plucker, and am probably pretty used to the kind of pain involved, which you won't be if you're new to it), and it still really hurts. Grab some tweezers and try a few chin hairs. Now imagine that short, sharp sting multiplied by a factor of a few hundred, as a little whirling grippy thing rips out loads at once, and you're probably close but still underestimating how much it'll hurt. Beyond that, I doubt an epilator would grip thicker, wirier facial hair anywhere near as well as it grips leg hair, so you'll end up with lots of hairs getting pulled enough to hurt but not enough to come out, and have to shave the resulting patchy stubble anyway. Plus, pulling out that many thick hairs that fast might well mince your skin, and at the very least will leave it horribly red and inflamed.

Depilatory cream (at least, depilatory cream designed for body hair) is a really, really awful idea on faces. I know because I've thrown sanity to the wind and tried. Ow.

If you really want to completely eliminate your facial hair, what about electrolysis or (if you've dark hair and light skin) the less painful laser hair removal?
posted by terpsichoria at 4:15 AM on March 10, 2006

Not only will an epilator feel like someone is slowly pulling your face off, but you'll be rewarded with maybe a couple of days of red and blotchy (but smooth!) face, then a week of ingrown hairs.

Don't. Do. It.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:13 AM on March 10, 2006

Have you tried the new Gillette Fusion 5-blade razor? I'd been struggling with really crap shaves (Norelco 3-head, Gillette Sensor Excel, Excel 3, Mach3, Mach3 Turbo) and could never shave more than once every 3-4 days because of the irritation and poor shave I'd get when shaving more often.

I picked up the considerably more expensive Fusion razor/blades when they first came out, and haven't looked back. It does a much closer shave in 1-2 passes, no shaving against the grain, much less irritation. I highly recommend you try it.

(And I'd say go for the non-vibrating version if you've been having irritation... the vibrating versions do a harsher, closer shave that uses vibration to numb the face a little, or so it's been claimed)
posted by rxrfrx at 5:42 AM on March 10, 2006

Have any of you guys ever used an epilator on your face?

That's just fucking nuts. Don't do that. Do not fucking do that. They would hear you screaming like a little girl all over town, and when they came running to help you, they'd find you with tears running down your cheeks and on to your damned Epilady.

There are giant companies working day and night to come up with better ways to separate men from their shaving money. If anyone thought for a minute that men could possible use an Epilady-like machine on their faces and that this machine would do a good job without feeling like torture, that product would be on the market and used by a number of people. I'm sure they have tried it in evil laboratories beneath Schick and Gillette, but they had to hush up the horrible results.

I'm a man looking for a better "shave".

Women (and perhaps men?) love men with a two- or three-day growth of facial hair. If it's an option professionally -- some employers are stupid -- switch to shaving with an electric razor set to leave you with a quarter inch of fuzz.

In other words, stop trying to be smooth. Your face wasn't made to be smooth. Instead, convince people that this hair on your face is not "stubble," it is a beard. A very short, manly, sexy beard that you will let them touch if they're nice.
posted by pracowity at 6:42 AM on March 10, 2006

So obviously the epilator face idea is masochistic. Try a shave oil instead. My company makes one (employer product self-link), and other folks on this site have sworn by their own preferred brands. A good one may cut down the frequency by which you have to shave and will make for a more pleasant shaving experience.
posted by werty at 6:55 AM on March 10, 2006

Have you tried the new Gillette Fusion 5-blade razor? I'd been struggling with really crap shaves (Norelco 3-head, Gillette Sensor Excel, Excel 3, Mach3, Mach3 Turbo)

Weird, I find the 2-blades are better for me, and the more blades, the worse the shave. Or maybe it was just the Schick 4-blade I was using; it seems the Gillettes may be better.

I really hate buying overpriced blades, though, and have often thought about switching on this alone if I knew I could shave as fast with as good results.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 7:05 AM on March 10, 2006

Epilators aren't designed for coarse facial hair.

Start saving your pennies and look into laser hair removal.
posted by desuetude at 7:06 AM on March 10, 2006

Dude, ixnay on the epilatorway.

Get a double sided, safety razor. The kind with the scary little paper-thin blades. I get a better shave with a $.02 blade than I ever did with a Mach-Fusion-Sensor multi-blade monstrosity.

And I haven't had razor burn since I switched.
posted by bshort at 7:24 AM on March 10, 2006

Ouch.

Morbid curiosity got the better of me when I purchased one of these epilators to get rid of the annoying hair right below the hairline on my neck.

I tried using it on a very small patch of skin on the front of my neck next to my adams apple (which is always a shaving bitch for me). While screaming didn't ensue, I'm pretty sure I was whimpering like an abused puppy for the better part of the day.

I think, and have absolutely no evidence to support this, if one had started early enough, before the facial hair had become coarse it might be possible to use such a tool. If you have an unbelievable tolerance for pain it's possible too I guess, though you have to keep doing it, over and over and over. It gets a little easier pain wise but still, imagine ripping out every hair on your face once a week for the next 9 months.

I think what desuetude said is true: look into laser hair removal.
posted by ordu at 7:24 AM on March 10, 2006

Shave in the shower. It's the only way.

Also, with some practice one can shave without a mirror. This is key because in the shower, no matter how high tech you mirror, it will fog. I don't care if your hot water thorugh the back, spash it with water, or what coating it has. It. will. fog.

So get a mirror and practice looking for a stroke and then not looking for a stroke or two. By the time your mirror is useless (2 weeks?) you will be in good shape.

Also, you can keep some shaving cream on your free hand to dot onto shaved parts of your face as you go. This helps prevent razor burn, I guess by lowering friction on the just-shaved parts right next to the parts you're shaving with this stroke.
posted by zpousman at 7:36 AM on March 10, 2006

While any mirror will fog, a decent shaving mirror will not fog for a minute or two after you run it under the water to bring it up to room temperature. Fog is condensed moisture because the surface is colder than the room. Make the surface as warm or warmer and you have no problem. I have a $10 mirror that's on a hook and I find that it's no problem if I just give it a few seconds to warm up under the flow.
posted by phearlez at 8:00 AM on March 10, 2006

Ditto on shaving in the shower. The fog thing is easy to fix. Just get a handheld shower head. When the mirror fogs up, hose it down. Worked fine for me for fifteen years now.

The "women prefer stubble" thing...YMMV. A lot of women don't. A lot of women like to nuzzle without their faces catching fire. ;)

If you're wanting to go totally hairless, I think you'd be better off using a depilatory cream or spray rather than shaving. I mean, look, your face is meant to have hair on it. You can have the best razor in the world and it will still get stubbly. If you shave in a way that cuts the hair off below the surface of the skin, you risk ingrown hairs. The only way to totally get the hair out is either expensive clinic treatments or chemical slash-and-burn.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:04 AM on March 10, 2006

Second (or third, or fourth, or fifth) the SHAVE IN THE SHOWER idea.

God help you if you use an epilator on your face. I mean, seriously -- god bless your poor, tormented soul.

I have a super-heavy, super-coarse beard, and have tried all kinds of options to avoid razor burn, irritation, and ingrown hairs. On the advice of my dear brother-in-law, who will now figure prominently in my will, I tried shaving in the shower... and have never looked back.

zpousman is right -- with a few days of practice, you'll be shaving by feel, and the mirror will be unnecessary. I have one in there, but never use it. Just a quick rub of the hand will tell you all you need to know, because the rest of your face will be super-smooth.

(I use a Mach 3 and Edge moisturizing gel, FWIW, and it works beautifully, although I'm tempted to try the 5-blade-thingy.)
posted by fearless_yakov at 8:18 AM on March 10, 2006

i hate shaving probably about as much as redteam. once i tried to wax my face. have you ever seen blood pouring out of a hundred tiny holes on your face? it makes for a good show, at least.
posted by soma lkzx at 8:37 AM on March 10, 2006

And careful with the depilatory shave cream if your skin is sensitive at all. A guy in my platoon in basic training borrowed some from his buddy (who had an actual "no shaving" medical profile because of his razor bumps) and he walked around all day looking like he was suffering from chemical burns. Which, come to think of it, he probably was. Not a pretty sight.

It suddenly made my little PX disposable razors and the total lack of hot water in the barracks sinks seem not so horrible.

Shaving in the shower is the best.
posted by mph at 8:43 AM on March 10, 2006

Are you a glutton for punishment? :) I couldn't imagine the pain that an epilator would bring to your face.

I use a Braun Activator electric shaver and love it. My wife loves that I can shave without getting water all over the bathroom. It makes my face super smooth and doesn't cause ingrown hairs or whiteheads. I used to use a Mach 3 and could usually get decent shaves with it, but would end up with razor burn on my neck, bumps along my jawline, and ingrown hairs like no one's business on my chin. The cost of admission with the Braun shaver is high ($100-$125), but you will save it over time. You will have to buy cleaning cartridges for it at $10 for 2 of them, but they should last ~3 months each. I don't know about you, but I used to drop about $10 a month on Mach 3 blades. You replace the cutting head and guard every 18 months at about $30. In the end, I'm sure I've saved cash. I also use the Anthony Logistics Electric Pre-Shave to help reduce skin friction. I don't know if it really helps or if it has a placebo affect (and a great minty smell).

A few weeks ago, I decided to try the mug and brush shaving using a Gillette Fusion 5-blade. I damn near cut my face off with that thing. It hurt as I ran it across my face. Part of it could be having not used a "real" razor for over a year. Three days of using it, and my wife flat out told me to stop it, because my face looked like shit.
posted by jeversol at 8:45 AM on March 10, 2006

I actually tweezed my facial hair once, to see what would happen. Just above my upper lip and around the sides of the mouth. It worked really well, a little to well actually because you could see the 'border' of where I hadn’t tweezed. I have dark facial hair and you can see the stubble under the skin even after getting a real close shave.

I've honestly considered getting laser hair removal. It's expensive, but you'd only need to do it once every two years. I haven’t done it because it's expensive, and I dunno maybe someday I would like to grow a beard...
posted by delmoi at 9:06 AM on March 10, 2006

Oh yeah, definetly shave in the shower. I do that, it rocks.
posted by delmoi at 9:07 AM on March 10, 2006

Solve the problem altogether. Find a good style of beard for you. Ask your barber what he thinks. He might not do shaves, but he might be able to suggest what may look good for you. I've only had 2 actual barbers, and both were happy to give advice when I asked, and commented when I changed and the look was good.

Just make sure it's an actual barber, and not a hairdresser at SuperCuts that services men as well. That's what those places are. Hair Salons where women can take their kids or husbands and tell their hairdressers what to make their men look like when he's not listening. You want a good barber with a few sporty things on the wall, and a black and white TV playing old war movies from the 40's and 50's.

If I wanted a smooth shave, I'd be shaving every morning. So I stick with a close goatie in the spring and summer, and switch to a short beard in the winter and fall. Atleast I don't have to shave everything with the goatie, and I can wait a day or three and it doesn't look like I'm going for the stubble look. I don't switch based on a day, I just wait for the first big fall storm (snow not needed, just windy and rainy), and shave it off on the first hot sunny day or two in a row of spring.

Most of you will beat me senseless for this, but I use an electric, dry, right before I jump in the shower. I don't have razor burn issues. I'd love to have the time to shave slow and close with a razor, but I don't, and I have more important things to do then spend 30 minutes shaving. I've had more luck with electrics then regulars.

Just work with what you have. It's not going away, so stop trying to make it disappear all the time.
posted by Phynix at 10:07 AM on March 10, 2006

Oh, and it's snowing outside. First time here in about 10 years. This is a great excuse to grow my beard out longer. I love winter! :)
posted by Phynix at 10:08 AM on March 10, 2006

I've always shaved in the shower. I switched from Atra to traditional safety razor at Christmas. I'm using cheap WS blades, Body Shop shaving paste, and a cheap WS brush.

My shaves are closer than ever. I do not believe I'd experience a closer shave with any of the cartridge systems.

Perhaps the problem is one of technique, not tool. I do find that I have to go slower and more carefully with the safety razor.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:34 AM on March 10, 2006

Hi, girl with epilator experience here: yes, it hurts like hell. However, it gets much more bearable the more you use it -- to the point where, what once was excruciating becomes only a sensation of minor pain. And it's a pretty effective way to remove hair, in the same way that waxing is (though maybe a little less so as, you have to do it yourself and it takes longer). However, that being said, I've really only used it on my legs enough to get used to it which a) have much finer hair than a man's beard hair and b) is so much less sensitive than the face. That, and I think I have a pretty high pain threshold.

The redness is marked, and can take sometimes more than a day to go away -- and it can sometimes make you bleed the way waxing does, as soma pointed out. But should you avoid even trying it? I say go for it, and maybe give it a few tries -- you're probably not going to mutilate yourself, and if I had to shave my face every day I'd try everything...
posted by penchant at 10:46 AM on March 10, 2006

Don't do it, dude. Please, please, don't do it! Your face will hate you forever. Epilators are basically spring coils that rotate along the skin's surface. They yank out any hair that gets in between the coils. One word, OUCH!
posted by spakto at 11:10 AM on March 10, 2006

Yep, shave in the shower. Something you don't learn from TV and movies.
posted by fleacircus at 12:05 PM on March 10, 2006

When I was in high school in the 80s, one year it seemed like all the girls got epilators. I got one. It hurt like crazy, so I only used it once or twice. After my friend complained about the pain, her boyfriend suggested she was being a wimp. Then he tried it on his face. He ripped chunks of skin from one side of his face, leaving a bloody mess. (I take it that he didn't hold the skin taught, work with the grain, or any of that.) He had a bandage on his face for a couple of weeks. True story.
posted by acoutu at 12:05 PM on March 10, 2006

Okay, maybe you might mutilate yourself...
posted by penchant at 1:12 PM on March 10, 2006

I am intensionally bald, and I haven't grown a full beard at least ten years (goatees, fu manchus, van Dykes, soul patch, but never sideburns). I've shaved in the shower since I was 12, and I stopped using a mirror during my first week. So long as you don't use a gummy, gooey shaving cream you can tell what needs shaving by feel.

Start with a hot shower. Wash your body, give your whiskers and face time to soften in the humid air. Wash your face briefly (don't scrub -- the razor will exfoliate you anyways).
Stroke the razor once grain, then once against the grain. Then stroke your hand over where you shaved, against the grain. You can tell right away whether you need a third stroke, and where the stubble is for your next stroke. The only tricky parts are if you have soft, downy hair behind and under your ears (as I do)... but that's probably only a problem if you're shaving your head.
If you use special facial soaps, creams or pore-stuff, use it after you've shaved.
After the shower, moisturize the skin you've just shaved. On a Canadian winter day, the skin I've shaved gets so dry it visibly crackles (not quite crack).

DO NOT USE AN EPILADY. Facial hair have different roots than bodyhair (which is why it's so coarse), and you will do damage to your epidermis that is the opposite of the intended effect.
posted by Mozai at 1:53 PM on March 10, 2006

"Why not investigate waxing? If you can wax things as sensitive as the genitals, the eyebrows, and the upper lip, why not the rest of the face?"

Most professionals won't wax a man's face, due to the hair being much thicker/coarser than other areas. The wax doesn't stick and ends up doing more damage than good to the skin. And trust me, bad wax jobs are worse than shaving stubble.
posted by snotloc at 6:41 PM on March 10, 2006

Weird, I find the 2-blades are better for me, and the more blades, the worse the shave.

Actually, IIRC the 5-blade Fusion has a reversable side with a single blade for those "hard to reach" corners (I'm looking at you Mr. Nose).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:04 PM on March 10, 2006

I have a fairly heavy beard. I have to tell you that what works for me is having a steaming hot bath and a damned good soak in it before I shave. Then you make sure you change your razor regularly, I mean *really* regularly. You get out of that hot bath and you slap the cream straight on there and then you attack the beard with a fresh razor. Then you splash your face with cold water. Afterlife, aftershave... don't hold with any of it.
posted by Decani at 8:35 PM on March 10, 2006

My mother is a nurse who does laser hair removal and I know she does faces all the time. Men and women. If you have dark hair and light skin, you are an excellent candidate. She charges $90 for 15 minutes, which is roughly how long it takes to do a face IIRC. The effect is progressive, too; if you only do it two or three times over a couple of years, your hair will still be finer and less thick. Maybe something like this would help your beard problem, at least so you won't consider putting an epilady anywhere near your face!
posted by MadamM at 11:13 PM on March 10, 2006

An epilator would rip out chunks of skin, if you grew your facial hair long enough for it to grip. I owned one in high school, quite a long time ago, and a friend of mine got her long hair caught in it. It almost scalped her before we could turn the damn thing off.

If you're serious about not ever wanting to shave again, go with laser, if you can afford it. Everyone I've known who has done it has been pleased with the results. However. It is expensive, about 2 grand for six sessions on the face (covering the entire beard/mustache area). The price will vary from place to place, but that's the ballpark figure you're looking at. It will take about six sessions because part of your hair is dormant at any one time, and that hair is not affected by the laser. So, you zap the live ones, wait for some of the dormant hairs to grow, and then go zap them. Repeat approximately six times.

The good news is that if you can't afford the whole job, or don't want to mess with six sessions, even one session will thin out your beard and make shaving much easier.

I agree: shaving does suck. There's really no one great way to do it (although every method has its advocate). Fortunately this is the twenty-first century and body modification is in.
posted by digitalis at 12:13 AM on March 11, 2006

She charges $90 for 15 minutes

Wow, MadamM, that's cheap. What's the deal? Does she work for a company, or do it on her own? If so, is she certified? I don't mean to be rude, I just think it's a fantastic deal. And what state does she live in?
posted by digitalis at 12:18 AM on March 11, 2006

She does it at the doctor's office she works for; they do it as a side money maker, like how some doctors sell high end skin care or dentists sell... lots of cosmetic stuff. I guess they can afford to go cheap because they aren't really competitive with places that just do laser. Mostly it's pre-existing patients and their friends/family. She only does it Saturdays and some late afternoons. She attended a training seminar or two and took an online course, plus another nurse trained her. This is in Texas.
posted by MadamM at 2:20 AM on March 11, 2006