Introduction
Epilators are mechanical devices that remove hair by plucking using various means of doing so. They are popular devices to use in combination with other hair removal methods to produce great results.
The very first commercial epilator (the Epilady) was invented in 1986 by Mepro, a corporation based in Kibbutz Hagoshrim, Israel, and was designed around a rotating, counter-compressed spring. A rotating spring would be compressed on one side, grabbing hair, and decompressed on the other side, releasing plucked hair.
This effect would cycle back and forth, covering the treatment area and removing the hair. After its introduction to the public, sales of the Epilady skyrocketed and many other epilator manufacturers entered the market.
In a sense, an epilator is simply the mechanical version of waxing, which uses a hot wax that solidifies, and as it is removed it plucks out the hairs. Most epilators come with a head with multiple tines and either use springs, rotating discs, or mechanical tweezers.
Epilators are often used as part of a broader hair removal “strategy”, as we like to call it since all the various means of hair removal do not work well just on their own. Combining any chemical or light-based hair removal method with epilation tends to yield complete and favorable results.
A Deep Dive Into The Epi-Smooth Epilator
The Epi-Smooth epilator by Epi-Smooth is more of a traditional hair removal device that mechanically removes body hair. Epilators have multiple springs or teeth that grasp the hair and pluck it from the skin.
Whereas most epilators have ahead with 20 or 30 tines, the Epi-Smooth has only one and does its job a bit slower (and less painfully) than most machines. However, the Epi-Smooth is incredibly inexpensive (in this review, we are forbidden from quoting prices, but trust us, it’s really cheap -like, barely in the double digits, but we didn’t say that), so it is a fair trade-off.
Who’s It For?
If you want to do in-home permanent hair removal and have thought about using an epilator, the Epi-Smooth is an entry-level device that will allow you to incorporate mechanical hair removal into your regimen without destroying your budget.
The Epi-Smooth is an extremely affordable epilator with a small epilation head that works great in small areas and can also be used over large skin areas. In this pricing segment, there simply are no other epilators, and it is so economical that the Epi-Smooth can be afforded by almost anyone.
Epilation devices are used for permanent hair removal and are also a great adjunct to chemical depilatories and IPL devices. The Epi-Smooth is a useful tool for removing facial hair in places where IPL devices just cannot go and where you might feel uncomfortable playing around with chemicals.
How it works
You can basically think of the Epi-Smooth as an electric tweezer. Whatever you would normally try to do with a tweezer, you can use the Epi-Smooth in its place for better and faster results.
The rotating head spins the tweezing device across the hair, closes and grasps it, then rotates away, plucking the hair. On the away side, the tweezing device opens and drops the hair into the clear shield, which is then free to fall away from the device.
It’s as simple as that.
How to use it
It is recommended that you shower first and that your skin is clean. A warm shower will increase blood flow to the skin and also cause hairs to stand more erect.
If you have hairs in any area you wish to epilate that are longer than 10 mm, you should shave first. Be certain that any area you wish to treat does not have razor burn or additional injury could occur during epilation.
Before you begin, the skin should be patted dry with a soft towel. A little experimentation before you start doing large areas is recommended to ensure that you do not have a skin reaction.
Just try out a small area on the skin and wait a day to see how it looks. If everything is fine, you are ready to fully epilate.
Next, switch on the device and glide the head over the area you wish to treat. Remember that the device head is a narrow, single tweezer head, so multiple passes over an area may be necessary.
After the first use, the skin may become a little irritated since you are not used to the device. Application of a water-based lotion with lanolin or another emollient after epilating is recommended to reduce skin irritation. Skin irritation will diminish with time as the skin becomes accustomed to epilation and you will also notice that hair regrowth will be less and the hairs finer.
After using the Epi-Smooth, remove the shield and use the brush provided to clean the epilating head. Do not wash the Epi-Smooth with water or rinse underwater as it is absolutely not waterproof.
Read Related Topic: Upper Lip Hair Removal – A Guide
What We Like About Epi-Smooth Epilator
Despite being a very small epilator, there are many positives for the Epi-Smooth. Besides the great cost factor, the device is also very precise and can work in small, tight areas.
At first glance and noting the price, we thought that there was no way this thing could actually work. If it did work, we expected that it would last for a day or two before it broke.
However, that is not the case. The Epi-Smooth is simple but well built. Working it does take some extra time since it only has a one-tine head, but consider the fact that it costs very little and we feel it all balances out.
Think of it like this. You need to mow your lawn (ha, love this analogy).
You get a push mower that has a 20-inch blade and gets the job done fast, but… that would cost you close to $300. Alternatively, you could get a set of electric shears for $30.
Sure, using those will take you longer to mow the lawn, but it’s also something you can afford. That could be the difference between mowing that lawn and not.
Since the Epi-Smooth is small, we found it ideal for working in delicate areas, such as sideburns, eyebrows, and hairline. Another interesting aspect of the Epi-Smooth, and one quite unexpected, is that epilation is nearly painless.
Allow us to repeat that in case you skipped over it: plucking hair out of your skin with Epi-Smooth hardly hurts at all. Maybe it’s the design of the head, maybe it’s the fact that it only has one tweezer, we don’t know.
It’s just almost painless to use it. Cleaning it up is also not a big deal, about as involved as cleaning up an electric razor.
Oh yeah, we also like the fact that it is battery-operated. Whether you choose to use this in your bathroom at home or choose to throw it in your luggage for travel, battery portability is a great plus.
What We Don’t Like About Epi-Smooth Epilator
The fact that the Epi-Smooth has only one tweezer on the head is a negative for us. It works well, but epilating takes a lot of time.
If they just doubled or tripled the tweezers, which is still far, far fewer than most epilators like by a factor of 10, that would increase its efficiency tremendously. It probably would not increase its cost to make much either.
It would also be nice if there was a speed option on the device, since it only has one speed. Also, many other epilators come with various attachments and accessories.
Typical accessories are different-sized shielding covers with different-shaped or -sized windows, but those are mainly to present or occlude some of the epilating tines. In the case of the Epi-Smooth, there is only one so we guess that is a moot point.
PROS
- Small and portable
- Very, very affordable
- Great precision for small, delicate areas
- Almost painless
- Battery-operated
- Great for home or travel
CONS
- Well, epilation with it is slow…
- You cannot use it wet in the shower
- Only one speed
What’s Included?
- One Epi-Smooth epilator
- One cleaning brush
- Instruction manual
- (batteries not included)
Overview Of Features
The Epi-Smooth is about the size of your typical electric razor and runs on two AAA batteries. It comes in two colors: blue and light purple.
The housing is entirely plastic but is not waterproof. Most of the body is white plastic with a mid-line hourglass rubber strip and a central sliding on-off switch.
The reverse side is the color-theme plastic (purple or blue) and features a battery cover to access the battery bay. The head is covered with a clear plastic, color-themed shield with a rounded cloverleaf window (the four-leaf kind, for luck, we guess).
In the center of the head within the window is a single rotating barrel with a tweezing device.
Review Summary
For what you get, we really like the Epi-Smooth. It does work, it is easy to use, and is completely portable and battery-operated.
For removing hair in delicate areas where everything is close-in, like the face, a small device like the Epi-Smooth is really perfect for that kind of work. Using larger epilator devices in those areas increases the chance (ghast!) of a mishap, leaving you to paint on your eyebrows for a month or so.
We feel that the Epi-Smooth is a must-have for epilation, even if just purchased for travel. It is small and effective and an excellent choice for precision work.
