Thursday, August 14, 2008

Mechanical Epilators

Mechanical epilators have an electric rubber roller or coiled spring that catches the hair and pulls it out, somewhat painfully, and tends to miss some hair. Hair must be about 1/4" to 1/3" long for the epilators to work. Epilators should not be used on very sensitive skin such as the face, genitals, or armpits.

Braun, the German manufacturer, has two epilator types, one for about $70 called Silk Epil Select and one for about $100 called Duo-Select which is available only through the Sharper Image catalog. Most reviewers prefer the more expensive Braun epilator which has 2 speeds, 2 tweezer strengths, plus an electric razor attachment for skin areas too sensitive for the tweezer action.

Epi-Lady epilator utilizes a coiled spring that is rotated by an electric motor. As the hair enters the spaces between the coils, the coils grab the hair and pull it out down to the hair root. This product has received good reviews and comes in several models, priced from $39 to $79.

Remington sells the Smooth and Silky epilator which also uses a rotating spring but offers different springs for different types of hair.

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