The basic purpose of using an epilator or opting for waxing is removal of body hair. The difference between the two is the method adopted for hair removal. Epilator is similiar to an electric shaver. It has a rotating head consisting of metal tweezers which pulls out hair from the follicles as it passes over the skin. Epilators come in varieties which can either be used on dry skin only or on both wet and dry skin. Both rechargeable and plug in varieties of epilators are available in the market. Waxing, on the other hand, is a process in which soft or hard wax is applied on the skin. The wax sticks to the hair. In case of soft wax, a cotton wax strip is applied to the skin which is ripped off to remove the hairs. In case of hard wax, there is no need for a cotton strip as the hard wax can be ripped off by gripping its edge.
A comparison between the two methods helps in deciding which one is better for you.
Efficiency
Waxing not only removes the body hairs but also eliminates dead skin cells, thereby making the skin fresh and healthy. However, waxing tends to break some hairs instead of removing completely. The residual hairs need to be removed by tweezers.
Epilator removes the hair right from its follicle. Even though the hair is removed efficiently, the follicle tends to get damaged which causes the succeeding hair to be weaker. Hairs can also be difficult to grasp by the epilator on a wet skin.
Thus, efficiency of waxing and epilator are same.
Pain
Epilator can cause pain initially for people used to shaving. This is because shaving removes hair only from the skin surface while epilator removes hair from the follicle. However, with time you get used to epilator and the discomfort becomes lesser and lesser.
Waxing can also be painful initially but as the skin pores open up with time, the sensitivity of the skin reduces.
Thus, pain sensation depends upon individuals. Some may feel more discomfort with epilator while some may be uncomfortable with waxing.
Long lasting capability
Epilator can keep the skin smooth for 2-4 weeks. Waxing, on the other hand, provides a smooth skin which lasts for around 8 weeks. However, in order to wax again, the hairs need to grow to 1/4th of an inch or above. In case of an epilator, there is no need to wait because epilator can remove hairs as small as 1/8th of an inch. However, the different rate of hair growth at various areas of the body makes it necessary to use the epilator frequently to maintain a hairless body.
Thus, epilator can be used more frequently at any point of time while you need to wait before you can wax your skin again.
