Sometimes we wish we could freeze time, especially the time between each epilation session.
Today we’re going to answer a century-old question: which method of hair removal renders your skin smooth for the longest period?
Epilation, being the most efficient and convenient way of hair removal, is also the method that leaves your skin feeling as smooth as silk. So, how long does epilation last? Let’s find out.
How Does Epilation Work?
Before we explore how long epilation lasts, we first need to understand how exactly does epilation work. An epilator is an electronic device used to remove body hair from the roots, leaving you with silky-smooth skin.
An epilator is similar to an electric razor in appearance, but there is a fundamental functional difference.
While an electric razor has razors or blades in the head, an epilator head is lined with multiple tweezers. These tweezers automatically pull the hair right from the roots rather than shaving them from the surface.
When it comes to efficacy, epilation is undoubtedly a better hair removal method than shaving. This is also the reason why epilation gets you longer-lasting results than shaving or using shaving creams.
You can use an epilator to remove hair from any part of the body, including sensitive areas like your face, underarms, and bikini line.
Unlike waxing, you can use an epilator to remove long as well as short hair. An epilator works better at removing hair up to 0.5 mm in length.
How Long Does Epilation Last?
Before we could answer the question above, there are few things to be taken into consideration. The truth is, there is no universal rule dictating how long epilating lasts. The answer varies from person to person.
How often one needs to epilate their body hair is subject to a couple of factors that affect hair growth.
To put things into perspective, let’s consider some common facts and figures. An average epilating session is supposed to last you at least 3 to 4 weeks, depending on your hair growth.
However, as epilating can be done with shorter hair, some people prefer doing it every two weeks.
One great benefit of epilation is that it reduces hair growth over time and helps lighten the hair texture.
Your hair will eventually become lighter and softer with regular epilation and grow at a slower rate, making your epilation last longer than usual.
Factors Affecting Epilation Results
How long epilation lasts depends on various factors, which include your hair growth cycle, the texture of your hair, and other things. Let’s take a look at the various factors that affect epilation results and hair growth.
Hair Growth Stages
Hair growth is categorized into three major stages called anagen, catogen, and telogen. How long epilating lasts depends on which stage hair growth stage you are at, as the results vary from one stage to the other.
In the anagen state, new hair is growing actively. In the catogen state, hair is in a transitional state, and hair growth is slowed down.
In the telogen state, hair is at a resting phase, and removing this hair can be a real task.
Your hair regrowth is dependent on how you time your epilation session. The key is to get rid of the majority of the hair while still in the antigen stage.
This will help you get smooth results and also give you more control over managing your epilation schedule.
Hair Growth Rate
How often you should epilate is dependent greatly on your hair growth rate. People who have slow hair growth can get away with doing epilating every 4th to 5th week.
At the same time, people with normal hair growth need to get epilating done every 3rd to 4th week.
The more frequently you epilate, the more it helps to slow down your hair growth. This is usually applicable to everyone, except if you have a medical condition that causes abnormal hair growth. Regular epilating is key to slowing down hair growth.
Hair Thickness
Some people have coarse and thick body hair that is hard to avoid, even when they are tiny. Fortunately for such people, epilating works like a charm.
Unlike waxing, epilating can work on hair length shorter than 2mm long as well. So people with dark hair prefer epilating every 1-2 weeks for a smooth and silky finish.
Hair Texture
Some people have curly hair all over their body, which can be extremely difficult to remove if the hair is too long.
This is why it’s recommended to epilate curly hair as early as possible to slow down its growth in the long run.
So, for someone with curly or a slightly different hair texture, epilation needs to be done every one to two weeks. The earlier you remove them, the better.
Hair Color
Your body hair may not always be the same color as your head. Some people tend to have darker hair on their body that can easily become an eyesore.
People with light-colored hair can get away with epilating it every 4th week. At the same time, someone with darker colored hair needs to get it done every 1 to 2 weeks.
Hair Length
Your epilating schedule heavily relies on the length of your hair. Suppose your hair is longer than the optimum 0.5 mm, you are late for your epilating session.
Note that epilation works better on shorter hair, so you need to be regular with your sessions to ensure long-lasting results. Depending on your hair length and growth, epilation should last you about 2 to 3 weeks.
Hormonal Imbalance
People suffering from hormonal imbalance have unsteady hair growth and darker hair texture.
As a result of this, they may need to get epilation done more frequently than others. Typically, people with abnormal hair growth need to epilate every week.
Age
As you grow older, your hair growth slows down with time. So, when it comes to epilation results, older women seem to have the upper hand here.
Where young women need to epilate every 3 to 4 weeks, older women can stretch this to more than a month.
Genetics
If there’s one thing that you inherit from your parents, it’s your hair growth. Hence if one or both of your parents are hairy, you are most likely to be hairy as well.
People who are hairy need to get epilation done every one to two weeks.
Nutrition
Your hair growth is also dependent on your nutritional intake. You need to consume foods rich in Omega 3 fats and zinc to ensure steady hair growth.
If your hair growth is healthy, an average epilation session should easily last you 3 to 4 weeks.
Type of Skin
Your epilation sessions may also vary depending on your skin type. For instance, people with extra sensitive skin cannot get epilation done too frequently.
Their skin is more prone to getting ingrown hair and bumps, so they must exfoliate and give time to their skin to recover.
It is recommended for people with sensitive skin to give at least a month’s gap between each epilation session.
If they do not give time to their skin to heal properly, frequent epilation will only make it worse and not give them desirable results.
Different Body Parts
Your body hair does not grow at the same rate. Some body parts may be too hairy within a week, while some may not be even after a month.
For instance, facial hair grows at a faster rate, so you usually have to epilate them every 1 to 2 weeks. Your legs, on the other hand, have longer-lasting epilation results. You can epilate them every 3 to 4 weeks.
Keep in mind that you cannot epilate your entire body in one go as the hair growth will vary. So, you need to schedule your epilation sessions accordingly.
also don’t forget to checkout epilators for sideburns.
DOs and DONTs of Epilation
Here are a few valuable tips that you should follow for effective epilation. If your regularly epilate and follow all the guidelines properly, it will last you longer than all other hair removal methods.
DO – Use a Bright Light Source
To ensure that you achieve smooth and silky skin after epilation, you first need to make sure that you have full control of the situation.
As epilation is preferably done with shorter hair, make sure you stand under a bright light source to easily see all the hair you need to remove.
Using natural sunlight is highly recommended as it helps you detect even the tiniest bit of stubborn hair that you cannot see under normal led lights.
DO – Test A Small Patch Area First
People react differently to different hair removal methods, especially something like epilation that pulls hair right from the roots. It is highly advisable you test a small patch area before epilating more sensitive areas of your body.
This way, you can tell if your body is reacting adversely to the process and avoid risking getting a bruise on your face or other sensitive parts.
Moreover, this step also gives you a good starting point to practice and improve on your epilating skills.
DO – Exfoliate Your Skin Regularly
This is a universal tip that works well with all hair removal methods, especially epilation. To get the best results from epilation, you should regularly exfoliate your skin.
Exfoliate helps remove dirt and impurities from your skin and unclogs all the oily pores, reducing the chances of ingrown that appear after epilation.
Moreover, regular exfoliation will also make epilation a whole less painful for you as your hair will not be stuck inside the hair follicles.
You should take a hot shower before epilation and exfoliate your body using an organic scrub. Your skin will feel velvety soft after epilation if you follow this religiously.
DO NOT – Epilate on Oily Skin
To prep your skin for a smooth and effective epilation, do ensure that your skin is completely clean and dry before you epilate it.
Epilating on oily skin would not give you smooth results, and it may also make it difficult to move the epilator along your body.
DO NOT – Touch Your Skin After Epilation
As epilation plucks out hair directly from the roots, it is common to experience irritation or inflammation on your skin post epilation.
While this may seem unbearable initially, and you will be tempted to repeatedly touch or scratch your skin, never do that. Not only will it cause scratches on the skin, but it can also cause bleeding or rash.
You could apply a cooling agent like aloe vera gel or use ice cubes to soothe the burning. It typically goes away after a couple of hours. If the problem still persists after 6 to 8 hours, you can consult your doctor.
DO NOT – Step Out In the Sun After Epilation
After you get done with your epilation session, please ensure that you avoid stepping out in the sun for at least the next 24 hours.
This is to avoid any allergic reactions that the harsh sunlight may cause. Skin rash, soreness, and red bumps are all common side effects of exposing your skin to direct sunlight after you have freshly epilated it.
In addition to this, please ensure that you avoid doing any intense physical workout that may cause excessive sweating or skin irritation to post your epilation session.
Moreover, you should also avoid swimming for at least a day after epilation to avoid exposing your skin to chlorine and other chemicals. Your skin is extra sensitive right after epilation, so a few precautionary steps are necessary to avoid any allergic reactions.
Final Words
We hope that this blog was helpful in answering all your queries regarding the pressing question, ‘How long does epilation recap?’ A quick recap of the blog will reveal that epilation will last you at least 3 to 4 weeks on average.
However, the results may vary from person to person based on other external factors.
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to concluding how long epilation should typically last. Remember, the key is to be consistent with your epilation sessions to make them last longer.
If you have any other queries or concerns regarding epilation, share them in the comments section below.
Stay tuned to this space for more valuable guidelines and tips on epilation. Happy skin to you!