posted by Just Nice Things on Braun, In Praise Of..., Personal grooming

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Summer’s finally here. Barbecues, ice-cream, cool drinks in the sun and feeling the heat means it’s time to expose some skin. You know, the two pins you’ve been hiding under the polyster trousers for the past six months?  The hibernation period IS over.

As a veteran of epilators and all methods of hair removal, it’s with extreme pleasure (not pain) that I can share with you my latest experience with the sophisticated piece of technology you see pictured above – the Braun Silk-Epil 7 Xpressive Pro epilator.

If you’re a first-timer or at least considering using an epilator but fear how much it will hurt, I won’t lie to you.  I have felt the extreme pain from my first epilator more than 10 years ago and suffered the side effects.  My skin always broke out in bumps and my legs were riddled with ingrowing hairs no matter how much I exfoliated and as Helen quite rightly described her first and last experience with an epilator to me recently, she looked like a plucked chicken.  She may have been scarred for life but you know me, hard as nails and ever so optimistic – I’m game for anything that promises me long lasting results and so my relationship with an epilator has survived through good and bad times.

I am onto number three – and interestingly enough – it’s the Braun Silk-Epil Xpressive, which I’ve owned for at least two years if not longer.  Unlike my predecessors, this one is cordless, shaped beautifully for ease and handling and guarantees superior results.  It also doesn’t hurt half as much as those other bitches did.

Now I’ve been kindly sent Braun’s Silk-Epil 7 Xpressive Pro to try and in their range, this one is the mother of all beasts – not only can you use it on legs but also the body AND in both wet and dry conditions.  I admit, I raised an eyebrow when I opened the box because it looks identical to my previous epilator.  So what’s the difference?

Shape and appearance wise, they are both exactly the same – even down to the ‘smart light’ torch.  However, the major difference is the main attachment for the epilating and it’s abundantly clear why the Xpressive Pro looks impressively superior and therefore more promising.  The centre piece of the epilator remains to pull out the longer hairs but it’s the tiny teeth marks on the outer piece that grip those tiny hairs.  It also cuts out the pain by a considerable amount.  Boasting Close-Grip Technology, the newest epilator claims to remove hairs as short as a grain of sand, helped by the 40 tweezers.  The pivoting head also makes it easier to adapt to contours of the body.

The epilator comes with two separate attachments, a cleaning brush and some Olay wipes to prep the skin although I don’t always bother with that.  You know me – hard as nails.

Stretching my skin taut and not using the wet tissues supplied to help alleviate any further pain, I went in for the kill.  There are two speed settings to suit your preference, controlled by the centre dial at clock-wise.

The Xpressive Pro’s extra tiny tweezers really help to yank out those bastard stubbly bits – you know, when you’re at that awkward in-between growth stage where the hairs are  far too short to wax and not ideal for shaving.  It’s with luck I had hair short enough to put this claim to the test and to my amazement it plucked every single one out.  I can recall older epilators unable to do this.

As with waxing, the faster the action, the less pain you endure, hence why the epilator must operate at such a level to effectively do its job.

I found the previous epilator tolerable but this new one amazingly doesn’t hurt.  Either I have no nerves left in my legs or it’s down to the new epilating attachment.  I also found I didn’t have to repeatedly drag the epilator over one area as it generally picked up the hairs in one swoop.  The head is removable like the previous epilator and you can alternate between that and a smaller head for more delicate areas like the face and bikini.

Best thing I’ve noticed since I’ve switched to Braun is I don’t get the red bumps and ingrowing hairs.  Perhaps the former is because I’ve become used to the method as I suffered a lot from the pores flaring up immediately after they’d had the life plucked out of them.  I can only assume virgins to epilators may suffer such discomfort.

As mentioned earlier, it’s an epilator that can be used both wet and dry.  It’s often said it’s best to pluck your eyebrows after a shower or bath as the hot water opens up the pores therefore causing little (if no) pain at all.  So, test number two took place in the bath tub and I can confirm I barely noticed the feeling of the epilator.  The only thing you’ve got to be careful of is to not drop your bathtime buddy if you’re having a soak.  However, the epilator still takes a while to use compared to shaving and when you’ve jumped in for a 5 minute wash, you’re more likely to reach for the blade then power up this baby.

I’ve no idea how this works on the underarms and bikini areas (I’m afraid those areas are off limits to the epilator) so I’d be interested to learn how people have got on tackling those areas.  One friend of mine swears by the epilator on her underarms.  I did in the past and found it incredibly uncomfortable, not to mention it caused some bleeding.

I spent around £50 on my first epilator all those years ago, and remember thinking that was a lot to pay for it but I was prepared to part with my cash as I wanted the results the product promised me.  The Xpressive Pro retails at around £110 and it’s incredibly advanced in the generation of epilators, which is why I can justify its hefty price tag.

Fully charged in an hour and lasting up to 40 minutes without power from the mains, it’s perfect to take on holiday although if you’ve epilated before you go, you won’t need this while you’re away.

Pro-razor users may argue that is a lot to pay for something that isn’t enjoyable to use but I’ve shelled out for epilators before as they serve their purpose and they are a good investment for me personally.  I’m sure the cost of buying disposable razor blades would sound mount up in a year though I can’t dispute how good they are when you’re in a hurry.  If you like waxing, then this is a good alternative and more cost effective.

If you’ve always shied away from methods of hair removal which strike fear into your heart, now might be the time to come out of your shell.  Epilators have technologically advanced so much and believe me, they don’t hurt like they used to.  In fact this one doesn’t pinch a bit.  I would even go as far as to say it’s the epilator without the ‘ouch’ factor.

The only problem with epilating is that takes longer to use so I can only suggest the next time you put on a chick flick, give your legs a go on this.  With any luck, your mind will be engrossed on the screen and not the screams coming from you.

To find out more about Braun’s Silk-Epil 7 Xpressive Pro and watch a promo video on it, click here.  The Silk-Epil 7 Xpressive Pro is available to purchase online and at most good high street retailers.