Here’s a little-known fact – epilators are not just for women!
Although not really marketed to the opposite sex, epilators for men work just the same as those for women. You’ll likely find only one or two designed for men, so don’t worry, you’re not missing anything. Looks aside, there’s no doubt they are a fantastic alternative for those tired of the eternal struggle with shaving.
While men have been shaving for centuries, the braver among them has begun to embrace waxing. But in the era of male self-care and manscaping, there’s no reason you can’t take it a step further into a different kind of hair removal. Epilation is much longer-lasting than shaving, and you can easily do it at home.
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Top Pick for Men – Braun Brilliance for Power
WORLD’s 1st: epilator with fully flexible head for effortless hair removal
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Can an epilator be used by a man?
Yes! You might consider trying out an epilator if you are fed up with body hair and shaving it every day, you’re prone to razor rash, or are just plain sick of stubble.
It’s much more commonplace now for men to want to rid areas of hair from the chest, back, shoulders, or arms. And if you’re a swimmer or a cyclist, you’ll be more than familiar with the need for speed, which many believe a sleek, hair-free body assists.
Can a man epilate his face?
It is NOT advisable for a man to epilate his face!
We have a lot of nerve endings in our faces, and the skin there is thinner. As such, the face is one of the most sensitive zones for hair removal of any kind.
Daily shaving comes with problems of its own, causing inflammation, bumps, cuts, and perhaps the most frustrating – hair reappearing before the day is even over. An epilator can give you weeks of hair-free skin on other body parts, but please don’t use one on your face if you’re a man.
Is it painful to use an epilator?
A better word to use than ‘pain’ is probably ‘discomfort’. Think of using a pair of tweezers to pluck out a hair. An epilator has several little tweezers – sometimes as many as 60 – so you might feel the pinch, but on several hairs at once.
It might sound daunting, but the beauty is in the speed and control. You’ll have a second of pain, and then it’s gone. Epilators often come with different caps and different speeds, so you can approach epilating in line with your comfort level.
Read the product reviews on any epilator online, and you’ll find some claiming “too painful for me!”, and some saying “painless”, “pain-free” and “doesn’t pinch”.
This is a testament to how much the epilation experience comes down to personal pain tolerance. Repeated use lessens the pain considerably each time, so even if it does pinch to begin with, it’s worth sticking with it.
Any woman who has been plucking her eyebrows for years will tell you it hurt at first, but she barely feels a thing now.
Take it from us, guys – you’ll be a veteran after a couple of go’s!
Is epilating better than waxing?
When it comes to epilation versus waxing, there are pros and cons to either. Both are effectively pulling the hair from the root.
The main differences are how each method grips the hair, as well as how many hairs they remove at a time.
A wax strip can is perfect for removing hair from broad areas of the skin, like your legs. An epilator is more nimble, and more agile, allowing freer movement around the knees, face, and bikini line.
This is a plus point for men especially, who often have more defined muscle to work around, and hair covering more of the body, including fiddly bits like ankles.
Due to the entire hair being removed from the follicle rather than cut off at skin level (as with shaving), both epilating and waxing share two key benefits. Results are much longer-lasting, with a whole new growth cycle needing to occur within the follicle before new hair returns. Secondly, both encourage the hair to grow back finer and softer with each session.
Epilating gives you the luxury of time and control. With waxing, you’ve got to be brave and rip off the waxing strip before the wax starts to stick to the skin.
With an epilator, you can go as slow as you like, working your way up to more sensitive areas in your own time. You can easily adjust speed and pressure to ease discomfort. You could even opt for a waterproof epilator, for use in a warm bath or shower to help relax the pores.
Short hair is fine for epilating
What really seals the deal for epilating is the shortness of hair you’re able to work with. Waxing requires at least a quarter-inch of growth. If you try to wax before this point, the wax just won’t stick. This means you have to endure a month or so of growth between waxes – not ideal for those who prefer to be hair-free all day, every day.
Some people like to combine waxing and epilating. You can space out regular waxing appointments over several weeks, using an epilator to tidy up in between. Both methods together work to slow and diminish hair growth over time.
Can an epilator be used on male pubic hair?
An epilator can be used for both male and female pubic hair. If you want to explore epilation for this area specifically, when shopping around for your first epilation device (see our guide below for a deeper dive into this), look for epilators that either have narrow heads or come with different attachment caps. Caps can be used to cover over a portion of the exposed tweezers, meaning fewer tweezers are coming into contact with the skin, so you can hone in on much smaller areas.
With bikini zone or male pubic hair epilation, it’s always best to take your time and practice different speeds and pressures. The key is to pull the skin as tight as possible, to stretch the follicles, and minimize pain. Keep a pair of tweezers handy too, for any strays in hard-to-reach areas.
The best epilators to try for men
It can be difficult to know where to start with all the technology and gadgetry that’s now available in the hair-removal market especially as there are so few epilators targeting men specifically.
Interestingly, home laser hair removal devices such as IPL are becoming more and more popular among men. If you find using an epilator might be one step too far, have a look at some of these alternatives.
3 SENSITIVE Modes: ensure your hair removal experience is as comfortable as possible, fast and easy to use
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But back to epilators….
Here however we’ve collected some of the top performers and male-friendly devices to give you a head start on your quest for the best epilator for men.
Emjoi AP18 Emagine for Men
- Mens epilator
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Forget all your preconceptions about epilators – the Emjoi Emagine is a seriously powerful product, designed for use on coarse hair (which many men contend with), and packing in 72 tweezer heads – the most in an epilating device we’ve seen. This means excellent coverage and thorough hair removal. It makes quick work of large areas such as the back, chest, shoulders, and legs. The head is large, and the tweezers are heavy-duty.
But don’t be alarmed by the brawn – it’s caring too. Dual-opposed heads hold the skin taut as you go, easing any discomfort.
The price point is mid-range and you are getting plenty of bang for your buck. It’s money well spent if it gets the job done well and with speed.
Unfortunately, the red Emjoi AP18 is not always available but we’re including it in our list as it’s definitely a contender for the best epilator for men. There are a couple of other versions of the Emjoi AP-18 and you can read more about them here: Emjoi Emagine Epilator Review or see below.
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Braun Silk épil-9
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Although Emjoi does provide a hyper-masculine option, an epilator is one of those things that doesn’t have to be gender-specific. What matters is the technology.
Many men will already have experienced the quality of Braun products with razors and trimmers, and it doesn’t end there. Widely regarded as some of the best options available, Braun offers epilators with models to suit all budgets—unless you have reservations about the rose gold detailing!
The Silk-épil 9 isn’t quite as bulky as the Emjoi, but it’s still robust and holds 40 tweezer heads for efficient hair removal. The head pivots, giving great flexibility around the knees and ankles. It comes with a bonus shaver, which you can easily revert to if you decide the epilation part isn’t for you, and a separate trimmer which is excellent for shaping especially in the pubic area.
Similar to the Emjoi, hair does need to be 0.5mm long before it can be removed. but this one is much more suitable for delicate areas like the pubic region. It comes with an attachment cap, which narrows the width of the tweezers, meaning you can target much smaller areas.
CLICK HERE for Braun Silk Epil 9 Options
Philips Satinelle Essential
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Phillips is another household name for grooming technology. Their epilators are strong contenders for the number one spot that Braun products tend to occupy.
The Phillips Satinelle Essential is a great entry-level epilator for beginners. It fits into the palm of your hand for easy maneuvering, and it’s extremely budget-friendly. It has just 20 tweezers, so it might take a bit more time to cover broad areas. On the other hand, it’s ideal if you want to remove some or all of the hair from the pubic region.
It’s corded, so you won’t be able to use it with complete freedom or in a wet environment. But, if you’re looking to test the waters of epilation, you won’t lose out on too much investment if you decide it’s not for you.
The reviews are excellent, however, and you might find that once you’ve got comfortable with the Satinelle Essential, you’re ready to move up to heftier devices.
Panasonic Wet / Dry Design
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If you’ve got a lot of hair, a cordless epilator provides an added benefit. You can use it in the bath or shower to avoid messy hair cleanup. Opting for a cordless, waterproof device also means you can use it in tandem with a foam cleanser. This helps to protect the skin and elevates hairs as you go.
This Panasonic device can work both wet and dry. It has a 90-degree rotating head that makes it super easy to maneuver over various parts of the body. In terms of tweezer count, it’s right up there, with 60 tweezers in a large epilation head, more than enough to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Braun Silk-épil 5
CONVENIENT: as easy as shaving, as long-lasting as wax for salon-like smooth skin at-home. Cordless and rechargeable -
100% WATERPROOF: you can use in the shower or bath, with anti-slip grip for control even when wet.
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The Silk-épil 5 from Braun has been around now for some time but has not lost any of its appeal. Its stylish white and blue design make it appealing for both genders.
It’s a cordless epilator that is also waterproof. Shave, trim and epilate with the same device. It comes with a shaver attachment and a separate trimmer, so you can groom and shape to your heart’s content.
It comes with a beginner cap too with a small row of plastic teeth that feed short hairs up into the head for thorough hair removal. This is a handy feature for people who have never used an epilator before.
If it has to come down to one…you can’t go wrong with Braun
Consumer polls consistently vote the Braun Silk-épil range as the highest-performing epilator product as well as the most comfortable to use. One advantage of using Braun is the availability of spare parts and replacement heads. The size and range of caps are pretty unbeatable too, and they’re excellent all-rounders for all genders, all hair types, and all body parts.
Last update on 2024-11-20 - Affiliate Links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API