It’s been summer here in Sydney and since I’m running around bare-legged, hair removal has been on the forefront of my mind. Here are some cool new hair removal discoveries I’ve made, hope they help some of you out too!

Braun Silk-epil9 SkinSpa Epilator

Back in 2011 I bought a Braun Silk-epil epilator, used it for a bit… then misplaced the charging cable for a few years. When I finally found the cable again, unsurprisingly, the epilator refused to wake up. I hadn’t gotten around to buying a new one, so when I had the opportunity to try the new Braun Silk-epil9 SkinSpa (Amazon/Shaver Shop) I was pretty excited!

I originally turned to epilation because I really disliked shaving and waxing. The main advantage epilating has over shaving is that the epilator usually pulls out hair by the root, so overall it grows back slower and regrowth is less prickly (though some hairs will still snap in the middle and grow out prickly). It also doesn’t involve any disposable materials so it produces less trash (though it requires electricity), and it’s gentler on skin in terms of razor burn. However, epilation hurts more than shaving, takes a little longer, and the epilator requires you to remember to charge it. The risk of ingrown hair is also higher, since the hair can break off under the skin and remain trapped.

Epilation is a bit more similar to waxing. While both waxing and epilating both give you smooth stubble-free skin, waxing requires a bit more skill, you need to repurchase the wax, and it’s generally messier too. You also need longer stubble for effective waxing (2-3 mm for waxing vs 0.5 mm for epilating with the Silk-epil). I also find waxing more painful than epilation (other people disagree), but whereas waxing involves one quick big ouch, epilating requires you to bear a lesser amount of pain for a bit longer.