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The Best Epilators for At-Home Hair Removal
Get to the root of the problem, literally, with epilators you can use wet, dry, for travel and more.
Excavation after excavation across the globe leads to the same verdict: Humans have been tweezing since time immemorial. From the golden Sumerian pincers found at Ur’s royal cemetery to the Roman Britain tweezer cache that made headlines earlier this year, these finds are often thousands of years old—and instantly recognizable. Plucking implements were pretty much stuck in the Bronze Age. That is, until the 1980s, when electric epilators came whirring onto the scene.
Epilation, explains New Orleans-based dermatologist Mary Lupo, M.D., is basically “mass plucking.” Often equipped with dozens of tiny tweezers apiece, the tools’ motorized discs pull hair from the root while rolling over your skin. Unlike electric razors, which cut hair at the skin’s surface, these devices won’t lead to stubble.
They may even hold off regrowth for weeks, and eventually thin it out “because of the trauma to the follicle,” according to Dr. Lupo. Indeed, enough repeated plucking can outright disable follicles, says Los Angeles-based dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D. And while certain lasers do as well, epilators may work better if you happen to have gray hair, as it’s extremely difficult to target with a pigment-seeking beam.
Many people also find epilation less painful than waxing—and more effective at grabbing super-short hairs. So if you think epilators may be for you, the picks below reflect experts’ criteria for efficacy, comfort and more, and all come with limited warranties of at least one year. Scroll down for detailed shopping and usage advice.
For beginners
Some degree of discomfort is almost inevitable with epilators, especially at first, before regrowth thins out, and you figure out your pain-minimizing techniques (more on that below). But the adjustable ice roller that you freeze for four hours before attaching it to this device soothes the skin instantly. “That chilling also helps prevent chicken-skin appearance,” says Dr. Shamban of the tiny hives that can form wherever you’ve just plucked. The device is beginner-friendly in other ways, too. At around 5½ ounces and 5 inches tall, it’s light and easily maneuverable. And the 40-tweezer disc stays put. The only things you snap on and off are a sensitive skin attachment (a shield that narrows the tweezing field for bikini line and underarm epilation) and the aforementioned ice roller.
For overall performance
Cordless, suitable for wet or dry use—and equipped with 32 ceramic tweezers and a spotlight that make even the shortest and finest of hairs hard to miss—this epilator also comes with several bonus features. “Special attachments are useful for allover hair removal with one device,” says New York City-based dermatologist Dendy Engelman, M.D. In this case, they include a trimmer to get hair to the optimal length for epilation (3 to 4 millimeters, though even 0.5 should work); a soft-bristled exfoliating brush to help safeguard against ingrowns; a delicate area cap to narrow the tweezing field for bikini area and armpits; an “efficiency cap” (aka skin stretcher) to keep your skin taut and reduce pain; and for good measure, a lightly gritty callus removal disc. With the basic epilator attachment on, the device weighs 6 ounces and measures approximately 6.5 inches in height.
For a 5-in-1 tool
Packing 60 tweezers, this wet-dry, cordless epilator promises to epilate, shave, trim, buff and exfoliate. With the switch of the head it transforms into an electric shaver with a pop-up trimmer. There’s also a hair-thinning bikini comb, a cap for when you’re epilating sensitive areas, another cap for anyone who wants extra gentleness, a spinning ceramic foot file and a sonic scrub brush. For the Hermosa Beach-based esthetician Erica Marie Gatt, this assortment is key, but so is the long battery life. Factor in the manageable dimensions (5.9 ounces and 6 or so inches tall), and you’ll understand why she considers this a worthy travel companion—just note that it can’t go into your checked luggage because of its lithium ion battery.
For spa body and facial care
Essentially a me-day in a box, this kit is anchored by a fan favorite epilator—the wet-dry, 40-tweezer, light-assisted Silk-épil 9—and filled out with a medi-spa’s worth of extras: a soft, nubby body massage pad, a superfine silicone facial massage pad, a facial brush, a whole separate facial epilator (a wispy 3.6 ounces to the regular epilator’s 6.5), three separate epilation caps, plus a body shaver and trimmer. For all the useful add-ons, it’s the rare, fully flexible head that Gatt prizes most: “I love it because it can get into those awkward areas.” She also singles out the exfoliating brush. “The bristles are fine and soft—great for sensitive skin.”
For dense or coarse hair
With 72 tweezers—the most of any device on this list—arrayed over a series of discs, this corded, 5.4-ounce epilator aims to pluck the most hair possible per pass. To give yourself even better chances of a clean sweep, “move slowly and pull your skin taut as you go—always against the direction of your hair growth” says Dr. Engelman. “So if you’re using it on your leg, you would start at the ankle and move upward.” Though the device comes with a loofah pad, you may want to slough with something gentler before 72 tweezers roll through.
For travel
From the brand that gave the world electric epilators in the ’80s, this compact powerhouse (3 ounces, 4 inches tall, 40 whirling tweezers) makes for a great travel partner. In addition to fitting in the palm of your hand, the device is corded, so no worries about verboten lithium ion batteries when you pack your checked luggage.
What to consider when shopping for an epilator
How melanin-rich is your skin?
If the answer falls anywhere between “pretty” and “very,” talk to your dermatologist before trying one of these tools. You run the risk of hyperpigmentation, says Miami dermatologist Flor Mayoral, M.D. Post-epilation, that can look like darkened, pint-point dots wherever a tweezer landed and yanked, “and that’s very difficult to hide,” Dr. Mayoral adds. Not that there aren’t remedies, of course, but to avoid having to go down that road, plot a spot-test with your doctor or consider a different means of hair removal.
Are there risks beyond hyperpigmentation?
Because your skin’s barrier will be compromised, there’s a small risk of bacterial infection, “especially in the genital area,” says Dr. Shamban. So make sure everything is clean before you start (tools included), and once you’re epilating, she advises that you “stretch the skin so that there are no folds and the device has a flat smooth surface to work on.” When you’re done, apply some hydrogen peroxide, then a lightweight basic moisturizer. If you still wind up with irritation that doesn’t recede in the next few days, talk to your dermatologist. Ingrown hairs or infection could be to blame.
What level of discomfort or pain is typical?
For some, the pain is all but imperceptible; for others, there’s a definite spiciness to the experience, especially at the beginning. Though several of our epilator picks have built-in pain mitigators—the ice roller, the skin-stretchers, the gentleness-inducing caps—you can take pre- and post-epilation pain-reduction steps, too. Pulling your skin taut can help prevent pinching, but if it doesn’t help enough, you can consider a numbing agent. Dr. Engelman recommends Aspercreme (4% lidocaine) as an easy over-the-counter option. Dr. Mayoral is a fan of 4% lidocaine solutions, too—emphasizing the importance of limited use and thin layers.
How many speed levels do you need?
Though most epilators offer at least two, and the slower (or slowest) one is often said to be the least painful and most beginner-friendly, this is a particularly subjective arena. Though starting slow does let you ease into your technique, the lowest speed can, however counterintuitively, feel more painful than higher (or highest). You’ll want at least two speeds to choose from, and some room for trial and error.
How long can epilators keep regrowth at bay?
“It usually takes about three to four weeks for the hair to grow back after epilating,” says Dr. Engelman. “Those who are new to epilating may find that their hair grows back a bit faster, while those who have been doing it a while may not need to epilate again for more than four weeks.”