I have been epilating for twenty years and have used a couple of types of epilators. My current one is an Epilady Discrette that has lasted about fifteen years and is still going strong.

Epilating has evolved since I began. The focus has shifted to encouraging the faint of heart. The biggest fear is pain, which Braun takes great care to alleviate. For experienced users, the added precautions are largely unnecessary.

PAIN

People have different tolerances to pain. I can honestly say learning to epilate hurt less than learning to pluck my eyebrows. It stung the first few times (especially the first time), but after that, I felt no pain. The ice glove is a nice touch, but it's probably not necessary and those who choose a different brand could just as easily just use an ice pack.

As for comfort, the dual massage system really does minimize the pulling sensation. I actually don't feel as much tugging with the Epil 5 as I do with my... Read more

I used an Epilady years ago and swore I would never try another epilator again. Then I saw this. The appeal: I hate to shave - The fear: pain. But figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try, just maybe it wouldn't make my legs feel like they had been put in scalding water for hours.

I was surprised at how well it works. First used it on one leg without using the ice-glove - my skin tingled but it really wasn't painful. The tingling sensation, but no redness, went away after about an hour.

Used the glove on my other leg before using the epi and found it pretty much useless - all it did was make my leg cold. The ice-pack may be needed by those who have thicker or more dense leg hair, I do not know. Finished the leg without it.

The Braun epilator works well with my thin leg hair. I did not shave my legs after my order, so the hair was quite long. I'm very pleased with the product.

The Pros:

Simple and easy to use
Not as... Read more

I had plans to do a long-term review: use the Braun Epilator on one leg, a regular razor on the other, plot hair growth over multiple weeks. There might have been bar graphs. But....

I've never used an epilator before. Going in I of course expected there to be some discomfort: you can't yank hair out of your legs without feeling something. Question is, how much discomfort, and would it be worth it for the convenience of not having to shave as frequently? I can't compare the experience of the Braun to other epilators, and it may well be better and less painful than any alternatives. But I gave up after half a leg because I decided that, no, the pain wasn't worth it after all.

I used the Epilator with the beginners' dual massage cap, which is supposedly easier for neophytes than the other cap. And I tried it out both with and without icing my leg first. Maybe I didn't do it long enough, but the icing didn't seem to make any difference. On less sensitive parts of my... Read more