The Braun Silk-Epil Expresive 7781 is probably the best epilator on the market to day. It is the successor to the Braun Silk-epil Xpressive 7681 that was the top selling epilator in 2008. This epilator can remove four times more hair than conventional waxing in one stroke. It can be use in the bath or shower and can be easily washed under a running tap. The Silk-épil Xpressive has taken the 2009 red dot product design award. Just look at what people are saying about the Braun 7781:
“The BRAUN SILK-EPIL XPRESSIVE 7781 WET & DRY is a lot less painful then other epilators I’ve tried.” Amanda U.K
“Being able to use it in water as well makes it less painful, easier and very convenient” P Gawley U.K
“The 5 stars is because after a few hours, my skin is so so smooth, with none of the rawness of post-wax” Anna London
The Magazine “Company” let 200 of their readers try the Braun 7781 for four weeks. After using the Braun 7781 epilator 8/10 said they would rather epilate than wax
Rechargeable epilator and shaver in one, with new wet and dry technology - can be safely used in the bath or shower for an even gentler epilation
Patented Wet & Dry HairLift System lifts, loosens and gently removes even short flat hairs at the root
Removes up to 4 times more short hairs than wax in one stroke (hairs as short as 2mm)
Massaging system stimulates the skin before and soothes after hair removal to clearly reduce pain sensation
Smartlight reveals even the finest hairs
Great, but don't expect miracles
Review Date: May 3, 2009
Reviewer: Katherine, Essex, England
I owned a previous model of a Braun epilator and got rid of it as I remembered it to be so painful and not a pastime I thought I'd ever continue. However....I've really had it with hair removal and I've tried the lot. Tired of the mess, stress and money disappearing down the hair-removal drain, I researched into epilating once more and decided, after reading all the great reviews, to give this model a go (annoying now significantly cheaper on Amazon only days after I bought it.) At nearly £100, this was a lot of money for me but, I concluded, was about the cost of four or five waxing appointments without the hassle of waiting for the hair to grow and walking around looking like The Gruffalo.
So, is it any good and how much does it hurt? I epilated my legs first and did them dry. The smart light was very good at showing up the hairs and the epilator removed them very efficiently. I did have to go over areas a few times in different directions to ensure all hairs were caught but it says you have to do that in the instructions and considering hair grows in different directions I would say it's reasonable to have to do that. As for pain, I didn't think it hurt that much at all. It was more an uncomfortable pulling/twanging sensation than pain. My legs did come up with mild red raised spots, but this went down within a couple of hours. Hair-free legs in 15-20 minutes! Result! One thing I would say is that if you're expecting the smoothness you get with shaving you'll be disappointed. The nature of shaving means every hair is taken off at skin level so you're inevitably silky smooth (if only for a day or so.) Epilating plucks hair from the root and does miss teensy-weensy hairs that you can't necessarily see but you can feel when you run your hands up your legs. Anyway, hair-free legs - very pleased indeed! Then I tried my underarms...
Oh. My. Giddy Aunt. I figured I was more hardy having experienced childbirth since my previous epilating days so forgot about all that and gritted my teeth. And I continued to grit my teeth and soon found myself using the breathing techniques they teach you in antenatal classes to now deal with epilating, panting my way through the searing pain as I saw my skin being drawn towards the machine like paper into a shredder. And shredded was exactly how my underarms felt when I finally finished. And finish I did because I was determined I was going to get my money's worth from this machine and epilating was the way forward. Disappointingly it did not remove the hair as well as on my legs. Before I blame the machine, this could've been down to my method not being great as I do remember blurred vision caused by the sweat from my brow as it trickled into my eyes; probably not optimum conditions for effective hair removal. Anyway, I did one underarm then braced myself for the second. Double the fun! At the end my underarms were, what's the word..? Oh yes, raw. I think I may have removed the skin in addition to the hair as it was red, sore and I had actually drawn a tiny bit of blood. I found applying Aloe Vera jelly and later some Savlon really helped and they were fine again after a few hours (though still blotchy the next day.) Results were not as pleasing as with the legs though and I found this quite a disappointment. Felt I deserved totally hair-free underarms after all that at the very least. To be honest I felt I deserved a congratulatory slap on the back and a large glass of wine.
So, after this rambling, what do I think? Firstly, don't expect miracles. I was excited after doing my legs but the underarms were a disappointment. Secondly, how much epilating hurts you will depend on the length of your hair, the sensitivity of your skin and obviously your pain threshold. I'd say epilate at least 24 hours before you intend to expose your bits to allow for any redness to go down. I also haven't tried epilating my underarms in/after a bath, so maybe that'd help with the pain. As for regrowth, I can't comment on that yet, but when I used to get waxed my hair would start growing back after 10 days or so and I expect this'll be the same. Don't be tricked into thinking you'll be hair-free for four weeks - you probably won't be. That said, 10 days is surely better than the measly one or two you get with shaving! Also, it's good you can do in-between-days touch-ups. The hair does come back finer. I'm hoping the underarms will get easier as I get used to it and the hair gets finer. Here's hoping anyway! In the meantime, I'm sure there are some good sedatives out there.
Fantastic epilator
Review Date: May 18, 2009
Reviewer: P. Gawley, London, England
I've been using a Braun epilator for about 12 years, so I am used to the pain. This model had a number of features which made it much much easier to use than the old model. I loved that it is rechargeable, so you can use it easily and quickly anywhere, and the epilating action seems to be more efficient than my old one. Being able to use it in water as well makes it less painful, easier and very convenient - you can quickly "touch up" an area in the shower. I also loved the light - my main problem before was getting enough natural light on my legs to see the hairs, close enough to a power supply - these problems are solved! The massaging head genuinely reduced the pain as well.
All together, a great product and well worth the money when you think about all the areas you can de-hair and what that would cost you in wax.
Author: sue
Great, but don't expect miracles
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