'Allow me to convince you why you need an epilator.'

When you think of epilators — those hair removal devices with multiple sets of tweezers that sound like lawnmowers when you turn them on — you probably think of the 80s, extreme pain, and a beauty industry ruled by misogyny where putting up with excruciating hair removal was par for the course.

The epilator craze was an 80s and 90s thing, so if you grew up in those decades, you might be familiar with what you'd call a 'torture device', I'm sure.

Once laser hair removal became popular, and at-home waxing far more accessible (and less messy), epilators seemed to drop off the face of the earth.

Watch: Mamamia on the history of body hair. Post continues below.

It's understandable. The structure of an epilator — rows of tweezer "teeth" on a barrel that whirr at high speed, catching and plucking hairs en masse — is kinda scary. Tweezing your eyebrows is painful enough. Why would you put yourself through tweezing whole patches of hair at lightning speed?

That was how I perceived epilators until one morning, back in my Beauty Editor days, an epilator landed on my desk.

At the time, I'd gone through laser hair removal for my lower legs and underarms but still had some rogue, pesky hairs that would grow back. I'd say I had a 60 per cent reduction (which, for someone who is half-Greek, isn't much) and was managing the extra 40 per cent with daily shaving. I wanted a longer-term solution.

Enter the epilator.

I decided to brave the device one afternoon during a COVID lockdown. (That COVID boredom really did a number on us, huh?)

I started with my lower legs. Yes, it was painful, but surprisingly, not as bad as I'd expected. I persevered, and within 15 minutes, I was hair-free on one leg. 

I decided to deep-dive into epilating. After realising that pain can be reduced by epilating after a warm shower, I tried the other leg that evening after washing. The pain was nothing! Totally manageable.

So began my epilating obsession. My leg hair didn't grow back for weeks, and when it did, it was fine and stubble-free. My underarms were probably the scariest to attempt, but gave me the best results. Definitely one to do after a shower, the epilator removed all the dark, coarse hairs and left me with no shadowy stubble. 

Over time, epilating became even easier and less painful. I noticed a reduction in hair growth, and hair was easier to remove. Plus, it was free — after paying for the device, of course. But honestly? Epilators can be really cheap and still really effective.

Which epilator should you buy?

The big question. Do you need to spend loads on an epilator for it to be effective? Not at all. But investment can be beneficial depending on what part of your body you're going to be epilating and if you want any extra bells and whistles.

For example, the Philips Satinelle Essential Corded Compact Epilator is DIRT cheap. $74.95 full price, but often on sale — when I was looking, it was $37! Even full price, that's less than you'd spend on a wax at a salon. 

A step up is the Philips Epilator Series 8000, which is the one I'm currently using. It's $169, and it's cordless, which can be handy when epilating various body parts in the same session so you're not tangling yourself in a cord. It's also one you can use wet or dry—I've never attempted shower epilating, but the softening effect of the water would definitely reduce pain levels. 

Then you've got the big guns. I used to have a Braun Silk-Epil Flex 9030, and it was great for years, until one day I had an apartment power surge when it was charging, and it sadly died. It's cordless, but also has a flexible head, which makes doing parts like knees, underarms and the back of your legs easier. It also comes with different head types and even a shaver, so you can use it for all sorts of areas.

Finally — and this one is in my cart for my next big pay day — there's the Panasonic Double Disc Premium Epliator. It's got TWO sets of tweezer teeth! Once you're a pro at epilating, you know why this is so exciting. I'm lazy, okay? I'm really lazy, and if I can remove my hair faster and more efficiently, I'm sold. 

The epilator rules.

Before buying your first epilator, it's important to know the rules of epilating otherwise, you'll just hate me for "lying to you" because you'll find epilating painful and ineffective.

Firstly, always epilate after a warm shower, especially if you're new to it. I sometimes break this rule (did I mention I'm lazy?), but that's because I know exactly what pain level to expect. If you do it after a warm shower, you'll find the hair is easier to remove and way less painful. 

Also, follow some of the age-old waxing rules, like don't be epilating close to your period, when your skin is more sensitive and it's likely to hurt a lot more. Don't have any lotions or potions on your skin when you're epilating, because it'll get clogged in the tweezers and completely ruin your device (ditto for deodorant!).

You also want to epilate against the direction of hair growth, like you would with waxing. This will ensure that the hairs are picked up faster and give better overall results.

From a practical perspective, epilating is very similar to shaving—you just move the device slowly up your leg or underarm and then proceed to the next section.

My only word of warning is this: If you have a low pain threshold, don't bother. As modern as the new epilators on the market are, they still tweeze hairs out of your skin. If you can't handle waxing, you probably won't like epilating. 

But if you're tired of spending precious minutes in every shower shaving all your bits and want a longer-term solution to hair removal, it's honestly worth giving epilating a go!

Feature: Supplied.