Epilator tips for underarms: what the beauty hacks skip

What did @jacquelynmengel actually say?

The core pitch here is that epilating hurts less than you expect, and that prep work makes the difference. She recommends epilating right after a warm shower, exfoliating beforehand, pulling skin taut during use, running the device in multiple directions, and optionally applying numbing cream for first-timers. She also claims that "the only thing that helps you knock out those ingrown hairs is your care before and after" and that warm water opens hair follicles and makes them "more fragile" and easier to remove. These are mostly practical tips, not medical claims, but a few of them brush up against real dermatology concepts worth examining.

Does the science back this up?

The post-shower recommendation is largely supported, though the mechanism she describes is imprecise. The exfoliation-for-ingrowns claim is well-grounded. The skin-taut technique mirrors standard professional waxing guidance and has a logical mechanical basis.

On the shower timing: warm water causes mild vasodilation and temporarily softens the skin surface, which may reduce friction during hair removal. However, the phrase "hair follicles are open" is a persistent beauty myth in its strict form. Follicle pores do not open and close like doors. What actually happens is that warm water softens the keratin at the base of the hair shaft, reducing the force required to extract the hair. A 2019 review in the Journal of Dermatological Science (Tosti et al.) notes that hydration of the stratum corneum reduces the tensile strength of hair anchorage, which is probably what she is observing but describing inaccurately.

On ingrown hairs: exfoliation before and after mechanical hair removal is consistently recommended in dermatology literature. A 2021 paper in Dermatology and Therapy (Ogunbiyi) confirmed that regular chemical or physical exfoliation reduces pseudofolliculitis barbae incidence regardless of removal method. Her point that ingrowns can come from shaving, waxing, and epilating equally is accurate and often undersold in beauty content.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

She got the exfoliation advice right, and the skin-taut technique right. The numbing cream suggestion is reasonable for pain-sensitive individuals, though she appropriately frames it as optional rather than necessary.

The main inaccuracy is the "follicles are open" framing after a warm shower. This is a widely repeated myth that conflates skin hydration with follicular dilation. Follicles do not mechanically open in response to heat the way a pore-focused beauty product might suggest. The practical result she describes, easier hair removal after a warm shower, is real, but the reason is softer keratin and reduced skin tension, not open follicles.

She also says running the epilator in "every direction" helps. This is partially supported: pulling against the direction of hair growth is the standard guidance for most mechanical removal methods, because it removes hair closer to the root. Going in every direction is not harmful, but it is not uniformly more effective either. Running against growth direction is the key variable, not multidirectional passes for their own sake.

Credit where it is due: her framing that epilating is not uniquely worse than waxing for ingrown hairs is accurate and refreshingly honest for a product-promotion video.

What should you actually know?

If you are considering an epilator, the practical hierarchy is: exfoliate the day before, shower with warm water immediately before use, pull skin taut, and run the device against hair growth direction. That covers the evidence-supported steps. Post-treatment, a gentle chemical exfoliant (AHA or BHA) used two to three times per week reduces ingrown hair risk more reliably than physical scrubbing alone, according to Ogunbiyi 2021.

Pain perception during epilating varies significantly by individual. Topical anesthetics like lidocaine-based numbing creams can be effective, but they require adequate absorption time, typically 30 to 45 minutes under occlusion, for meaningful effect at the skin surface. Applying and immediately epilating is unlikely to provide the relief users expect.

• Do not epilate over active acne, broken skin, or irritated areas. Mechanical hair removal can introduce bacteria into open follicles and worsen inflammation.
• Underarm skin is thinner and more sensitive than leg skin. Start on a lower speed setting if your device has one.
• Results vary by hair coarseness. Coarser, darker hair responds well to epilating. Fine, light hair may not be caught as consistently.