470 of 476 people found the following review helpful:

Great, but don't expect miracles, 3^rd May 2009

Review By 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.

110 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

I can't wait for the summer..., 10^th February 2009

Review By Amanda (United Kingdom)

I'll start by being honest; epilators aren't meant to be pain free. It's basically mechanic tweezers, so you have to expect some pain...

Now for the good news; the BRAUN SILK-EPIL XPRESSIVE 7781 WET & DRY is a lot less painful then other epilators I've tried. Yes, it still stings a bit, but you will become tolerant to it, and will hardly notice it after a full uses.

The main selling point of this product is that you can use it in the bath or shower. Warm water = you're more relaxed. You'll only feel a slight sensation; it's like pinging an elastic band against your skin. Why is it only now that the makers made an epilator suitable for bath time use?

This also hurts less when used on dry skin. This is because the epilator has massaging rollers, to relax your skin. In fact, it's so much gentler then other epilators. It's also suitable for underarms, the bikini line & the face. Although if you're nervous about using it on more sensitive areas, like these, you can remove the epilating head & attach the (included) razor + trimmer head.

As well as the massaging rollers & the razor head, you'll also get 3 different caps for the epilator, to ensure the best results.

Another big point in BRAUN SILK-EPIL XPRESSIVE 7781 WET & DRY favour is the speed & ease of use. It'll pick shorter hairs, no matter which direction they're laying in. I don't have to keep running it over & over the same area.

Another simple yet effective feature is the built in light, that's help you see any hair you've missed.

The hairs begin to grow back after nearly a fortnight with me. They are so fine when they do grow back; if you're in a rush for work etc you could just wear skin tone tights. No-one will be able to tell you're having an `off' day!

The hairs re-grow at different speeds, so it's really just a case of touching up now and then. As its just a few hairs at a time, it doesn't hurt at all.

I find epilating a lot preferable to waxing; you don't need to wait a few weeks for the hair to grow long enough for the wax to be able to pick it up & besides, I think the BRAUN SILK-EPIL XPRESSIVE 7781 WET & DRY hurts less.

You won't cut yourself, like with razors. Isn't that annoying? Having to shave every other day, the nicking your leg so you have to cover up anyway?

Finally; the BRAUN SILK-EPIL XPRESSIVE 7781 WET & DRY isn't the cheapest available, but this is much less painful & is so easy & quick.

Also; consider how much waxing, razors & shaving foam costs over time. Not to me

100 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

No pain no gain!!, 19^th February 2009

Review By L. Calland "Liam" (West Yorkshire, UK)

Allowed my wife to do the review for this item, although I was brave enough to try the thing out on my hand. Good god, it was agony, but as they say, women can stand much more pain, so did my wife manage to fall in love with the Epilator? Erm not exactly, here are her thoughts...

I was a little nervous to try the Braun Silk epil Xperssive, as I knew I'd experience a little discomfort. I had no idea I'd be screaming the house down!

I read the instructions, which were very easy to follow and actually put me at ease. I put each attachment on to make sure I knew exactly how to use the epilator. It's a very user-friendly model. After dawdling for about an hour I finally plucked up the courage to have a go.

I thought I'd start with my legs, as I hadn't shaved for days in preparation. I switched it on and almost had a heart attack, as I was convinced it was a hand held torture device. I then studied the smart light, which was really bright and impressed me. I took the plunge and started on a small patch on my leg. The pain was immense, I was right it was a hand held torture device!! I decided not to be a wimp and took my time on each section of my leg; it actually got more bearable as I continued. After finishing one leg I threw it down and screamed I could take no more. After feeling how amazingly smooth my leg felt I felt the pain had been worth it.

I let a few days go by to try the epilator on my arm pit, I used it for one second nearly fainted and decided never to go near my under arm hair again.

Overall it's a brilliant product, the results are flawless. I would have rated it higher but because I have such a low threshold for pain I couldn't bring myself to give it any more than 3 stars.

If you're not a wimp like me you'll love the Braun Silk-epil Xpressive!

73 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

Bath, Bubbles and Braun, 23^rd January 2009

Review By Big Bertha (UK)

The Braun 7781 Wet & Dry is Brauns first epilator that can be used in the bath or shower. It is rechargeable and charging time is about an hour and usage time per charge about 40 minutes. The charging lead has a 2 pin plug and the adapter, if you need one, is not included.

It comes with;

Massage head which stimulates the skin before and after removing hair.

Efficiency Cap for fast epilation.

Underarm cap for use on delicate body areas.

Precision cap for precision of hair removal from face or sensitive areas.

A shaver head with opti-trim comb.

The 7781 has a pivoting head that follows the contours of your body neatly which is great for those tricky parts like ankles and knees. There's a smartlight which is great for spotting hairs that would otherwise have got away. It also has a dual speed setting, a neat little bag for keeping caps etc in and a pack of pre-epilation wipes for cleansing and preparing the skin prior to epilation is included.

The heads and caps are also detachable and can be cleaned under running water.

Being able to use this epilator in the bath is great, after a lengthy soak I lathered my legs with shower gel and did both legs in a few minutes. It was practically pain-free, incredibly easy, no irritation and an added bonus is all the little hairs go down the plug-hole with the bath water.

Please note: I've been epilating for a while now so others (especially new users) may not find it quite so pain free, it's true that the pain lessens with continued use.

Tips for first time users

If you've never used an epilator before be prepared for a bit of pain but believe me it's worth it.

After the first time the hairs grow back finer which makes them easier and less painful to remove.

The length of your hair does make a difference to how much it hurts and the OptiTrim comb with the shaver are designed to trim your hair to the optimum length for epilation.

If you find hairs are growing back within a few days try epilating slower - if you go too fast it can cause the hairs to break off instead of being removed.

Epilating armpits can be particularly painful the first time (I remember it being an eye-watering experience!). Pull the skin as taut as you can, grit your teeth and stick with it. After doing mine for a few months now I hardly feel anything and don't even bother changing to the precision cap.

My previous epilator is an earlier model Braun and they may not be the cheapest but they are definately worth every penny.

Update: Another good point I've noticed with using this epilator for a while now is how well it holds its charge. I only have to recharge it about once every 4 or 5 uses which is great, especially if you want to take it away with you!