Emjoi Optima

Hair Removal Methods Rotary epilators
#41

I bought the Emjoi Optima AP99 on Amazon.com for $69!! I don’t know if this is their regular price, but it arrived 3 days ago with free shipping to boot.

I’m a male, and can’t stand having even a slightly hairy body (I don’t have too much, thankfully!). I’ve shaved, waxed, etc., and decided to try epilation. I searched and found info on the Emjoi and decided to purchase it, and I am so glad I did!

So far I’ve only epilated my chest, stomach and “brazilian” area. The chest and stomach didn’t hurt at all, and the hairs were full-grown (hadn’t even been waxed recently). I did make the mistake of bending over when the Emjoi was against my stomach and it grabbed my skin a bit, and I was impressed with the safety (it stopped immediately). This gave me confidence to try other areas. I’ll have to admit that the “brazilian” area was tender but primarily just directly between my legs. In the front and back it actually didn’t hurt at all, and I don’t consider myself the most pain tolerant person in the world.

I am concerned, however… I saw a forum called “buyer beware”, and a few people has posted severe medical problems, infections, etc., from using epilators. Has anyone had problems like these? Also, how common are ingrown hairs and such?

Lastly, and I’d really like an educated answer from someone… why do I hear you shouldn’t use the emjoi on your face? It also states it in the manual. I saw posts about the nerve endings in the face, but I think there has to be more to it than that. Can it cause scarring, etc.? I really want a semi-permanent method of hair removal for my face (one of the reasons I bought the emjoi), but don’t want to live to regret using it there.

Anyway, all-in-all, I am thrilled with my purchase. I’ve never owned another eiplator to compare this to, but it beats waxing and shaving hands-down. Waxing takes soooooooo long, and if you’re not very skilled, you’ll always miss several hairs and you have to wait 24 hours to “re-wax” the area. Plus, forget doing your “brazilian” area yourself! Shaving leaves stubble, and in some areas it’s veeeery uncomfortable. I’ll post again after I’ve had some time to use the Emjoi some more.

#42

After reading this thread I went and purchased the Emjoi Optima, the one with the dual rotary head. I am a male and am rather hairy, so I tried it on my legs, and I must say I have never inflicted so much pain unto myself before! Despite the numbing pain (literally) I was able to clear both legs without any problems with this crazy machine. I also tried it on my stomach a bit however it cuased red bumps to appear on that area. Then I shaved the rest, the next day I ran it over my legs again to get the areas I missed and it is fairly good at getting fine hairs(it gets all of the big hairs no problem), but with enough passes it should be able to get a large percentage of fine hair. So a few days later my legs are still smooth and soft, while the areas I shaved are like sandpaper (now I wished I epilated my arms too instead of shave!)

Anyways here is a little overview of the pros/cons of this machine:

Pros:

  • Does what it advertises, rips out the hairs by the root, so your skin stays smooth for long periods of time.
  • Corded, and strong motor, also the model I purchesed came with a foil shaver head and trimmers.
  • Dual rotory heads cover more surface area so I would think this makes this model considerably faster and more efficient than other competing models.

Cons:

  • Very painful to use, as to whether it is less painful after multiple uses, that is debatable and I think largely depends on how much hair and the type of hair/skin combination you are using it on.
  • Hard to hold, I found the contoured design of this thing to be difficult to hold sometimes. As there is nothing really to grip on too with your fingers.
  • Price: varies from 70-100 bucks depending on where you buy it.

In the end I am pleased with this purchase, and hope it lasts me a long time.

#43

First time users are encouraged to use trimmers to cut hair to about a centmeter long. Another option is to shave the area and use the rotary epilator as it comes back.

Be sure not to use caffeine or other stimulants before using.

After the first time, maintenance is WAY easier. If you do it each week, you’ll probably have about 10% of the original hair amount to deal with.

Be sure to use witch hazel, aloe, or Tend Skin after use and once the red bumps are down, be sure to exfoliate regularly to avoid ingrowns.

#44

Well for me it worked great even with the hair several inches long, it doesnt seem any less painful to do it when the hairs are shorter anyways.

I have a question about this Tend Skin product Andrea, Its obviously something I would need if I want to do the more sesitive areas with the epilator, but it seems to only be available at specialty stores, and it is insanely expensive at like 50 bucks for a 16 oz bottle! Now I am no Bill Gates, so this seems very unreasonable price for such a product. Do you know where I can get it considerably cheaper, or what are my alternatives to Tend Skin? You mentioned witch hazel and aloe, got any more info?

[ May 23, 2004, 06:54 PM: Message edited by: Oblivion ]

#45

Alright, y’all. After reading all of these posts, you convinced me! I just bought one ($86 w/ shipping). I hope this isn’t a mistake!!!

Now, you’re sure you use it for the girly Brazillian? I guess we shall soon find out! Eek! :roll_eyes:

I’m beginning to prepare myself for pain. My new mantra: “Feel that silky smooth skin” (Say that 5x fast! LOL) :grin:

I’d love to hear any more opinions about the Optima - keep 'em coming. Or if you have suggestions on use and maintence, that’s cool too.

Ooh! I almost forgot! When it comes to exfoliating, I’m a big fan of the Dermalogica Ultimate Buffing Cloth. It’s flexible, goes just about anywhere and it’s big so it’s great for the back!

Cheers!

If you’re bored, read Alice in Quantumland. You can probably get it from your local library. Bottomline: this is one book that WON’T make you dumber for reading it.

#46

First time users should do their arms and legs first, to get a sense of how it works and feels. If you are going to try more sensitive areas, I recommend joining the Mature Forum and reading some of the tips there. Personally, I can barely stand it in the bikini area, but find it tolerable for most everything else, including armpits and stomach.