Yes, it is true. I have not shaved my legs in eight years. However, before I explain, let me be clear: I am not walking around with hairy man legs. I do remove the hair, but not by shaving.
It started with my first pregnancy. Shaving your legs when you have a growing, awkward abdomen is the worst. I mean, you can hardly see your legs when you’re pregnant — forget about trying to bend over and get your ankles shaved. I was visiting my mom and saw her epilator in her bathroom — a device that pulls every little hair out by the root. As a child, this device really scared me. It was noisy and had a bunch of coils on it. I tried using it to take my arm hair off as a teenager and thought I was going to die from the pain. But with new technology and being an adult, this device did not seem so terrifying. What was terrifying was my due date in August and the thought of having hairy legs all summer. So I tried my mom’s epilator on a little part of my leg. “Not too bad,” I thought.
I went home and made the purchase — my own epilator for about $80. I’ll admit the first time I tried it for my entire leg it was definitely mind over matter and I was swearing through the pain. However, the result was worth the pain. My legs were smooth, and they stayed that way for over two weeks! Similar to what you hear about waxing, my hair grew back much slower and softer every time. I knew if I committed to not shaving my legs ever and only using my epilator my hair would continue to grow back slower and softer and the pain would be less every time. I did commit!
I have not taken a razor to my legs in eight years, and a few years ago I started using my epilator on my underarms too. I currently only have to do my legs about once a month. A simple one-time $80 purchase has definitely saved me time, money, and embarrassment. I am glad I stuck it out and committed to only using my epilator. The initial pain was worth the reward, especially when you compare the price of waxing, laser hair removal, and constantly buying shaving supplies. Here’s to another razor-free summer!