I knew someone who had an early-model Epilady brand one in the 1990s. I want to say it was $99 back then, but I don’t really remember.

I do remember it had a coil like a miniature slinky that would move quickly and rip out hair at high speed. I seem to remember her saying it was quite painful, and then I think she stopped using it.

I had an Epilady back during the late-1980s.

As @Zaku describes, a metal coil was designed to remove leg hair. The instructions said to move the device back-and-forth, and up-and-down, over an area of skin. The device was painful to use, and it stopped working after a brief period of time. I might have bought the Epilady, or it’s possible that my mother gave it to me; either way, it wasn’t a good purchase.

Oh, though I also recall she did say the hair didn’t grow back as soon as if she’d shaved . . . but still.