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Everybody has their own journey with body hair and removal. I’m personally a long-time waxer, plucker, and shaver. While I don’t mind shaving my legs and underarms, I have some hair I’d prefer wasn’t taking up real estate on my face, so I resort to waxing it every month or month and a half.
But let’s be real. Waxing hurts, and going to get laser hair removal at a spa felt like it was way out of my budget. As a self-appointed DIY beauty queen, I decided I could probably take matters into my own hands, so I dove headfirst into trying the Ulike Air 3 IPL Hair Removal Device to get rid of my unwanted body hair at home, all by myself.
I’ve been using it for the past month and a half, and it has definitely surprised me with how easy it is to use and how quickly I saw results.
When I first unboxed the device, I immediately noticed how luxurious it felt. It was easy to figure out how all the pieces plugged into each other, and it is comfortable to hold. It also came with a mini razor to shave the area you want to treat before using the laser, a pair of foldable sunglasses to wear during the treatment, as well as a cloth bag to keep everything in between uses.
I knew that the Ulike Air 3 IPL Hair Removal Device wasn’t going to be as strong of a zap as the lasers you would be treated with in a spa, but I still wanted to be very safe while using it to avoid any burns, rashes, or irritation. I read all of the instructions and learned that I would need to gradually work my way up the three zap levels. I was also advised not to expose the skin I was treating to the sun during treatment, or use the laser over moles, or tattoos (both of which I have plenty of on my arms and legs).
With this new knowledge, I knew I couldn’t treat my legs, arms, or armpits after summer days by the pool, so for the sake of this experiment, I decided to treat my facial hair. I felt comfortable trying this area as I wear SPF daily, and take extra precautions if I’m in direct sun wearing a hat or sitting, so I knew I would be able to keep that area safe while I was still actively treating it.
As per the instruction manual, I was to do three to four treatments per week for the first three weeks of using the laser, adding a single treatment a week after that for the next month or so. I used the included razor to shave the areas I wanted to treat, plugged the machine in, popped the sunglasses on, and got to zapping.
As I said, I was playing it safe, so I started with the lowest setting. As soon as you’re holding the laser flush to your skin, and indicator light goes off, signalling that it’s safe to use. With a few zaps, my first session was over with no pain at all, which did confuse me a little, but I definitely felt the cooling effect.
After about a week of using it on the lowest setting and not seeing any results, I turned it up to the middle setting and still didn’t feel much. Eventually, I made it to the strongest setting, which felt like a very light shock and only lasted a fraction of a second. Doing the treatment wasn’t uncomfortable at all, and I loved that I didn’t have to make any expensive appointments. After I had worked my way up to this strongest setting, I continued to use it for every single treatment.
I’ve stuck to the schedule, except for missing a single treatment during a weekend away, and I can definitely see the results. Point blank, it’s not as strong as a hair removal laser in a spa, so the results won’t be as noticeable or fast. However, I did see the hair in areas, like my upper lip, visibly decrease within weeks, and hasn’t really grown back aside from a couple of strands I’ve been able to pluck on the fly.
In areas where my hair is a little coarser and thicker, like my sideburns and chin, the hair growth has slowed down but still grows back—albeit a little thinner—so I think these areas will need a bit more time to give me the desired results.
All in all, I think it’s a great alternative to going to a spa for a similar service, since the one-time cost of the machine is far less than I’d pay in total for all the sessions I’d need. Plus, I can use it anywhere on my body, excluding private areas and around my eyes, so if you’re planning on treating most of your body like me, it’s well worth its price.
With an average rating of 4.1 stars, most reviewers love the Ulike Air 3 IPL Hair Removal Device. One reviewer stated it’s been a real game changer for body hair caused by PCOS, while others rave about how quick and painless the device is. One thing all the reviewers can agree on is that in order to see results, you have to have a bit of patience.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.