Painless Hair Removal at Home with Ulike

When it comes to home hair removal options, the Ulike Air 3 uses IPL (intense pulsed light) in their home hair removal device. With ice-cooling technology and high-energy intense pulsed light, this device is extremely effective but not extremely painful.

What is Ulike Sapphire Technology?

The Ulike Sapphire IPL hair removal device uses cutting-edge technology to both remove hair long-term and do it in a way that is less painful than traditional laser hair removal. Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy was first developed in 1992 by Drs. Goldman, Fitzpatrick, and Eckhouse for the treatment of leg telangiectasias. IPL, the technology used by Ulike, uses these same wavelengths of light to target and destroy the roots of the hair by thermodynamically heating the follicle’s pigment (melanin)¹. Sapphire Ice-Cooling Technology™ provides powerful protection for the skin by thermoregulating the device’s tip to remain at a cool temperature despite the heat of the light flashes.

While other devices get very hot and can cause burns or irritation, the Ulike Sapphire remains cool and protects the skin. Ulike technology targets the roots of the hairs most effectively with its specially designed head that fits , leading to their long-term destruction and therefore decreased or no growth. Not only is this technology extremely effective, it is FDA-cleared, clinically studied, and dermatologist recommended. Studies have shown that home light-based hair removal devices like Ulike are relatively safe and effective².

The Benefits of Ulike Sapphire Technology

The main benefit of Ulike Sapphire is long-term hair removal, but it is much more than just that.

Convenience: Convenience is one of the biggest benefits of using this device, as studies have shown that it can be done from the comfort of your own home at a time that works for you rather than having to head to a hair removal clinic several times².
Cost: While the Ulike IPL hair removal device costs from $289 USD to $329 USD, other methods of long-term hair removal generally cost much more. Electrolysis can cost upwards of $200 per hour (and you’ll need at least 10 hours), Laser Hair Removal costs thousands of dollars, and even waxing has long-term costs of thousands of dollars over the years.
More Areas: For the price, you can target many more areas more cost-effectively than other methods. The Ulike can be used on light to tan skin types, almost everywhere, other than near the eyes, tattooed areas, birthmarks, or wounds.
Less Pain: Because of their Ice-Cooling technology, many users find the Ulike to be less painful than other hair removal methods.
Longer-Lasting Results: Compared to tweezing, shaving, waxing and other methods, the Ulike removes hair in a long-term or long-lasting way. Studies have shown that home IPL devices are effective for long-term hair removal³.

Is IPL Hair Removal Treatment Painful?

Though everyone has a unique pain threshold, most users do not find IPL hair removal to be particularly painful. Most people compare the sensation of each flash to a small pinch on the skin or like a rubber band snapping on the skin. Waxing is usually considered more painful than IPL, for context.

The hair follicle itself is a complex anatomical structure with both long-lasting components and components that renew on a regular cycle. The hair follicles are innervated by thousands of both myelinated and unmyelinated afferent nerves, essentially pain sensors. This means that hair removal causes pain by affecting these nerves which causes pain immediately and also longer term due to possible inflammation caused after the hair removal⁵.

With light-based hair removal, the pain is usually caused by the heat which the light targets into the follicle to thermally destroy it. Devices with cooled tips, like Ulike, will reduce this source of pain⁵.

It is also important to note that IPL has been shown in studies to be less painful and cause less inflammation than lasers⁶.

How to Remove Unwanted Hair without Pain by Ulike?

Nearly painless Facial Hair Removal

When it comes to removing facial hair, there are many ways to go about it. Most of them, however, involve some amount of pain and are also not very long-lasting. Shaving may be nearly painless, but since it involves simply cutting the hair shaft near where it protrudes from the skin it does not last long at all. Waxing, though slightly longer lasting because it plucks the hairs from below the skin, is painful and can also damage the skin.

IPL devices like Ulike are particularly appealing because it can be done at home, is relatively nearly painless, and lasts much longer than other methods and can even be long-lasting for some.

Nearly painless Bikini Hair Removal

The bikini line and bikini area is particularly tricky when it comes to hair removal. The most common method, waxing, is quite painful and of course needs to be repeated every 2-3 weeks for most people.

IPL is a great way to remove bikini area hair in a relatively nearly painless way and with longer lasting results.

Nearly painless Body Hair Removal

Most people do not realize that home IPL devices like the Ulike can be used almost everywhere on the body! Avoiding some areas like the eyes and any injured or tattooed skin aside, the IPL can be used on most places such as the face, neck, chest, arms, legs, feet, buttocks and bikini area.

How Many Hair Removal Sessions are Needed?

Many users of the Ulike IPL device see visible results within 4 weeks of use, and many even see long-lasting results after just 8 weeks of proper use. Ulike recommends using it 3 times a week for the first month, and then 2 times a week the second month. It is also good to maintain it with regular use weekly or biweekly after that or as needed. Generally, IPL hair removal has been shown to be most effective in areas of the body with longer hair growth cycles such as the legs and underarms, while areas such as the face with shorter growth cycles require more treatments and have less long-lasting results⁴.

The Ulike IPL device is very effective. Specifically, the Ulike Sapphire Air3 reduced hair density by 90% in 4 weeks of use. The Ulike Sapphire AIR+ showed 78% hair density reduction in just 4 weeks of use.

In contrast, in-office laser hair removal requires around 6 sessions performed weeks apart and results take up to six months to see a major reduction in hair growth.

Dos and Don’ts for IPL Treatment – Before and After

First and foremost, read the manual carefully when you receive your Ulike device. Here are some additional tips to DO and DON’T with IPL treatments.

Do’s for IPL Treatment

Follow the instructions carefully
Conduct a skin test in a hidden area first
Shave the area before treatment
Use eye protection or avert your eyes
Be patient, results can take time
Know that it works best on lighter skin tones with darker hairs (IPL targets the dark hair roots)

Don’ts for IPL Hair Removal

Avoid sun exposure before and after treatment
Don’t use self tanners or spray tans before treatment
Don’t tweeze or wax between treatments
Don’t use IPL on sensitive areas or pigmented areas (tattoos or birthmarks)
Ask your doctor before using IPL if you are pregnant
Don’t use peels or other skin treatments while using IPL without checking with your dermatologist
Don’t use on darker skin color

Conclusion

When it comes to long-lasting removal of unwanted hair, home IPL devices like the Ulike Air are a fantastic option. These innovative tools are designed to provide safe and effective hair reduction in the comfort of your own home and at a lower cost.

By following the instructions and recommendations provided, you should see a dramatic improvement in hair reduction with little to no pain within a few short weeks of regular use.

Reference

Gade A, Vasile GF, Rubenstein R. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy. PubMed. Published 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35593833/
‌Town G, Botchkareva NV, Uzunbajakava NE, et al. Light‐based home‐use devices for hair removal: Why do they work and how effective they are? Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2019;51(6):481-490. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/lsm.23061
‌Adhoute H, Hamidou Z, Humbert P, et al. Randomized study of tolerance and efficacy of a home-use intense pulsed light (IPL) source compared to the hot-wax method. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2010;9(4):287-290. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-2165.2010.00523.x
Krasniqi A, McClurg DP, Gillespie KJ, Rajpara S. Efficacy of lasers and light sources in long-term hair reduction: a systematic review. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy. 2022;24(1-5):1-8. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/14764172.2022.2075899
‌Aimonetti JM, Ribot-Ciscar E. Pain management in photoepilation. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2015;15(2):194-199. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12196
‌Szima GZ, Janka EA, Kovács A, Bortély B, Bodnár E, Sawhney I, Szabó É, Remenyik É. Comparison of hair removal efficacy and side effect of neodymium:Yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser and intense pulsed light systems (18-month follow-up). J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Jun;16(2):193-198. doi:10.1111/jocd.12312