I haven't reviewed a product in a long time but this one, the Ulike Air 10 is totally warranted. Just as a disclaimer, I don't get anything from this review, except the satisfaction that I actually bought a kind of As Seen On TV product and it actually worked. Now, it's As Seen on Reels or TikTok but As Seen On TV were my first introduction to life hacking gadgets, which I always get suckered in to buying. Some have been good, like the Brown & Serve microwave bags, some not so good, like the Eurosealer.
I actually don't know how I saw this thing because I really don't go on TikTok. I do scroll Reels for cat videos, little kids saying curse words in context, and Matt Matthews. It's just not something I do on the regular. The Air 10 videos must have just came up and once I watched one, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Then, I did my typical researching the heck out of it. I was comparing all IPL at home devices for a few weeks. The regular retail price is $399 though which is way too steep for me. Except that every influencer making a video was giving some kind of discount, anywhere from $80 off to $130 off. Even the website itself always has some kind of spin-the-wheel coupon for the same type of discounts. I entered my email on their site and got the coupon for $130 off AND I forget the percentage of cash back on Rakuten at the time, but it was high. I received almost $22 back from that purchase. It may not seem like a lot but it all adds up and maybe that could cover the tax.
From my research, it seemed like the Ulike was a solid choice. I had looked at the Braun Silk Pro 5 but, at the time, it was definitely more expensive. I think it was closer to five hundred dollars, which was totally not even close to in my budget. Now Braun has the i-Expert or something but I don't know anything about that one nor how low you can get the Pro 5 for now. I was also intrigued by the cooling technology of the Ulike Air 10. I knew if I got something that was painful, it would be a waste. I don't have a high pain threshold and you HAVE to be consistent with any IPL device for it to work. I read a lot of reviews and the general consensus was that the Ulike hurt less than any of the others, or was painless.
To start, I have naturally medium to dark brown hair, fair skin and blue eyes. In the summer I do get pretty tan but the rest of the year, I'm very white. I am fairly hairy. As in, I don't have excessive dark hair on my arms. I actually have pretty light hair on my arms. I've never shaved them, I've never had an issue with arm hair. But I have dark upper lip hair. It isn't thick or anything, but it's there. I'd gone for professional laser before, for six sessions. It definitely lessened it, but it didn't get rid of it. If I shaved my legs or armpits in the morning, I'd have stubble by the end of the day. I was getting Brazilian bikini waxes around every six weeks but could've gone sooner than the six weeks. Think about the cost of just the waxes alone. If I was paying for approximately ten waxes a year, at around fifty dollars each time, just for an average, one year is five hundred dollars. If this device worked, it would pay for itself pretty quick.
I received my Air 10 on July 6th, 2024. I think I actually used it for the first time the next day. A schedule card comes in the directions and I wanted to start on a Sunday. I was also leaving for a trip that coming Thursday. You're supposed to use it every other day, or at least 3x a week, for the first month. I didn't want to have to take it with me and do it on the trip because I didn't know what it would be like, if I'd have time, where I'd be able to do it, etc. I figured if I did it Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, I could just wait until Sunday again when I was home.
You are supposed to do the first time on the Fast setting, to make sure you don't have any reaction. I did that. Then I moved up to Normal. That was fine, but I think I did the next one on Normal too. Then I moved up to High. All felt fine. It really was painless. There's an option with those three settings to put it on Auto where you just slide it along an area and don't have to put the pulse button over and over. It will just pulse automatically as you move it and it senses hair follicles. If it doesn't sense follicles on an area, you'll see two red lines where the sensor shows and you have to maneuver it until the sensor finds follicles. For example, sometimes it's difficult on the front of your shin, on bone. The sensor window needs to be flat against the area and on bone that can be tricky. You just have to move it around, turn it a little sideways, whatever you need to do.
After about a week and a half of using it, I decided to go online and just look for any tips and tricks. I was using it on my upper lip, armpits, full leg, the area between my belly button down to my bikini area, and the bikini area sides. I don't know how to better explain this without a diagram. Yes, it's a crude diagram but easier to illustrate this way.
When I say I started with the bikini AREA, I mean everywhere AROUND that square. I didn't go deeper into that square area until I was done with the first month. There were a few reasons why I didn't start there. One was simply, time. I didn't have the time to do EVERYTHING at once.
I ended up on Reddit and read everything I could find that was somewhat recent. The directions that come with the device are typical Made in China directions. They basically give you very little direction. They didn't explain that you're supposed to do 2-3 passes per area. If you're using the Fast/Normal/High modes, there is one one or two pulses per pass over. I forget if it's one during fast and two for other settings, but if you use SHR mode- I think it stands for Super Hair Removal, there are four pulses. It was already taking me like forty-five minutes to do my legs, armpits, belly button to top of diagram square, and bikini line sides on Normal or High. If I was to use the SHR mode it would take even longer. The SHR mode doesn't allow you to use the Auto function so you have to press the button every time. Plus, with four pulses, that's obviously going to take longer per spot than one or two pulses.
You're supposed to shave, at least in the beginning of using it, a day before using the device. They give you a five blade razor to do it with. Again, they don't really go into detail on the directions. They just tell you that you need to shave prior. In reading Reddit and other places, I'd gotten the idea that you're just not supposed to wax because you need follicles there to kill, but it doesn't really matter if you shave the same day, day before or even have a slight stubble. You're also supposed to be free of any lotions or deodorant, so you want to shower or just be free of that stuff when you go to use it.
I decided by week two that I was going to go a little rogue and do it more but at different times. I'd do it daily but maybe do one pass of the armpits on SHR at night if I showered then and then again in the morning. I would go to sleep sans deodorant and by the next day, if I'd put lotion on after using it, that lotion would be fully absorbed and not impede anything. I actually think you're not supposed to use lotion because it stops the sensor window from getting cold. I got lotion on it once and I noticed it was getting hot. I quickly gave it a wipe down and it went back to being cold.
I did get a little obsessed with it. I was doing it daily or maybe I'd skip a day but I was really diligent with it. Some areas got more attention than others, but then again, some areas were more important to me and also had more hair growth. I read somewhere that the bottom line is that the more often you use it, the faster the results. I looked all over for any downside to using it more than the recommended amount and couldn't find any reason not to use it as much as possible. I think most people don't and that's why they tell you to do every other day or three times a week because that's way less daunting in someone's head than telling them to use it daily.
Results: I haven't had to shave my legs, armpits, belly button down, or bikini area (outside the square) since approximately August 20th. I wasn't consistent with the lip. I just would forget about it. Or I'd put my face serum on as soon as I got out of the shower on autopilot and I'd just tell myself I'll just get to it next time. So I'm still remembering to do that currently. The influencers like call it dolphin pits and they aren't wrong. I really can't even believe I no longer have to even look at them, let alone shave them. Imagine being in the shower and not having to shave anything. The TIME that cuts down is one major thing. Being able to just decide to go to the town pool and not having to shave first. I have worn a Lands End skirted tankini bottom for years, but before it was partially to hide an imperfect or non-shave. Now, it's just so I'm not ugly naked all over my neighbors.
To the naked eye, my full legs are hairless. You know how a plucked chicken sometimes has a few light hairs still there? In the sunlight, at the pool, I could see some light, fine, plucked chicken hairs on areas of my leg. Only in the sunlight though. I couldn't see them or even feel them otherwise. I also don't think the sensors on the device would get them anyway. On any device. I guess if I was going to a wedding and wearing a formal dress, maybe I'd do a swipe with my Schick Intuition. It would really be just a few swipes though, if I wanted to feel like I was completely fully smooth. But there is no stubble as you know it. Just some wispy hairs.
The inner square (see diagram above), is another story. I haven't shaved there in years. I've always waxed. I'm afraid of ingrown hairs. I had that happen once and yadda yadda, I had to go to the hospital to deal with the aftermath. I have a bit of PTSD of shaving there because of it. I also just couldn't do all these areas of hair removal at the same time. It was just way too time consuming. I just wanted to the main area that could be visible in a bathing suit to be dealt with at first. Then I would move on. And I did. But I haven't been able to be consistent with it and I will say, that area does pinch a little more than I'd like. Which, is probably why I haven't been as consistent. It's definitely patchy, but not it's not gone. I feel like I have time to work on that though. Summer is over, bathing suits are over now here, so it's only a personal preference kind of thing.
I would say it was one hundred percent a worthwhile purchase and would encourage anyone tired of razors, shaving cream, waxing or whatever to get one. I would much rather do it myself in the comfort of my home over driving somewhere and having someone else all up in my areas. I also can't imagine getting it done professionally is any faster. When I went for my lip, they told me to space my appointments to once a month. Using this device, I was done with areas after a month. I think you're supposed to do maintenance twice a month, which I have been doing but two times a month is nothing. I was sick for like two weeks and didn't do it at all and still have no growth.
Now, I'm using it on my fifteen year old son too. He was getting irritated from shaving on his neck area. Since he's never going to want a neck beard, I have no problem doing it there for him. He also doesn't like body hair so I started doing it on the small of his back and chest. We haven't had the time to be consistent but it's definitely slowed the growth down in all those places.
I'm really happy with this purchase so I just had to share. Who wouldn't want to lessen the time andf money invested in their beauty regimen. I got waxed for Memorial Day weekend and that was the last time. I can't see ever needing to do that again. I didn't buy razors all summer. I had a few in the house and used the one Ulike sent me and the few I had around. I know I dreaded having to shave my legs or armpits or make that wax appointment. Now I don't have to and neither will you!
**Ulike Customer Service review: Truth be told, my device malfunctioned approximately two months after receiving and using. The sensor wasn't sensing anything so therefore couldn't pulse. There were no lines instead of the two red lines. I was braced for a problem because I'd read their customer service wasn't the best.
I had a fine experience. I sent them the info they requested. They wanted the serial number on the device- a photo of it. They wanted a short video of what was happening. I took a video. A photo of the receipt- which was easy because I got it from them. It was in my account online. The only thing I'd say that is important and a lot of people may have an issue with- they wanted it sent back in the original box with all the accoutrements. I had all of that because that's just something I do. I save boxes. I had the original box, the glasses, the free aloe vera (not opened), the directions, everything. I don't know if they would've given me a problem if I didn't have all that, but I did. I did forget to sent the original razor back but they didn't hassle me. They actually sent the new one out the day the old one was scanned by UPS when I shipped. They didn't make me wait until they received it to send out the new one. I was very happy with their level of customer service.