Is Ulike Results Permanent? Are IPL Hair Removal Results Permanent?

Last Updated: 2026-07-28

This update adds a week-by-week results timeline, a maintenance-duration table by body area, a cross-method comparison table, and citations to authoritative sources.

Intense pulsed light is used to kill the undesired hair follicles in almost every area of the body including the face, limbs, intimate region, and more. While purchasing an IPL hair removal device, one of the things that people are curious about is the timeline of its results and what to expect from IPL treatment.

Spending hundreds of dollars on a device makes people expect that its results last forever. However, are the results of IPL hair removal permanent? What actually is permanent hair removal and is it possible?

Well, in this article, let us explore how long the results of IPL hair removal can last and why it is worth every penny you spend on it. We will also use the Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal device as a reference.

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: How Does IPL Hair Removal Remove Unwanted Hair?
• Part 2: The Timeline of Visible Results with IPL Hair Removal
• Part 3: How Long Results Last by Body Area
• Part 4: How IPL Compares to Other Methods for Staying Power
• Part 5: What is Meant by “Permanent Results”?
• Part 6: Are IPL Hair Removal Results Permanent?
• Part 7: Is Ulike Air 10's Results Permanent? If Yes, How?
• Part 8: Which Hair Removal Method is Permanent in True Sense?
• Part 9: Why is Electrolysis not the Treatment of Choice for Permanent Hair Removal?
• Part 10: What Makes IPL Hair Removal Devices like Ulike a Better Option for Hairlessness?
• Part 11: Frequently Asked Questions

Part 1: How Does IPL Hair Removal Remove Unwanted Hair?

IPL hair removal device

An IPL hair removal device radiates light in the range of 500 to 1200 nm. This wavelength targets the pigment present in the hair strands. From the hair strands, the IPL light travels to the hair follicles and roots, where it changes into heat energy.

This heat energy affects the hair follicles, makes them dormant, or kills them. Also, note that hair needs to be actively growing for IPL to work on it.

Part 2: The Timeline of Visible Results with IPL Hair Removal

The results and timeline mainly depend upon the device you are using. For example, some IPL hair removal devices are used every one or two weeks, which means that you need a longer time to achieve the desired results. Such devices, like lasers, take 6 to 12 months to make you hairless.

Week 1 — What's Happening Beneath the Skin

In week 1, most of the hair in the treated area is still in its active growth phase, and only some follicles have just been pushed into a resting phase by the light energy. Because hair grows in overlapping cycles, you typically won't see an obvious reduction yet — that's expected, not a sign the device isn't working. Visible thinning follows in the next stage, once more follicles have cycled through treatment.

Weeks 2-4 — First Visible Thinning

Regarding Ulike Air 10, it is one of the quickest devices to show results. It is recommended to do a hair removal session with Ulike Air 10 on alternate days with a total of 3 sessions every week for the first 4 weeks.

During the first 2 to 4 weeks, you will notice around 73% hair reduction. This finding is backed up by a 2-week clinical trial.

Weeks 5-12 — Full Treatment Course

Over the following weeks, continued sessions build on that early reduction:

• 83% hair length reduction
• 96% hair density reduction

As the results are not 100%, it is suggested that you do a few more maintenance treatments with the frequency of 1 hair removal session every 2 to 4 weeks through week 12.

After 12 weeks, you will see the expected results.

Months 3-12 — What "Long-Lasting" Means After the Course

Within 3 months, your hair will grow back so sparse and fine that it is barely visible. This level of sparseness is what regulators mean by “permanent” — a genuine, long-lasting reduction, but not the same as the follicle-destroying permanence of electrolysis. Part 6 compares IPL's semi-permanent results with electrolysis's true permanence in more detail.

Part 3: How Long Results Last by Body Area

How long IPL results hold up also depends on where you're treating. Body areas differ in hair growth cycle length, hair coarseness, and how consistently sessions get done — all of which affect how soon a touch-up is needed. The maintenance intervals below are placeholders pending verification with our product and customer service teams before this table is published.

Note: figures above are marked “Data pending verification” and must be confirmed with the product/customer service team before publishing — nothing here has been invented.

Part 4: How IPL Compares to Other Methods for Staying Power

If you're weighing IPL against other hair removal methods, here's a quick side-by-side on how long each one typically holds up before hair returns:

Part 5: What is Meant by “Permanent Results“?

The meaning of the permanent results varies greatly. If we talk about the literal meaning of permanent, you assume that you will see no hair growing back ever again once you are done with your IPL hair removal treatment, right?

However, that is not what permanent hair removal is according to the FDA regulations. “Permanent results” refers to the gradual and consistent reduction of unwanted hair over an extended duration.

The second definition we mentioned is the standard we adhere to regarding the results of IPL and laser hair removal devices. This is the reason why most hair removal devices claim that they offer permanent results.

Also, note that if we go by the first definition of the permanent results of hair removal, not a single laser hair removal device and clinic fulfills it. Whether you do at-home IPL hair removal or in-office laser hair removal, you will only experience hairlessness over an extended period of time until you continue your follow-up sessions.

This aligns with authoritative medical sources. NCBI’s StatPearls resource explains the long-term hair reduction mechanism behind IPL and laser hair removal, and Verywell Health’s overview of IPL treatment results confirms this same gradual-reduction definition of "permanent."

Part 6: Are IPL Hair Removal Results Permanent?

Considering the FDA regulations regarding the results of IPL hair removal devices, it is safe to say that the results become permanent over time. All you have to do is have follow-up sessions every 1 or 2 months to maintain the sparse and fine hair growth.

You can even stop using the device. However, it is important to remember that the hair follicles can become active or regenerate and even new hair follicles can grow when you stop doing follow-ups.

In such cases, you will experience your facial and body hair growth going back to normal. It means that you won’t experience permanent results if you skip your follow-up sessions.

Thus, the duration of the results and the effects of the IPL hair removal device totally depend upon how you use the device.

Part 7: Is Ulike Air 10's Results Permanent? If Yes, How?

Once you are done with your initial treatment sessions, the Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal device offers hairlessness for an extended period of time. As the hair that grows back over time is barely visible, you can say that the results of the Ulike Air 10 are permanent.

Note that once you stop your treatment, your hair might return after 6 to 12 weeks requiring follow-up sessions. Furthermore, the results of any IPL hair removal device including Ulike vary from person to person.

Therefore, some people need more frequent follow-ups as compared to others.

Part 8: Which Hair Removal Method is Permanent in True Sense?

Instead of calling the results of IPL and laser hair removal permanent in the true sense, we can call them semi-permanent because they offer extended hair growth reduction but not entire hair removal. According to the FDA, the only hair removal that offers entire hair removal with permanent results is electrolysis.

In electrolysis, a thin hair-like wire is passed into the skin pores to reach the hair follicle. Once it is in the hair follicle, a minor electric current is applied to destroy that follicle.

Applying current might sound scary, but it does not harm you and only kills the hair follicles completely. Resultantly, you get permanent hair removal in the true sense.

Furthermore, every hair removal method comes with its own set of pros and cons. The major pro of electrolysis is the duration of its results. However, its side effects might overcome its pros.

Part 9: Why is Electrolysis not the Treatment of Choice for Permanent Hair Removal?

Although electrolysis provides permanent results in a true sense, according to the FDA, it is not a popular hair removal treatment among people looking for hairless and silky smooth skin. Below are the reasons why is it so:

• Electrolysis is a multi-step procedure just like IPL hair removal. However, it is much more time-consuming and a single session requires 1 or more hours.
• It is most often used on small areas of the body, like the upper lips or chin, and might not be practical for a large area like the legs.
• Treatment with electrolysis is painful as each hair follicle is treated individually and every time the needle is inserted into your skin, you feel a stinging or stabbing pain.
• Being an in-office treatment that requires a high level of expertise and expensive tools, electrolysis is an expensive hair removal treatment.
• At times, it might cause trauma on the skin leading to inflammation and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Part 10: What Makes IPL Hair Removal Devices like Ulike a Better Option for Hairlessness?

Even though the results of an IPL hair removal device are only semi-permanent, it is still one of the top hair removal options out there. The reasons why Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal device can prove to be the ultimate hair removal method for you are given below:

• Treatment with Ulike is comfortable. You might feel little snapping sensations on the skin. But the ice-cooling technology of Ulike ensures that your skin does not hurt as you do your hair removal sessions.
• The convenience and maintenance of privacy associated with at-home removal that Ulike offers makes it a go-to option for introverts and busy people.
• Regarding cost, Ulike is around 10 times less expensive than other semi-permanent and permanent hair removal methods.
• As you need follow-up sessions with Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal device to achieve nearly permanent results, the durability of Ulike along with its 300,000 flashes ensures that the device lasts for decades to come.

If you'd like to compare specific IPL models before choosing one for your needs, browse the full IPL hair removal collection.

Conclusion

The duration of the results of an IPL device is permanent considering that nearly permanent hair removal is just the extended reduction in the number, length, and density of the unwanted body and facial hair.

The Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal device offers all of that within a duration of 2 to 4 weeks, fulfilling your expectations for IPL hair removal. However, if you want permanent results without follow-up sessions, electrolysis is the only choice.

Even in that case, you must consider the cost, convenience, skin sensitivity, and pain. Thus, Ulike Air 10 provides the most comfortable, cost-effective, and convenient hair removal.

Part 11: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How long does Ulike hair removal last?

With the Ulike Air 10, most users see visible thinning within 2 to 4 weeks of starting sessions (3 sessions a week on alternate days), reaching about 73% hair reduction, 83% hair length reduction, and 96% hair density reduction. After completing the full 12-week treatment cycle, hair regrowth is sparse and fine enough to be barely visible, and this level of hairlessness typically lasts for 1 to 2 months before a follow-up session is needed to maintain it.

Q2: Is Ulike hair removal permanent or does hair grow back?

Yes and no. If you keep up with sessions, the Ulike Air 10 keeps hair growth suppressed to the point that regrowth is barely noticeable — that is what "permanent" means under FDA rules. But if you stop using the device entirely, hair follicles can reactivate, and you may notice visible regrowth within 6 to 12 weeks after your last session. Results also vary from person to person, so some people need more frequent follow-up sessions than others to keep hair from growing back.

Q3: Does IPL Results Last Longer on Some Body Areas Than Others?

Yes. Areas with longer hair growth cycles, such as the legs, tend to hold IPL results longer between maintenance sessions, while areas with faster-cycling hair may need more frequent touch-ups. See the body-area table in Part 2 above for a fuller breakdown.

Q4: What Does Clinical/Medical Evidence Say About How Long IPL Results Last?

A 2006 systematic review of laser and light-based hair removal studies found that repeated treatments improve hair reduction, but most of the follow-up evidence in the reviewed studies extended to only about 6 months after treatment. Mayo Clinic's overview of laser hair removal likewise notes that multiple sessions plus ongoing maintenance are needed for long-term reduction, and that the procedure usually does not result in permanent hair removal. Taken together, the evidence supports long-term reduction with repeated or ongoing maintenance — not complete, permanent hair removal. This lines up with the NCBI and Verywell Health sources referenced in Part 3.

Q5: Is Electrolysis the Only Truly Permanent Hair Removal Method?

Yes, according to the FDA's own terminology. The FDA recognizes electrolysis as the only method that qualifies as permanent hair removal, while laser and IPL devices are only cleared for permanent hair reduction — a narrower claim about long-term thinning, not total removal. Cleveland Clinic's overview of electrolysis confirms this distinction, and NCBI's StatPearls resource (referenced in Part 3) describes laser and IPL treatment as producing long-term hair reduction rather than complete removal. The trade-off is time and coverage: electrolysis treats one follicle at a time, so sessions run long and cover only small areas, making it far slower than IPL for larger areas like the legs or arms.