There's a trick to using this product and not feeling like you're being tortured. That my friend is waxing.
I've owned one of these for 10 years and it comes out every now and then. It's only lately that it's become an asset and something I kind of enjoy. I originally purchased it with flybuys points (and you still can at the date of writing this) mostly because I knew there was a possibility it would end up spending a long time in the naughty corner and at least using some form of rewards program meant I could get it and test it out without feeling like I've wasted my money.
PSA: If you have never waxed, you will hate this product.
Ideally you will have waxed at least a couple of times so that the root of your hair isn't so small. The smaller the root of the hair, the less pain involved.
Same as waxing, you need to hold the skin taut. This also helps make it less painful.
There are definitely perks over other hair-removal methods but you need to commit to those two things above to be able to really use it properly. I have some spots on my lower leg where the hair has been trained by skinny jeans over the years to grow sideways instead of down. It is such a awkward spot to wax because its hard to access and pull taut. The epilator on these spots is so much easier, when I'm getting into awkward positions I don't have to worry about ending up with wax everywhere. It is very awkward to try line the wax strips right, getting the correct size for it and so on.
But yes - I spent a long time hating this little machine and feeling like the devil was using his teeth to rip my hairs out. Right now, its my favourite beauty tool because of the money it saves me.
But remember, like waxing, there's a learning curve. You won't get it straight away, you'll learn your own little tricks to make it easier and faster.
The only reason I would hesitate before recommending this to anyone is down to how long it took me to get to the point where I can use it consistently and frequently. I read similar things before learning how to wax my own legs properly and always underestimated how long it takes (although lets remember part of that is waiting for the hair to grow to the right length so you can try again).
Oh my goodness, I almost cringe to see pictures of this device. I bought it years ago excited at the claims of minimal pain and a wax like affect if removing hair from the roots. Boy, was it a painful dissappintment. Honestly, using this device felt close to torture for me. I have read reviews and many ladies seem to be able to use it with no issues and before IPL devices were a thing in my life I was envious of that because the concept is great. But for me the pain was unbearable when used on my legs. I could grit my teeth and bear it more on my arms though but still painful. I gave up on this device because the pain wasn't worth it to me. There were better hair removal options. But anyways if you have a high pain tolerance it could still be worth it for you
Tips: Try waxing first to gauge pain tolerance