I bought this based on the reviews. Yes, it does hurt some, but no, it's not unbearable. What you have to remember is that it's pulling your hairs out, not just cutting them off at the surface. So if you feel pain strongly, don't bother with it. Otherwise, it's great. I have slow-growing, fine hair, so I only need to use it every 3-4 weeks. I have to let the hair grow to about 1/2" long before it works well on me, but that's because the hair is so fine that it needs the length to be able to catch hold of them. I definately recommend it.