Has anyone had any success with do-it-yourself machines?
By this i mean permanent and long term removal or hair?
Id reccomend professional reason being that do it yourself machines depend on 2 factors one being power and then also skill.
Those with patience who develop skill get results. Good professionals with good equipment just get faster results, and maybe less skin trauma.
Yep, I have had great success with DIY! I’ve had better luck doing it myself than with my pro treatments (no offense to my wonderful professional electrologists, I just think there’s a benefit when you can feel your own insertions).
You have to be very dedicated though. It is tedious and I always get distracted by other things. 
Yes, the reason new students are assigned to work on their legs is so that they can get the feedback from both the insertion hand, and from how the follicle feels to you.
When you have truly found the force to be strong in you, master luke, you shall have the touch to feel the curve of the follicle, the top of the anchor, and the bottom of the bulge area. The force is strong in this one. I can feel it. 
True with LOT of patience you can eventually treat yourself but it depends on many factors like your equipment lighting mirrors education etc, but if theres a will theres a way!