It isn’t a big field but it is a field—a confusing always-moving field that features a small crop of new devices that come and go with the beauty zeitgeist. These new at-home machines give us hope and for some, after the initial sticker shock, is a great way to wage war in the never-ending battle against wrinkles. Sure, having an esthetician do all the work is nice but the data on the effectiveness of professionally administered, lasers, electro current, micro Nano currents, LED lights etc.is pretty spotty so why not take the state of your face into your own capable hands?
All this youth regenerating isn’t inexpensive and some is reportedly achieved in no more than three minutes a day, which, when calculated on a monthly basis, is less than the drive time to the spa, a 60 minute facial, and the obligatory chat about your skin. We have not tested all of these miracle workers, so we suggest that you do some more digging, talk to friends, and then, if you jump into the DIY skincare game as we have, follow the directions, and then take your own Hippocratic oath: first do no harm and then heal thyself!
Talk about a trifecta: the Tri-Light, a hand held LED device claims to address five different skin challenges depending on what you need, The Skin Inc. Supplement Bar Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light, uses different versions of colored LED (light emitting diodes) to treat issues such as: fine lines, wrinkles, acne, bacteria, hyperpigmentation. The red light energy is collagen inducing, the blue is a bacteria fighter and the purple eases the pain of breakouts. This is a one-stop shop for all kinds of issues and the reviews are pretty outstanding.
Lightstim for Wrinkles is a portable, painless red light therapy device that is FDA-cleared to treat wrinkles on your entire face. It omits multiple wavelengths of light while working to help smooth skin texture, promote even skin tone and soften under eye puffiness. It is suitable for use on your entire face, including your crow’s feet, nasal labial folds, jawline and lips. The best news: no batteries needed.
ZIIP is an electrical facial in the palm of your hand. Super –tech-y, it employs Nano currents and micro currents to communicate with your skin cells, and hopefully convincing them to play nice by upping their effectiveness, prompting them to heal, and encouraging them to make an abundance of collagen and elastin. Like all collagen-building claims, the result should be, if used at least three times per week, healthy, lifted, glowing skin that gets better over time. The device comes pre-programmed with an “energizing cocktail” – which always sounds good to us.
The ReFa CARAT is a hand-held rolling device that stimulates and revives tired, stressed skin. It uses indoor, solar-derived energy and uses gentle micro-currents to boost circulation, enhance firmness and improve tone. Imagine having a lovely Hungarian trained facialist on call? It is waterproof and portable, you can take it anywhere without fussing with cords or batteries.
NuFace Trinity is a micro current device that sends tiny bits of electricity into the skin. It is reportedly painless and gives a lift to the brows, cheeks and jawline for up to 24 hours. It stimulates circulation, drains lymph nodes, and tightens superficial facial muscles enough to temporarily firm skin .We call this one the Cinderella – just be sure to get home before midnight.
If high tech, big promises are not your thing, you can’t go wrong with a jade facial roller. It won’t magically erase your wrinkles or tighten facial muscles but it will alleviate the signs of stress we all wear on our faces. It a relaxing beauty ritual – time tested and older than the hills. We keep ours in the fridge and if a headache is coming on, a nice roll on your temples has, in fact, works miracles.
