Do-it-yourself anti-ageing gadgets are
big business, but salon experts say buyers must beware. Is it really safe to be
your own skin therapist?
By Victoria Lambert
If George Osborne pops into a Notting
Hill beauty salon for a facial, he will receive heartening news for the
economy. Skin therapists and dermatologists are busy: women are still spending
on anti-ageing treatments like never before, despite the recession.
According to a Mintel report last
month, the UK facial care market generated £956 million in 2011 and is
predicted to top £1 billion in 2013. In the US, demand for skincare specialists
is expected to have grown by 38 per cent by 2018.
One trend is towards smaller models of
salon therapies for home use. The theory is that women can laser away wrinkles
and brush up on micro-dermabrasion in their own homes. But do these products
work and are they safe?
Dermatologists are wary about the use
of some DIY anti-ageing products. “They sound a good idea but I worry that
people will overuse them,” says Dr Jules Nabet, who practises aesthetic
medicine in London and Paris.
“You must be cautious of
microdermabrasion, for example, and over-exfoliation can leave your skin red
and blotchy.”
Jenni Grace, head of a skincare
clinic, agrees that at-home products should be used with care. “At best they
will not do much, as levels of intensity will probably be minimal,” she says,
“but they may actually do some harm.”
Here, Victoria Lambert conducts a
trial of six of the latest gadgets and Jenni Grace assesses them
1 Philips RéAura Home Laser
The RéAura was developed with Fraxel
(the company that developed the laser technology used in many salons) to
stimulate production of collagen, the stretchy protein which becomes less
elastic as we age, resulting in wrinkles. The RéAura forces pinpoints of light
into the top layers of skin. The claimed result is to make skin look more youthful.
Both Philips and the only stockists (Space NK) provide a skin assessment and
access to skincare experts so users have full support.
Expert’s verdict “This laser is not as
strong as we might use in a clinic, but don’t use it while you are on antibiotics
or other drugs that can make skin more light-sensitive. I know a woman who took
antibiotics and ended up with burns so bad that she needed a month off work.
Afterwards your skin will be more delicate, so wear a good high-factor
sunscreen. But, yes, this could work, and the access to support is impressive.”
Tester’s verdict “This is not a toy.
After use I found that my skin was reddened, warm and tingling, just like after
a salon treatment. But it is very easy to use and I’m expecting to see results
over time. A well-conceived product.”
2 CACI Microlift
Launching in October, the Microlift is
a home facial toning device from the salon brand CACI, which claims to provide
“non-surgical facelifts”. The Microlift uses a tiny electric current to tone
facial muscles and, it is claimed, combat signs of ageing. It looks a bit like
a small cordless phone with four spiky knobs on top.
Expert’s verdict “CACI or any other
micro-current therapies are unlikely to do much harm but it’s hard to know the
exact points to press that will stimulate muscles in the correct way to achieve
a balanced result. Beauty therapists take a five-day intensive course before
they practise CACI in salons.
“CACI is pretty safe but shouldn’t be
used if you have had Botox in the past three months, as it could cause
migration of the botulinum toxin around the face. You could end up with brow
droop.”
Tester’s verdict “CACI salon
treatments are well loved and I wanted this to be effective. Maybe it was the
instructions, but I felt that I was simply poking my facial muscles with no
idea if I was doing it correctly. I was so perplexed, I’m afraid I have new
frown lines.”
3 Slendertone Face
This looks like a high-tech headset
that Madonna would wear in concert. Electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) tells
facial nerves to activate muscles repeatedly, with the aim of firming them.
Users should notice a difference in their faces after 14 days, says the
manufacturer.
Expert’s verdict “This has to be
placed precisely to work, and could be quite uncomfortable if the pulse
strength was turned up too high. Used correctly it would be reasonably
effective over time, but if you don’t do a course properly and keep it up,
there’s no point.
“One concern: our facial muscles are
tiny and interconnected. How are you sure you have exercised the right ones?
Although you want to stimulate the muscles that give a smiley, uplifted effect,
it is possible to work up the ones that make us grimace by mistake.”
Tester’s verdict “Having previously
used a Slendertone Abs System (which is supposed to tone the waist), I was
hopeful. But I found the twitching sensation it created in my face almost
unbearable, and was concerned about which muscles are stimulated. When I tested
it, my lip twitched; when a friend tried it, it made the muscle under her eye
jump.”
4 The TANDA Luxe
The HoMedics TANDA Luxe combines pure
red light with sonic vibration and gentle warming. This, it is claimed,
increases production of collagen and elastin and boosts blood flow.
Expert’s verdict “There are good
university studies which show that red-light therapies stimulate skin-cell
renewal. Best of all, these lights can’t hurt you. I’m a fan.”
Tester’s verdict “Easy to use but a
leap of faith. It doesn’t seem high-tech enough.”
5 NuBrilliance home microdermabrasion
kit
A home exfoliation kit which combines
diamond-tip exfoliation with precision suction. As you drag the small unit —
not much larger than a pen — across your skin, the heads are said to scour away
dead skin flakes and cells. The suction head then plumps up your skin, removing
the remaining dead cells to leave skin feeling smoother. A Dyson for dimples.
Expert’s verdict “Microdermabrasion is
great but if you use a coarse tip on sensitive skin you’ll end up with broken
capillaries (the small veins just beneath the surface of the skin). And while
it can be useful to reduce pigmentation, if you are too abrasive you will
stimulate local production of melanin, which causes pigmentation in the first
place. You could end up with more patches, not fewer.
“Too much microdermabrasion reduces
sun tolerance — and users should avoid the delicate eye area. My worry would be
the temptation to overuse it.”
Tester’s verdict “I did like this.
It’s very easy to use, with clear instructions, and is effective. My skin
looked more polished instantly. But Jenni is spot-on: the problem is overuse. I
am itching to tackle a patch of pigment, but now mindful of the risks of being
over-enthusiastic.”
6 Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion
A palm-sized gadget with a niche
purpose: applying anti-ageing serum around the eye. The Opal gently taps the
eye contour at 125 sonic vibrations a second, while dispensing special serum to
the area. The maker claims that sonic movement encourages deeper diffusion of
the serum into skin. It’s easy to use: move the device around the eye contour
in a circular motion for 30 seconds twice a day. Results promised in four to
eight weeks.
Expert’s verdict “Skin exists to
prevent anything getting into our bodies, and it is very good at that. To
penetrate it is difficult and I am suspicious of anything that claims to do so.
It looks like a nice way to apply eye serum. But is it worth the money? I don’t
know.”
Tester’s verdict “Lovely to use, and
glam. More effective than fingertips? It is not as cheap.”
