Even before quarantine 2020 came into our lives, being able to get real results from skincare devices at home was ideal. Now it’s really ideal. Owning the skincare devices yourself means fewer visits to a salon or esthetician and the better maintenance of results–not to mention it tends to be a lot more affordable.
From light therapy to microcurrents and high frequency, the following are four salon-style skincare devices that can (safely) give you real results at home.
And not only can I personally vouch for these because I’ve tried them…I own them all.
This post may contain affiliate links. Check out our disclosure page.
NuDerma Portable Handheld High-Frequency Skin Therapy Wand Machine
I’d never even heard of high-frequency skin treatments until the NuDerma came into my life. It was recommended to me by my mom, by way of my aunt, to treat the incessant acne I had been battling in quarantine. Some of it might have been from masks, some of it from stress, who knows. What I do know is that the high-frequency wand started clearing my skin up immediately.
High-frequency is what it’s called when a mild electrical current is passed through a neon or argon gas-filled glass electrode before it gets to the skin. The wand has a base and various different glass wands of different shapes, which can be used to address different issues from reducing acne to increasing hair growth.
The glass wand is thin and clear and when it’s turned on you can see the orange energy running through it to the spots where the wand touches the skin. It doesn’t feel like much besides maybe a tiny buzz, and there is a slight scent to it. (But it’s from the gas inside, not from your skin!)
What to expect after:
After treatment with the NuDerma you might have a very tiny flushing to certain areas, but most likely you will just look smooth and revived. Immediate results are from a boost to blood flow and circulation, and they’ll improve over time as it starts to builds collagen.
The NuDerma can also kill the bacteria that cause acne, which is how I saw overnight results reducing my own. And, while I haven’t been using it long enough to report on all its magic, it’s supposed to help with hair growth as well.
PMD Personal Microderm Classic – At-Home Microdermabrasion Machine
I absolutely love the PMD personal microdermabrasion device. My mom gave it to me (I get a lot of skincare recommendations from my mom), and for some reason, I waited a very long to try it. I think I expected there to be some downtime involved and that I would have to go through some process of learning how to correctly use the device. But no, it’s quite easy and painless. I should have started sooner!
The PDM device is a home microdermabrasion tool that can be used weekly to smooth and clean the skin. As someone with a weird hybrid of dry and very oily skin, I feel like I have to exfoliate all the time, and when I do, it never feels like it’s accomplished enough. This sort of device takes things to the next level.
In addition to physically exfoliating the skin, it also has a gentle vacuum going and sucks stuff up along the way. You can see dead skin peel off, and in some areas, it might leave behind a slight temporary redness. (I happen to like that because I can tell it’s doing something.)
The slight redness you might see is actually a repair response. Besides simply exfoliating the skin for immediate softness, the process of microdermabrasion can thicken the collagen in the skin and reduce fine lines. Both of those things make the skin look younger, stronger, and plumper.
If you use the PMD device before applying your serums and other skincare products, it also helps them penetrate more deeply, and therefore, work better.
What to expect after:
You might have some temporary redness, so you might want to do it when you’re home for the evening rather than first thing in the morning. But the redness is mild, and the smoothing results are instantaneous. Over time this can help to reduce oiliness on the skin’s surface as well as fine lines, and make you look and feel much smoother.
Sign me all the way up on this skincare device. I’m a big fan.
LightStim for Wrinkles
The LightStim is a handheld device that uses red light therapy to address wrinkles, and possibly acne as well. (In the past it was thought that only blue light addressed the acne-causing bacteria, but now some say experts say that the red does as well.) Either way, the right light therapy is extremely healing for the skin in general.
Putting the red light onto the skin helps to increase circulation, reduce inflammation, and boost your collagen production. It feels warm and comfortable as you use it. The treatment with these devices takes a bit longer to do since you’re supposed to hold it on the same spot for three minutes before moving to the next spot. I like to do it while I’m watching TV.
What to expect after:
The LightStim is a very mellow treatment and there is absolutely no downtime. With regular use you might start to see results from collagen growth within six to eight weeks.
ZIIP Beauty Nanocurrent And Microcurrent At-Home Facial Device
Here’s a bold statement for you that is the utmost truth. My first ZIIP died at a certain point and it was absolutely still worth the cost to get a second one. Do I wish the first had not died? Sure. Always preferable. But I can still justify it based on how much it’s benefited my face. (Especially if you start comparing this to any in-office face treatments.) You could say that I just don’t want to be without it.
The ZIIP handheld device works by using nano currents and microcurrents, which is different than all the other devices I’ve mentioned here. The microcurrents stimulate the muscles in the face, which provides a tightening, notable lift, and shaping. And you can actually feel that working in some areas of the face. Or I can at least, particularly around my jawline. The muscles very gently twitch as I use the device around the area, which feels kind of nice.
Want your cheekbones to pop? This is the device. But beyond the tightening, the device can also be used to reduce acne, reduce dark circles, and repair tone thanks to its ability to increase communication between the skin cells. Changing the settings is done through an app, and the device buzzes as you go to let you know when it’s time to move spots.
To use the ZIIP you have to also use a conductive gel (provided), otherwise the current hits the skin instead of going into the deeper levels. (Ie, it might give you a little shock. Use the gel!)
What to expect after:
There is no downtime at all after using the ZIIP, and in fact, you might actually want to use this one right before big events since it provides such nice plump and glow.
Note: the NuFace is another very popular handheld microcurrent device. I have not used that one so I can’t personally vouch for it, but they seem to be very similar in function and in reviews.
