Going beyond skincare with at home skin tech devices.

Home skin tech devices are becoming increasingly popular. Perhaps this trend peaked with the increase in online meetings and calls. Whatever the reason, more and more of us are turning towards home skin tech anti-ageing devices to prevent, restore and rejuvenate the skin.

The type of skin tech devices I’m talking about harness technologies such as LED light, low-frequency sonophoresis, microcurrent, and radiofrequency to activate activities within the skin to assist in preventing and improving the skin.

There are four home skin tech devices that spark my interest, including LED Light Therapy, which I’ve talked about extensively. The other three are low-frequency sonophoresis, micro-current and radiofrequency.

Home devices are an excellent way to go beyond your skincare routine. All four work in different ways to support skin function and require you to commit to regular use.

So let’s look at each device to help you decide which one is best for your specific skincare needs.

#1 What is LED Light Therapy?

LED light therapy is one of my favourites, and the scientific evidence has been available for some time. I predict that you’ll see even more LED Light Therapy/Photobiomodulation devices hit the market over the coming years. But, before you go shopping, there are a couple of important tech specs when looking for a home device.

Each wavelength or colour of light stimulates a specific skin response:

Red (633nm) reduces inflammation, pigmentation, and redness and helps prompt cellular repair and circulation for a more vibrant complexion.

Near-infrared (830nm) targets deeper fibroblast cells, stimulating new collagen and elastin production, resulting in plumper, firmer, more youthful-looking skin.

Blue (415nm) neutralises the specific acne bacteria that cause the redness, inflammation and infection associated with acne.

The colour spectrums of light penetrate beyond the surface of your skin, reaching the dermis where they can influence collagen synthesis, along with other healing benefits.

But how, you may well ask?

Within every cell of your body is an energetic powerhouse known as the mitochondria. These little organelles are responsible for giving your cells the energy to do everything they need to do. And, let’s face it, that’s a lot of things.

Oxygen and nutrients are converted within the mitochondria through chemical enzyme processes to produce molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which in turn provides the cellular energy needed for us to function as we should.

Poor nutrition, natural ageing, some medications, and environmental influences activate free radical oxidation, which can slow down the mitochondria’s natural process, leading to accelerated ageing.

LED Light enhances the mitochondrial production of ATP, increasing cellular energy and influencing fibroblast cells found within the skin to produce more collagen to firm, tighten and improve the overall appearance of the treated area.

Omnilux LED Light Mask

Omnilux is the maker of the first FDA-approved LED Light Therapy devices found in skin clinics worldwide.

Being FDA-approved means it’s safe to use.

Omnilux Contour Face LED Light Therapy Mask is shining a red light on your skin to reduce the visible signs of ageing and sun damage. If you can’t get to a clinic or salon for a medical-grade LED treatment or you want to maintain results in between visits, then Omnilux Contour LED Light Mask is a worthwhile investment.

#2 What is Ultrasonophoresis?

A low-frequency ultrasound technology using sound waves improves the penetration of nutrients from your skincare.

You can opt for this treatment in a salon or skin clinic. Still, if you like the DIY option and you know you’ll commit, then ultrasonophoresis is a worthy investment and highly beneficial for achieving better long-term results with your active skincare routine.

When in use, the device is passed over the face; soundwaves cause a vibration creating micro-cavities in the skin. These cavities can remain open for up to 3 hours and allow any skincare to seep into the deeper layers of the skin. If you want an even greater uptake of nutrients, you can use the iontophoresis mode to push the nutrients further.

Environ SkinTech+ Ultrasonic DF Mobile Device

Environ’s SkinTech Ultrasonic Mobile Device has a dual action that combines sonophoresis (ultrasound) with iontophoresis (electrical current). Ultrasonophoresis creates vibrational cavities allowing active ingredients to seep into the micro spaces. At the same time, the iontophoresis mode pushes the skincare ingredients even further into the skin.

The device has five modes that allow you to choose whether you’d like to opt for sonophoresis on its own or in combination with iontophoresis.

The Skin Tech Ultrasonic DF Mobile device is recommended for use with Environ Youth+ Serums to enhance penetration as the device is moved over the skin’s surface.

The combination provides a powerful home treatment to improve the results of your skincare. If you decide to use this device, you should consider using high-quality skincare formulations, as what’s being pushed into the deeper layers should be pure, active and beneficial.

#3 What is Microcurrent?

Microcurrent is a low-level current that stimulates facial muscles by sending gentle waves through the skin.

This gentle wave of energy may also increase cellular energy known as Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), which stimulates collagen synthesis while providing amino acid transport to improve overall skin function. (How Microcurrent Stimulation Produces ATP — One Mechanism n.d.)

As mentioned above, ATP is your body’s essential energy source. It encourages the production of key structural proteins, such as collagen, which acts as a scaffolding to support the skin’s structure and elastin which provides your skin with the necessary flexibility to snap back into place after facial expression.

As we age, our skin’s natural ability to manufacture collagen and elastin fibres reduces, leading to multiple signs of ageing. ATP’s increased production of proteins and amino acids during facial stimulation helps energise and tone facial muscles over time. In the same way, an exercise routine energises and strengthens the muscles of our body.

Nuface Microcurrent Facial Toner

The NuFACE Mini uses a low-level microcurrent to give the skin a boost. The current used is similar to the one naturally produced by the body to energise facial muscles, giving the face a lifted appearance.

NuFace claims the microcurrent helps boost the production of elastin and collagen, the two things responsible for plumping out and firming the skin.

Even though the device uses an electrical current when done correctly with a conducting gel, there is virtually no sensation, and most people find the 5-minute treatment perfectly comfortable. If you experience any pain, you should stop the treatment. If you feel a tingling sensation, you may not be using enough conducting gel.

The results are subtle, so I guess the best way to view this device is the long-term effect promoting cellular energy will have on the functions within the skin.

If you’re using a muscle-relaxing injectable that paralyses the muscle, you should keep in mind that microcurrent has the opposite effect of activating the muscle and may negate the results of your anti-wrinkle injectable.

If you have a pacemaker, suffer from epilepsy or seizures, or are pregnant, you should not use microcurrent home devices.

If you’re looking for dramatic visible results, perhaps seek professional microcurrent treatments and keep the microcurrent home device for maintenance.

#4 What is Radiofrequency?

It is a form of electromagnetic energy. Radiofrequency heats superficial (dermal) and deep (hypodermal) layers while treating the body and face. The transfer of deep heat stimulates collagen and elastin production to help improve the laxity of the skin and minimise superficial lines and wrinkles.

TriPollar Stop RF

TriPollar is a pioneer in the world of anti-ageing devices.

TriPollar has a range of devices, from their TriPollar Stop Classic device, which provides collagen renewal and skin tightening. Their more advanced home device TriPollar Stop Vx offers Radiofrequency (RF) technology and muscle stimulation, which they call Dynamic Muscle Activation (DMA).

The device comes with a water-based gel to conduct the energy transfer. As you work the device over sections of your face and neck, an orange light will appear, which indicates the skin has reached the appropriate temperature.

When using the device, you can expect to feel a heat sensation, and a beep will sound, signifying that it’s time to move to the next section of your face or neck. Repeat the process until all areas are treated. Once done, rinse off the gel and apply your chosen moisturiser.

The manufacturer recommends that the TriPollar STOP device be used 2-3 times a week, and you can expect to see the best results in 8 weeks. As with NuFace Microcurrent, if you require a dramatic and immediate result, I suggest seeking out the support of a skin care professional for medical-grade radiofrequency for optimal results while maintaining the results at home with TriPollare Stop RF.

My final thoughts?

While I find these devices helpful, the results vary from person to person. If you have youthful skin without signs of ageing, then microcurrent may not make much of a difference, and you’d be better off opting for a low-frequency sonophoresis device to improve product absorption.

If you’re already showing the visible signs of ageing, invest in LED Light therapy as a starting point. Over time and with a steadfast commitment, you’ll see subtle improvements. But again, it will depend on how much underlying sun damage has occurred.

Professional medical grade treatments using the four modalities I’ve mentioned today can provide a more dramatic result if that’s what you’re looking for, in which case I suggest a consultation with a skincare professional who can recommend the more powerful versions of all these technologies and keep your homecare devices, such as the TriPollar RF and NuFace for maintenance between other non-surgical treatments.