Home-use aesthetic products provide some cosmetic benefit

Las Vegas - Home-use aesthetic devices are proliferating and improving, according to an expert.

Joel Schlessinger, M.D., says that, increasingly, patients want to know if home-use dermatologic devices work. Many such devices probably provide some benefit, he says, though they are generally geared toward cosmetic rather than medical indications.

His favorite such device, he says, is the ultrasound-based Clarisonic (Clarisonic Inc.). “It’s somewhat like an Oral-B (Procter & Gamble) toothbrush for your face. It doesn’t irritate - it removes the dirt via shaking rather than rubbing,” says Dr. Schlessinger, a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Omaha, Neb., who spoke at the Cosmetic Surgery Forum.

Similarly, “I’ve always liked the Opal (Clarisonic).” Designed for use around the eyes, it employs a pulsating technology to “press” cream preparations into the skin, says its manufacturer. The result, Dr. Schlessinger says, is rapid infusion, somewhat like a home version of SilkPeel DermalInfusion (Medisys). “I believe the Opal shows merit for delivering other cosmetics as well.”

Home hair removal

Also popular among his patients is the Tria Hair Removal Laser System (Tria Beauty). For patients who want to treat the lip, underarms or other small areas, he says, “I recommend they do a treatment or two in the office, then purchase the Tria. The company recently updated to the Tria 4, which is used weekly for three months to achieve permanent hair removal and can be used on the face and body.”

The device is impractical for large areas such as the legs, Dr. Schlessinger says, but it provides an at-home option for patients who don’t want a lengthy series of in-office hair removal sessions.

Dr. Schlessinger expresses concerns regarding the No!No! 8800 (Radiancy), marketed for hair removal, based on online reviews. As presently constructed, he explains, “It burns the hair with a filament.” As such, he says, some users have reported that they suffered burns.

Meanwhile, he says, “One of the problems I see with the Palo Via Skin Renew 1410 nm diode laser (Palomar) is that because it’s designed for treating only the eyes, it only allows 20 to 30 pulses per day. But most people want to use it for larger areas as well. At this time, we sell about half a dozen of these annually in my practice. But I believe the device has promise, and I’d like to see more work being done on it.”

Advances for acne

Tria also makes the Skin Perfecting Blue Light device, which the company says eliminates acne-causing bacteria with regular use. However, Dr. Schlessinger says, “I’m not sure that the blue-light devices live up to their potential as much as I would like them to at this time. But there’s a lot of work being done on them.” Additionally, he says, several companies market home-use red-light devices. For example, he says Quasar Bio Tech offers both red and blue light for facial rejuvenation and other uses.

The Claro (Solta) intense pulsed light (IPL) device for acne provides modest benefits, he adds, “But at present the technology is significantly less impressive than current medications for acne.” Somewhat similarly, Dr. Schlessinger says that in his opinion, the SensEpil (Silk’n) IPL device for hair removal and the Zeno Pro (Zeno Corp.), a thermal device marketed to treat acne, offer very few benefits. “However, these devices potentially will improve in the future.”

The WrinkleMD Eye System (University Medical) infuses hyaluronic acid into the skin, using a pod and activators, Dr. Schlessinger says.

“This product is attached to the skin for a period of time and has patches that act to stimulate product absorption over a 40-minute period.”

As manufacturers refine home-use devices and patients grow more accustomed to them, Dr. Schlessinger says, “We’re going to see more of them over time.” DT

Disclosures: Dr. Schlessinger’s practice sells the Clarisonic and Opal devices and the Home Laser and Skin Perfecting Blue Light.