The Evolution of Home Beauty Device Trends

But this was specifically for psoriasis, with a limited number of patients of 783 people. Popular at-home skin care devices tend to be less tested, says lead study author Joel Gelfand, MD, professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the Perelman School.

“Unless they are studied in a randomized controlled trial, that makes me skeptical,” he said. “Was the study conducted by the manufacturer financially beneficial, or was it large-scale and included hundreds of patients? Because this is a very dark area, most people’s best bet is to talk to a dermatologist and see if exposure to light will have any effect on their skin.”

Dr. Evan Reeder, a dual board-certified physician in dermatology and psychiatry who practices in Manhattan, said many devices sold for home use are FDA-approved, which is different from FDA approval. “‘Approved’ means that the device or drug has undergone rigorous clinical testing compared to a placebo, and the results are not random and have been replicated in other studies,” he said. An FDA 510(k) clearance is something you’ll often see at home, and it solely indicates that the device has been evaluated by the FDA and is not dangerous for non-professional use.

Dr. Reeder declined to name specific devices, but said many of their websites have before and after photos of results that are “misleading” with inconsistent lighting and shadows that make the results even harder to see. The results that can be expected are negligible at best for those with “good skin or minor problems,” he said.

It might make more sense, he continued, to approach home care as a tool to complement or complement hospital care. For the cost of a home laser device, a patient can—depending on where they live and which doctor they see—get two or three fractional laser treatments: “This is a significant improvement in actual lightening—reducing photodamage, reducing the burden of precancerous lesions, and is supported at home only sunscreen and moisturizer.”

To reach consumers, manufacturers typically rely heavily on the cooperation or approval of two separate groups. “Skinfluencer” doctors with good reputations and high-profile clientele, such as Dr. Lindsay Zubricki (@dermguru) and Dr. Jenny Liu (@derm.talk), make Instagram videos on the impact of differences in wavelength, power density, and energy density in certain devices to help consumers make wise choices. And then there are more traditional social media influencers who often talk candidly and informally about their personal experiences using these tools, like Jenn Lexi (@jennlexi_), a cosmetology student whose recent message A comparison of popular LED masks has received more than 56,000 likes on TikTok.