Well, most of you missed the fake. It’s not surprising because they all sound pretty fake. The most popular choice was the Laser Comb at 37% . Nope, it’s real. So too is the oxygen skin smoother and the headband to reduce wrinkles. Here is the complete explanations.
1. Wand that shoots oxygen into your skin to smooth, tone, and stimulate. TRUE. 
Welcome to the wonderful world of Derma Wand. This little gadget is said to “imitate hundreds of tiny fingers patting the surface of the skin at 114,000 cycles per second, while simultaneously emitting purified enriched oxygen, right on your skin`s surface, plus delivering vital thermal energy to help increase ’tissue warming’.” Let’s just hope it doesn’t have the same effect on global warming. Incidentally, this thing sounds silly and there is no proof that it works. In fact, the disclaimer says it all.
Derma Wand makes no claims to diagnose, mitigate, treat or correct specific skin disorders or diseases. Derma Wand is for relaxation or cosmetic use only
2. Hand held laser that makes your hair grow. TRUE. A product called LaserComb has 
been approved as a hair restorer by the FDA. Personally, even though I know the company is selling this product, it still seems fake to me. You can read this hair laser restorer article for more information. But be skeptical. I think anyone using this will likely be disappointed.
3. Electronic headband that relaxes muscles to remove wrinkles. TRUE. For a mere $488 
you too can get a Safetox that is claimed to effectively improve your face by training your muscles to relax. The good folks at Safetox have created something that can let you “turn back time”. No, it’s not a DeLorean, it’s a headband and the notion behind it is ridiculous. Relaxing your facial muscles will do nothing about the primary causes of wrinkles namely, lost skin elasticity and collagen/elastin depletion. With the claims they are making, it’s no surprise they haven’t brought it to the US yet. I’m not sure the FDA would let them sell it.
4. Ceramic unipolar magnet to control acne. FALSE. While magnets are claimed to cure everything from aches to cancer, no one has introduced a ceramic, unipolar magnet to get rid of acne. The kernel of truth that this BS came from the plethora of magnet health products you can buy. I’ve got news for you, there’s no proof magnets have any affect on health or beauty.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
In re. to magnets, I’d agree that static unipolar magnets have little demonstrable effect. Pulsed magnetic fields (PEMF) is a different story. These have been used therapeutically for 2+ decades. The bone-stimulator business using a varient of this is a multi-billion dollar industry in orthopedics.
There are two interesting PEMF devices with plastic surgery indications one from a company Ivivi (www.ivivitechnologies.com) & one called the ActiPatch (http://www.bioelectronicscorp.com/). These devices down-regulate the inflamatory cascade by affecting intra-cellular signaling mechanisms (the Calcium-Calmodulin complex for the nerds in the audience). The net result is less pain/swelling and increased vascularity.
Allergan (owner of Botox, Juvederm, the Lap-Band, & Inamed silicone breast implants) actually has a distribution agreement with Ivivi which is about to get a big marketing push for post-cosmetic surgery treatment. I was impressed enough with Ivivi’s science that I bought it’s stock during their IPO last year (although I’m still 20% in the red on that investment groan!). There is a clinical trial from the Cleavland Clinic which is using Ivivi coils on acute MI patients to promote revascularization which should be presented late this year. If it works like it does in the rat model, it could be a real killer-app for this kind of technology.
I presented a favorable review of Ivivi at the 2006 asthetic surgery society meeting which got a lot of positive feedback. I gave some samples of the Acti-patch (which I’m not as familiar with)to one of my nurses who had rotator-cuff surgery (which really hurts) and she raved about the difference it made.
Rob
You know, #3 reminds me that my grandma used to worry about having a furrowed brow and she’d hang out at home and sleep with surgical tape on her forehead so she wouldn’t be able to contract the muscles and make a furrowed brow. I should patent *that* as an alternative to Botox instead! It is certainly gonna do as much as that Safetox will do, which is just being there and not allowing you to contract muscles.
I don’t care HOW much that head band helps with wrinkles, there is NO WAY I’d walk around wearing that thing!
#3 looks like something from Logan’s Run!
I use safetox for 6 months. Results are incredible ! Unfortunatly you cannot use it for the neck.
I buy it on http://www.parapost.eu
I’m new 2 this site. I’m interested in reading “Beauty Gadget or BS” part 2. Though I see it was written June 12th, I can’t find part 2. Where do I find it? Great site! I bookmarked it 4 daily viewing. Thanks 4 your time! K. Lynn
I don’t agree with you about the Safetox.
I bought it last summer in Paris. The only thing I can say is wonderful, it works great: it’s a medical device that was used to treat headache and migraine – but they discovered that it was also acting on nerves, muscles and wrinkles.
http://www.safetoxbeauty.com/en/physicians/origins-of-safetox.html
I don’t go out with it … but … I have to admit that I look like wonder woman every morning!
Donna,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Consider however, that there is no scientific data supporting the notion that Safetox works. If you are experiencing improvement it’s more likely because of something else like the placebo effect.
Hello Left Brain,
I usually believe in the Placebo effect for those kind of products – but scientific data or not, it works: it’s not my imagination.
Everybody in my office told me that I looked younger, or ask me “what have you done? changed your hair, no it’s your eyes, no it’s …”
So, I don’t know, maybe it’s my right brain
maybe … but for me, it works.
Donna
I’m hesitant because of the cost, but someone else also said it works. Some of her words:
” I’ve tested this product directly at shop Sephora and my 1 st experience of 10 minutes was … Wow ! At the beginning it hurts just a bit and then , your face (forehead + eyes + …) is like a bit paralyzed and after 3 or 4 minutes you feel really relax and well : Real Strange. When I looked into the mirror (I was always at the shop) my face had changed, just a bit. The dark rings under my eyes were less visible (I am no saying that after that session I looked like Neve Campbell at 22 yo!;)”
She is from France and posted her response at
http://www.realself.com/blog/safetox-worth-it
It seems there is some slightly misleading info in this entry. It is conventional “wisdom” but not quite accurate to say that wrinkles are “primarily” caused by loss of skin elasticity/collagen. If such were the case, then the use of surgery or botox would have a very limited affect wrinkled, ageing skin. However, both these methods can have fantastic results and this is not in dispute.
In fact, the dermis and epidermis have a much more complex relationship with the underlying muscular structure of the face than many people realize.
In addition to sun-damage and loss of collagen/elastin, wrinkles are also formed by the sagging of this underlying muscular structure in the ageing face. This sagging pulls the overlying skin into furrows, or bunches or “puddles”, which descend over time, pulling the centre aspect of the face down and into itself, and the jawline down into the neck. Eventually this culminates in furrows, wrinkles, jowls and NL lines. Gravity and lack of muscle tone is the culprit. The facial skin does not hold the muscles in place, the muscles hold the facial skin in place. This is also not in dispute, it is a fact which can be demonstrated to anyone’s satisfation with the minimum of research. If that were not the case, then no amount of facial exercise/muscular fibre stimulation would ever reduce or even erase wrinkles, but it does and sometimes with equally fantastic results as can be seen with surgical/chemical intervention.
These methods work by different mechanisms but that they DO work is not in dispute. However dermatologists don’t like to lose money hence you will not find many of them pushing facial exercises or gadgets unless they can get a cut of the action LOL!
I read their website and this Safetox gadget, as silly as it looks, claims to do something similar to botox via electronic means rather than chemical. They further claim that this aids in engaging dormant, atrophied antagonistic muscles (primarily the occipitalis, which many people. especially women, lose voluntary control over as they age – try to wiggle your ears – if you can, then you have some control of the occipitalis) in the back of the head. When toned and tightened the occipitalis pulls back on the frontalis muscle which helps to create a natural lift to the scalp and thus, forehead and brow. This plus induced paralysis in the frontalis results in reduced wrinkles and furrows and a more youthful, open, relaxed look. As with any attempt to “turn back the clock” as they say, realistic expectations are paramount in order to avoid disappoinment. A 40 year old will have better, faster results with any chosen method than a 60 year old.
I personally have not tried this product and thus make no personal claims about its efficacy; I am merely here to point out that their claim appears totally valid from an anatomical viewpoint.
More info can be found at the Safetox website and current (and some excellent) reviews of the product can be found at the forum at essentialdailyspa.com. The muscular structure of the skull and its effect on facial skin of course can be researched and studied if one wishes.
Thank you for your time.
final step