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There’s never been more ways not to look your age. If there’s a scale that ranges from “daily sunscreen” to “a fortune in plastic surgery,” laser treatments fall somewhere in the middle. Typically the domain of med-spas, even within the category of lasers, there’s a range. The most intense can only be used by professionals and aggressively resurface skin for speedy results (with downtime after your treatment to match).
On the other end are lasers that can safely be used at home, like the Nira Pro Laser. The handheld device uses a non-fractional laser, which is the same kind you’d find at your dermatologist’s. This gentler treatment requires multiple sessions to deliver results, so it makes sense that people prefer the comfort of their own home over weekly appointments.
When I received a Nira Pro Laser to test, I was stoked. I’m 35, and I’m beginning to notice that the creases that appear when I raise my eyebrows are no longer going away when I lower them. Despite a lifetime of skincare and SPF worship, my skin’s age is something I’m increasingly aware of.
Nira Pro Laser (2nd Gen)The Nira Pro Laser comes with an app, and before your first session, you’re encouraged to conduct a skin analysis. Take a picture of your face, and every kind of imperfection is highlighted and graded—pores, texture, radiance, wrinkles, and more.See At Nira$649
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Using the device is easy: place the laser on the treatment area, press a button, wait for the confirmation beep, move it over so about 50 percent of the head overlaps with the previous treatment area, repeat. After 10 pulses, what Nira decides comprises one “treatment area,” a tone sounds.
My routine consisted of about 30 pulses to the lines in my forehead and between my eyebrows, and 10 around each eye: 50 total per session. I’ve tried many beauty devices, and usually my threshold for pain allows me to blast away with max settings. I found the heat from the Nira’s highest setting unmanageable; the second-highest setting was the best I could tolerate.
Similarly, if the device is ever not level with the skin or is lifted away too soon, a second pulse may begin in the same spot. I became very good at whipping the machine away when this started to happen: it’s so ouchy hot.
Finding the highest setting you can tolerate is essential though; the heat is what kick-starts your skin’s collagen production to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. With regular, consistent use, this has the effect of rewinding the hands of time without surgical intervention.
Although the recommendation is daily use, the app tracks how often you get your laser in and placed my compliance around 60 percent. I felt like I was using it every day, so the app really helped keep me honest. Because the device is rechargeable, it’s easy to place next to a mirror and incorporate into your regular routine; I found a single charge lasted me about a week. The app also offers rewards for consistent use, including a deluxe carrying case after 90 completed sessions.
I know what you’re asking: did it work? I used the Nira for 90 days. According to the app’s analysis, my skin went from appearing to be 30 years old at my first analysis to appearing to be 25 years old. Colloquially, I did notice I got more compliments on my skin during this period (although most of them came during the four days I was visiting my aunt in an Arizona retirement community, where I think I was graded on a serious curve). The effects are definitely subtle—you want dramatic, find a surgeon—but I do notice a difference in the depth of my most prominent wrinkles. And if it keeps me from feeling a need to drop $15K on a deep-plane facelift in 20 years, I’m happy to put in my five minutes every day.
Typically, the convenience of at-home devices comes with a hefty price tag. If you want to own a Nira Pro outright, it’s about $650. Much less than surgical interventions, but well outside of “impulse purchase” territory. HOWEVER. Nira offers a rental program, unheard of for high-end at-home beauty devices. The first month is just $22.50 (it jumps up to $45 in the following months). Nira promises no start-up or cancellation fees, and handles shipping both ways. The brand says results take about 90 days, so you can put that to the test for just $112.50. Of course, if you absolutely love it, renting will eventually cost more, but it’s a great way to ensure you’re only paying the full cost for a product you will use every day (or, fine, 60 percent of days).
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The post Scouted: Can an At-Home Laser Undo Wrinkles, Age Spots, and Imperfections? I Put One to the Test appeared first on The Daily Beast.
