I Tried the TheraFace and DermaFlash De-puffing Wands
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My algorithm often inundates me with the latest in skin-care trends, and lately, it’s lots of fiber and lymphatic drainage. Between thevibration platesandgua shatutorials, it seems everyone is trying to reduce puffiness through manual means. This isn’t the first iteration of this — there’s always some attempt to look “snatched” floating around, whether that’s through amicrocurrent devicelike NuFace or submerging your face in a bowl of ice water upon waking up.
Most recently,DermaFlash, which makes products designed to bring the in-spa experience home, released DermaFlash Cool, a facial-massage device that looks a bit like a tiny bowling ball implanted in a plastic wand. It’s designed to de-puff instantly, taking the place of an ice roller and also giving the skin a lymphatic drainage massage. I was curious how it compared to the Therabody Theraface de-puffing wand, which came out a few years ago. I’ve seen that floating around the internet a bunch too — it’s a favorite of The Cut beauty editor Asia Milia Ware, who regularly posts about it on Instagram. When I asked women over 40 aboutthe one product they can’t live without, Molly Sims, the founder of YSE Beauty, mentioned that wand, which she said she never skips, comparing it to giving the skin a “mini cold plunge.” The tools aren’t exactly the same: The TheraFace de-puffing wand has heat and cooling settings, but its cooling capabilities claim similar results. Their price points, however, are near-identical (the DermaFlash is $5 more), so I decided to test them both and see how they compared.
To start, I’m generally skeptical about these kinds of tools. I don’t doubt their capabilities overall, just that the difference is negligible to me. It always seemskindof better, notwow that’s an insane differencebetter, which is why I’m hesitant to spend upwards of $100 on any tools promising to deliver results I can probably achieve with my hands or a much cheaper gua sha. That said, I am curious about the tools’ ability to de-puff my eye area. Recently, I’ve been waking up with puffier eyes with more creasing, which I’m blaming on age and less sleep than I’d like. I would like some help in that area, so I paid particular attention to that during my testing.
I started with the right side of my face, using the DermaFlash.
I started by washing my face and then applying theAestura Soothing Redness Relief Face Serum. The DermaFlash Cool comes with a small amount of theHydraFlash Active Cocooning Serum, which has slip and is designed to help the tool glide across the skin. I tried this initially, but after 30 seconds noticed that the serum contained lavender, an ingredient that I’m very allergic to. The brand recommends you use the serum, but it’s not required to get the full benefits of the tool. I watched a tutorial on how to use it, which is similar to a gua sha or lymphatic drainage massage. It has two settings — gentle and intense. I used both and didn’t really notice a major difference in the feeling, so I stuck to the lower one. I started in the eye area, where I used gentle pressure around the eye socket and brow. It does feel really nice — the little copper ball gets very cold, and it’s a perfect size for the delicate areas of the face. It’s ideal for moving around the eye socket, and the shape of the wand doesn’t encourage me to put too much pressure on my skin. Then I moved onto the cheek and chin, using gentle upward motions to “sculpt.” I did this for a few minutes (DermaFlash recommends 30 to 60 seconds in each area) and then compared the two halves of my face. I did look a little less tired in the eye area. It looked a bit smoother and lifted. More than anything, I largely liked the sensation. Another note: The Aestura serum wasn’t the best choice for this. It kept drying out, so I needed to reapply quite a bit. When the skin gets dry, it really drags, which isn’t the most comfortable. I eventually switched from the Aestura serum to the Soothing Moisturizer from the same line, which is lightweight and has a little more slip.
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Next, I used TheraFace on the other side of my face.
On the left side, I tested out the TheraFace de-puffing wand. It has a pyramidlike head and is made from stainless steel. The movement recommendations are similar. The larger surface area makes it a little more difficult to target small spots, and I was a little nervous using it around my eyes. Itwasnice in the cheek area, and felt easier to sculpt and contour. It has three intensity levels and can be toggled between hot and cold. I stuck to the cold setting so I could compare the two tools fairly. It was a similarly nice sensation and slightly warmer than the very cold DermaFlash. I didn’t go as hard in the eye area because of the tip shape and noticed that my under eye on that side was a little puffier.
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The results: I didn’t see much de-puffing with either. But the DermaFlash has a slight edge.
As far as face sculpting, there wasn’t much difference between my untreated skin and post-treatment. When I looked back at the photos, I noticed a little de-puffing in the chin area, but it wasn’t some massive difference. It’s possible that this came down to user error, but ideally I think these would be easy to use at home. I wasn’t too impressed by either tool, but I do like how they feel. It’s a nice added step in the morning and made me feel a bit calmer. It also soothed a lingering headache and released some tension in my temples. If I had to choose between the two, I would pick the DermaFlash. I like the shape of the tool and felt it got into areas I wanted to target a bit easier. While the TheraFace wand has more features, I’m not compelled by the heat setting, which apparently helps with skin-care absorption and opening up pores. I felt that the TheraFace head was slightly harder to use in smaller areas, which was my main goal. I also own a NuFace and have multiple gua shas, so I can achieve the sculpting, at-home lymphatic drainage with other tools.
The bottom line: The wands are a treat in skin-care form.
I wouldn’t purchase either wand for myself, but I would gift them. The cold does feel really soothing, so I’d gift it to my friends suffering from migraines or a mom in my life who likes the idea of a little ritual in the middle of the day. I also imagine it’ll be nice come summer and would feel glorious on overheated skin. I also think this is worth it if you want to add a spalike step to your routine, and I could see it being a nice thing to travel with. It won’t, however, give you night-and-day results. You’ll still need to see a professional for that.
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