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Sep 13, 2023

I Tried the TheraFace Pro That's All Over TikTok — Product Review, Photos

By Alexis Benveniste All products featured on Allure are independently selected

By Alexis Benveniste

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I'm not above falling for the latest TikTok trends. I get hooked just as much as the next person. I love my Dyson Airwrap – even though my wallet curled up and cried a little when I bought it – so I knew I had to try the TheraFace Pro, a skin-care device that uses percussive therapy to reportedly reduce tension and relax muscles, when I saw it blowing up my For You Page. After scrolling through #theraface videos — a hashtag that has more than one million video views – I decided it was time to try it out for myself.

Like many things in life, I felt hyped because I had seen everyone else freaking out about it, but oftentimes, hype creates unrealistic expectations and letdowns. Some TikTok users referred to the TheraFace Pro as the "Dyson Airwrap for your face," so I was fully prepared to be hooked on this machine.

Before diving into using the device on my own, I hopped on Zoom call and attended a virtual education session with the TheraFace PR team. During the call, they gave a presentation and taught me exactly how to use the device, as well as each of its attachments.

As a full package, the TheraFace Pro comes with a microcurrent attachment, percussive therapy attachments, a cleansing ring, and an LED light therapy attachment. For an additional $99, you can purchase a set of hot and cold rings that heat up and cool your face, respectively — and these might be the two buzziest parts of the tool. The TheraFace Pro also comes with a charger for the device and a little case that makes things easier if you want to travel with it or store it in your bathroom.

Each attachment magnetically connects to the handheld device, making it pretty intuitive when it comes to choosing your adventure and integrating the machine into your daily skin-care routine. My first thought when using the TheraFace Pro was that this device takes DIY skin care to the next level. Instead of buying several devices, you're able to switch out the attachments and have completely different experiences with each one.

Aesthetician and Rescue Spa founder Danuta Mieloch recommends using the TheraFace Pro as an at-home device for "amazing upkeep in between facials." Her spa, which has locations in New York City and Philadelphia, will start carrying the device in their locations and online in August.

While it seems like this might be the jackpot if you want to do an at-home facial or spa night, "As with most at-home devices, there are limitations to what this device can achieve," says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.

To help you decide if you should dish out the money and splurge on the TheraFace Pro device, I broke down the different attachments and my reviews for each of them.

I was most excited about the microcurrent attachment because I feel like it's the attachment that shows results the quickest. Microcurrent technology — which uses low-level electrical currents to lift, tone, and firm your facial muscles – is fascinating to me, and this wasn't my first experience with it. I own the mini NuFace device, a similar noninvasive device that tones muscles in your face, although it took me a few tries to really get used to it.

For those unfamiliar with microcurrent technology, it's "a noninvasive therapy that sends out a low-voltage current that is similar to the natural electrical currents in the body," Zain Husain, MD a board-certified dermatologist and founder of New Jersey Dermatology & Aesthetics Center, previously told Allure. "The microcurrent stimulates energy production to drive the creation of collagen and elastin in the skin."

The microcurrent attachment for the TheraFace Pro is bigger than the NuFace, and it feels a little more robust. I really enjoyed this feature on the device with one exception — the conductor gel, which is made with ingredients that help conduct the microcurrent through the skin barrier and activate the facial muscles underneath, didn't work for me and my skin. It felt super slimy, thick, and inconvenient, especially compared to NuFace Hydrating Aqua Gel.

The formula contains glycerin and dimethicone, two ingredients that "can have a slimy feel," says Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. That could be why I found myself reaching for the NuFace gel, which is made with water, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, as an alternative option when I used this attachment.

By Gabi Thorne

By Kara Nesvig

By Gabi Thorne

But the conductor gel texture isn't what counts. As long as the gel works through the skin's barrier and allows the microcurrent to activate the muscles in your face, you’re in good shape.

The microcurrent process should take five to eight minutes, according to the TheraFace team, and you can do it once every 24 hours. It's recommended to take slow, five-second swipes across the face, and repeat that motion about three times. Once you get the hang of the device, feel free to use it in different sections of your face — above the eyebrows, on the jawline, on your cheekbones, for instance — in upward motions until the machine beeps and indicates that you should move on to another spot. Once you're done, you can wash the gel off and move on to the next steps of your skin-care routine.

I did see some results, which included a slightly lifted and more sculpted face, although they were very faint and difficult to see in pictures. I also felt like it helped get rid of some puffiness I was experiencing.

The TheraFace Pro comes with three different percussive attachments — a cone, a micro-point, and a flat. Percussive therapy, which is a combination of rapid percussive movements and vibrations, is intended to relax facial muscles and reduce tension, so these attachments are great for people who struggle with jaw pain or any other facial pain. The device's attachments can be used at three different speeds, depending on your specific needs and preferences.

By Gabi Thorne

By Kara Nesvig

By Gabi Thorne

The TheraFace team also told me that the percussion attachments are particularly helpful for people who clench their jaws at night. This point is contested. Dr. King says that, "I have not seen data that demonstrate that this is true." But Dr. Garshick, on the other hand, says that the percussion can help relax muscles that may be contributing to pain or discomfort. By running it across your face, particularly in the areas where you have pain, your muscles loosen up and, therefore, relax.

I'm a jaw clencher (woohoo, team nightguard), but I don't specifically struggle with jaw pain as a result of this, so these attachments weren't relevant for me.

Using this feature definitely felt like lightly putting a Theragun to your face, so that was a little jarring at first. I do wish it felt a bit smoother and more natural. I personally didn't reap the benefits of this attachment, but I'm sure other people (who struggle with facial pain) would.

The cleansing ring resembles a Foreo or a Clarisonic device, and it's the only TheraFace Pro attachment that's completely waterproof. (This means you can submerge it in water when it's time to clean it.) Like all cleansing brushes, you have to be careful when it comes to applying too much pressure, particularly on sensitive skin.While I think this attachment could be useful for dry and combination skin types, I didn't have the best experience with it. In fact, I think it actually irritated my skin and made me break out, especially on my cheeks. The breakouts flared up the morning after I used the cleansing brush, which I paired with my tried-and-true Cetaphil cleanser. But because they popped up so quickly after use, I can't be 100 percent certain the cleansing brush caused them. Needless to say, when deep-cleansing with the attachment, you may dig so deep you may start to purge.

This is relatively common. If the cleansing device is not properly cleaned, "it can introduce bacteria and oil back into the skin," Dr. Garshick says. If it's too harsh, "it can disrupt the natural skin barrier, leading to irritation and potential breakouts," she adds.

By Gabi Thorne

By Kara Nesvig

By Gabi Thorne

After a few nights of using the device, I eliminated the cleansing attachment from my routine and added in the blue light to clear up the acne and breakouts, which helped them fade over the span of a couple days.

"Facial cleansing devices may help to achieve a deeper cleanse by helping to lift off dirt and buildup," Dr. Garshick said. With that being said, "it is important to not overuse them as they can cause injury or irritation to the skin," she notes.

If you have sensitive skin, it's always important to introduce new products or devices cautiously into a skin-care routine, Dr. Garshick explains. People with sensitive skin may still be able to use the TheraFace Pro, but it's best to limit use to a few times per week to minimize potential irritation, she says.

I saw a lot of people on TikTok drooling over the hot and cold attachments. The hot ring is made to reduce tension in the face, decrease pain and muscle spasms, and increase blood flow, while the cold ring is meant to depuff and decrease pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms. The hot ring reaches three temperatures: 95, 102, and 109 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold ring reaches three temperatures that don't come close to freezing: 78, 71, and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. So I was ready to be impressed and obsessed.

After washing my face and using the microcurrent feature, I decided to dive into the hyped-up attachments. The hot ring didn't seem to get that hot, and I don't have a high heat tolerance to begin with, so that says a lot. As for the cold ring, the ring itself didn't seem to get very cold, either. Which makes sense, considering the cold ring only goes to 65 degrees temperature.

After putting on moisturizer, I used the cool ring. The machine (the handheld part I was gripping while using it) heated up when I used that, but it didn't heat up when I was using the hot ring, which felt kind of strange. It made me wonder if the heat that was building up in the machine detracted from the chillier elements of the ring. I was expecting the cold ring to feel like an ice roller, but it didn't even come close to that temperature for me.

By Gabi Thorne

By Kara Nesvig

By Gabi Thorne

The hot and cold rings come in a thermal pouch that's meant to keep the ring temperatures stabilized when you're not using them. This is a great feature, but since the rings didn't feel like they got super cold or super hot anyway, the point is moot.

The light therapy attachments for the TheraFace Pro have three different settings depending on your needs – a red light for aging, a blue light for acne, and the red-plus-infrared light, which is meant to specifically target the fine lines around your eyes.

When it comes to the LED attachments, Dr. King says some experts believe red LED lights act on fibroblast cells in the skin, which plays a role in collagen production. "In theory, red light could help to reverse some signs related to photoaging in the skin," she says. "But in reality, we don't yet have enough scientific evidence to prove effectiveness."

Blue LED light, on the other hand, is most commonly used to treat acne. "It may do this by reducing activity in the sebaceous glands," Dr. King said, or it might kill bacteria that contributes to acne. TheraFace's website is very clear about not using the blue light with the percussive attachments, as doing so could spread facial bacteria.

That's in line with the brand's recommendations, too. "We do not suggest turning on the percussive attachment as this may spread harmful acne bacteria," board-certified dermatologist Mamina Turegano, MD, says in a TheraFace Pro tutorial video.

Personally, the light attachments were my favorite part of the TheraFace Pro. I've tried the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite Face WarePro before, and it kept falling off of the straps and wouldn't stay on my face. The TheraFace Pro eliminates that logistical issue, though. Instead of keeping something plastered to your face, you just hold the handheld device and direct it to the spots that need treatment.

According to Therabody, you're supposed to hold the light to specific spots for 45 seconds. After using the blue light version of this attachment – which is meant to get rid of acne – I did see that the breakouts I got from the cleansing brush began to fade, so that was exciting. It took about two days to see these results.

Yes and no. It's a pretty hefty price tag, so there are a few things to think about (e.g. your skin type and your needs) before you make the purchase.

By Gabi Thorne

By Kara Nesvig

By Gabi Thorne

If you're the kind of person who does well with cleansing devices like the Foreo or the Clarisonic, this is for you. Additionally, if you're the kind of person who has pain in your facial muscles or jaw, this is for you. If you're most excited about the cold and hot rings – which cost an additional $99, the purchase isn't worth it in my opinion. You might be better off using a warm washcloth and an ice roller.

Ultimately, if you have sensitive skin and you don't struggle with any facial pain, the big price tag isn't really worth it. For those who don't have sensitive skin, the TheraFace tool is a great machine to add to your at-home routine. With so many attachments to choose from, there's plenty of room for experimentation. The device can be used daily, so you can feel comfortable mixing and matching the attachments and adding it to your current skin-care routine.

The TheraFace Pro is available to purchase for $399 at Therabody.com.

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