I have never gotten more compliments on my skin than in the two months I’ve used the TheraFace PRO from Therabody (yep, the massage gun company).
The 8-in-1 tool comes with different attachments to promote overall facial health. So, yes, it’s a skincare tool, but it’s also more than that. Retailing at $399, the TheraFace PRO comes with a facial cleansing head, three percussive therapy heads, a microcurrent attachment, and an LED ring. There are also hot and cold rings that you can add on for $99, and I’m going to say you should absolutely add them on.
I honestly don’t want to go back to a time when the TheraFace PRO wasn’t in my daily routine. Often when I wash my face at night, my skin comes away looking a little sallow and dull, but when I use the TheraFace, my skin is plump and full of color. It has become a staple in my skincare arsenal, and it’s absolutely worth the splurge.
How TheraFace PRO works
On the TheraFace PRO tool, there is a ring button and a percussive button, each housing three setting levels. The cleansing ring and massage heads are controlled from the percussive button, while the LED ring, microcurrent ring, and hot and cold tools are powered by the ring button. Using each tool is as simple as holding down the power button for two seconds, then pressing either the ring or percussive button one, two, or three times depending on what feature and setting you want. I tend to stay on setting two in most cases.
At first, I was a little skeptical of TheraFace, because I assumed using all of the attachments in one sitting would wreak havoc on my sensitive skin. But I spoke with Lissa Bankston, the director of education for Therabody, who assured me that the functions are stackable and meant to be used together.
For the purposes of this review, I’m going to talk about each attachment in the order I use it in my skincare routine. Note that you can use them in any order, and TheraBody has preset routines you can follow.
The cleansing ring: My pores have never been cleaner
I own the PMD facial brush, so I guessed the TheraFace cleansing ring would be pretty much the same. While the texture of the brush is the same, TheraFace uses a pulsing percussive motion rather than vibration like other facial cleansers. I wasn’t sure how much of a difference this would actually make, but after a couple months of use, my skin feels better than ever.
My PMD scrubber is not always the kindest to my sensitive skin, and there have been times when I have had to skip using it for a few days because my skin felt raw and uncomfortable. That has never happened with the TheraFace. In fact, my skin feels softer and cleaner when I use the TheraFace consistently. And I can tell it’s working because even after I’ve taken off my makeup, the water/cleanser on the TheraFace attachment sometimes has a slight brown tinge from scrubbing off additional foundation.
I also find myself washing my face for longer with the TheraFace because it feels so nice on my skin. I usually have it running on speed two or three, because the lowest setting tends to kind of bounce against the bonier parts of my face. Turning the frequency up helps avoid this.
One small gripe I have is that the TheraFace PRO is not waterproof, so I can’t take it into the shower. It is water resistant, so it’s OK if some water splashes the device, but it’s not safe to leave in the shower or tub like the PMD scrubber. I have tried setting it on the sink counter and pulling it into the shower for the minute or so it takes to wash my face, making sure I don’t get much water on it. That’s worked fine, but because the USB-C charging port is just open on the bottom of the device, I haven’t risked that too many times since my hands are still wet and there’s so much moisture in the air of the shower. It’s really not too much of a hassle to just wash my face once I step out of the shower. And truly, the results are worth the extra step.
Microcurrent shows immediate results
The microcurrent tool was one of the more intriguing attachments for me. I’ve been wanting to try NuFACE, but I couldn’t justify the price tag for a single-use product, so I was stoked that the microcurrent feature was part of the TheraFace. It also comes with a tube of conductive gel, which is required for the microcurrent to work.
When I first tried this attachment, I wasn’t sure if it was actually doing anything — you can feel and/or see the other attachments in action, but the microcurrent tool doesn't vibrate or light up like the others do. But after a few swipes along my jawline, the permanent retainer behind my bottom teeth started tasting really metallic, so I could tell it was doing something.
As I moved the tool up to my cheek bones and brow bones, I started feeling little shocks on my skin, which I didn’t love. So, I’ve learned to keep the microcurrent tool on the lowest setting and restrict it to only the lower portion of my face.
Even when I couldn’t feel the microcurrent tool working, I could see results instantly. I typically use it for a minute and a half on each side of my jaw; afterward, my face is visibly lifted and more sculpted. Truthfully, this is the step I skip the most often in my day-to-day skincare routine — some days I just can’t be bothered to slather my face with conductive gel immediately after washing it.
Red and blue light therapy for acne and wrinkles
The LED ring has three settings: red light (for wrinkles), blue light (for acne), and red plus infrared light (for wrinkles and pain). Both red lights can be used in conjunction with the percussive attachments for even more wrinkle-fighting blood flow. But the blue light cannot, because Bankston says it’s designed to bring bacteria to the surface of your skin, and the percussion would sort of splatter bacteria around on your face, which is decidedly not good for fighting acne.
Truthfully, I’m not fully sure how to measure the results from red and blue light therapy — and that’s not unique to TheraFace; I’ve tried light therapy masks and didn’t notice any drastic changes after the designated usage time frame.
I will say, my cheeks — where I have most of my problem acne — have been a lot clearer with fewer red spots and scarring since I started using the TheraFace. Whether that’s solely because of the blue light is hard to say, because the other attachments have been pulling some weight, too. But I’m sure the blue light has played a part.
As for wrinkles, catch me in five to 10 years and I’ll let you know if these preventative measures have worked.
One thing to note about the LED lights is that they remain dim until they get close to your skin, at which point they are bright as hell, especially the red ones. So, I recommend doing this treatment with your eyes closed.
Massage heads really get the blood flowing
The three massage heads target different areas of the face, neck, and chest to help with tension, pain, and blood flow.
As an avid contacts and glasses wearer with a -6.25 prescription, I often get headaches behind and around my eyes, and the cone-shaped massage head attachment, which I use on my forehead and around my eyebrows, has been a godsend. It really pinpoints the tension, and I feel immediate results that I can’t achieve with ibuprofen alone.
I don’t have TMJ, but every time I read one of those “unclench your jaw” posts, I have a jaw to unclench. And the flat massage head attachment is really nice for loosening my muscles and helping my face relax.
The micro point attachment is great for an all-over pick-me-up on the face. It feels like it gets the blood flowing and makes my skin look lively. However, it is the tickliest one of the bunch, and gives me that weird scrunchy feeling in my nose, so I don’t use it for long periods of time.
I don’t own a massage gun, so I’ve tried the TheraFace on my sore thighs after an Ass and Abs class at the gym, and the percussive therapy worked beautifully. So, if you’ve been on the fence about getting a massage gun and also want to improve your facial health, the TheraFace PRO is a win-win. (Though it’s obviously not as powerful or large as an actual massage gun.)
Hot and cold tools
The hot and cold tools are the stars of my skincare routine, so it’s a bummer that they’re sold separately. These attachments essentially act as a gua sha or face roller, but with skin-safe, controlled temperatures. They also come together in their own little case that protects the metal from outside elements, so it stays functioning properly.
As for the temperatures, Bankston said, “We looked at what ultimately would be the safest temperature when applying metal to the tissue.” For the cold tool, that’s a minimum temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and for the hot tool it’s a max of 109 degrees. Bankston said anything colder than 50 degrees can restrict veins and tissue, causing damage to the skin. And the Therabody team found 109 degrees to be the sweet spot with enough heat to open pores and relax tension.
I like to use the cold ring in the morning after applying my moisturizer and serums. It helps shape my face and reduce puffiness, and it’s seriously such a nice way to wake up my skin. The attachment feels so cold, I often don’t venture up to level three. You can only use the cold ring for a max of five minutes, otherwise the device will overheat from the power it uses to cool the attachment.
I really love the cool attachment, but I wish it were a full ring, rather than having gaps in the metal, so I could have a bigger cooling surface against my skin and avoid feeling the plastic part of the ring on my face.
I like the hot tool’s plateau-like shape, which can cover a good amount of surface area, better. It gets to full heat within about 20 seconds, and as with the cold tool, I usually stay on level one or two. My favorite way to use the hot tool is to put on moisturizer and face oil, then run the tool over my face. It feels like a luxurious spa treatment and really melts the product into my skin. It’s absolutely glorious.
Both tools retain a consistent temperature as you use them, which is very much appreciated and not something you can achieve with, say, a jade roller that you pulled from the fridge. They do kind of stick to dry skin, though, so I recommend applying some sort of moisturizing product before using these tools.
Is the TheraFace PRO worth the price?
I know $400 (plus $100 for the hot and cold attachments) sounds like a hefty price tag, but when you break it down, the TheraFace PRO is totally worth the cost. Let’s look at it if we were to buy individual devices for each function of the TheraFace: The NuFACE (microcurrent) is $209, the PMD facial brush (cleansing ring) is $99, LightStim (red and blue light therapy) is $169, and the Theragun Mini (percussive massage) is $199. All together, that adds up to $676, so if you want all of those functions, it 100 percent makes sense to buy the TheraFace PRO. You can even add on the hot and cold tools and still spend less money.
It's also a hell of a lot cheaper than getting regular professional facials, and I truly feel like I've received a spa treatment every time I use the TheraFace PRO.
Topics Beauty Reviews Mashable Choice
