I've been using this for six months now, and wanted to wait that long to write a review to make sure that this works. I originally splurged (thanks to a great coupon on Sephora) on the regular-sized device, along with the ELE eye and lip enhancer and the laser adaptors, but only used them twice before returning the set and getting the NuFace Mini from Amazon. While I saw results when I used the regular NuFace after each session, I decided to exchange it for the Mini since I quickly realized that the Mini would allow me to do almost everything that I had been hoping that the ELE attachment would enable me to do.
As a bit of background, I'm a few months shy of 45, and, while I think my skin looks decent overall because I've been using Retin-A for about fifteen years, I do have some slackness to my face and my crows' feet have been getting more pronounced. I don't have any desire to get injections, so this seemed like a good alternative, and it has been so far. While it hasn't done any miracles on my face, my crows' feet do seem improved, and my skin looks tighter. It hasn't made much of a difference in my naso-labial folds, and I really had been hoping it would.
When I used it the first time, the ELE adaptor left a huge indentation along my left-hand smile line that took 48 hours (!!!) to fully go away. I was following along with the video when this happened, and have to say that it really freaked me out. Even my husband noticed and asked me what was going on. When I contacted the company, they said that they couldn't really advise me what to do, but, as I said, it did go away. After that, I decided to return the large NuFace since using the ELE attachment again made me nervous, and that's when I bought this Mini.
The way that this works is that you use it in sweeping motions and in certain held positions until it beeps at you after five seconds. In the places where you sweep, you pass it over three areas, three times each, in a certain pattern.
Because this was such a large expense for me, I read a ton of reviews on various websites before buying the regular NuFace and then the Mini, and here are some things to know before you buy:
--Realize that this does take a time commitment. When you first get it, you're supposed to use it six days a week for the first two months, and after that you can cut back to a few times a week. You only need to use it five minutes a day, but you can add on a few extra holds in other areas of your face, which is what I have been doing since I got it back in November. Even doing that, a treatment session takes about fifteen minutes, which is much better for lazy me than the twenty to thirty minutes that using the two other attachments (the ELE and laser) would take. I know that I’m lazy about the extra commitment that using the ELE and laser attachments would require, so, for me, the Mini seemed like a better option.
--I definitely taste a metallic taste after using this along my jawline and near my mouth. It goes away after about an hour, but is still a bit unsettling at first.
--Other reviewers are correct that the gel that this comes with is pretty awful. It dries right away, and if it’s not wet, you’ll have to keep applying it or you will feel a sting. I ended up buying some aloe vera gel, but it didn't work that well and I had red marks on my face. I decided to get some ultrasound gel (Spectra 360 Electrode Gel - Parker Laboratories - 8.5 oz Tube - (Pack of 2)), and it works perfectly.
--Speaking of the sting, if you do notice this, use more gel and those stings will go away. I also had some red streaks the first time I used this since I hadn’t realized that I needed to re-apply the gel since it dried up really quickly on my first pass of the device.
--When you get the device, the instruction manual will include a link to a NuFace site with some videos on how to use this device properly. I followed along a few times, then I placed the printed out instructions in a sheet protector so I could keep it on hand for reference and not be worried about water dripping on it (a lesson learned the hard way).
--The company also has a free app you can download to your smartphone that will walk you through using it and also give you reminders.
--I’m on the smaller side with a long, narrow face, so the regular NuFace’s balls felt almost too large to get in smaller places like under my eyebrows and above my lips. The Mini glides along my face and is easier to use for me.
--I had really wanted the light attachment, but it sends out constant pulses of light, and that made it a challenge for me to use since it hurt my eyes while using it. I know you can wear goggles while using that attachment to avoid the annoyance, but the flashing light around my eyes would still be present when using it on those areas.
--Expect for your face to hurt a bit after you first start using this. I haven’t experienced any bruising, but the soreness I felt in my face is similar to that I feel after lifting weights, when the muscle feels fatigued. That feeling lasted about two months, but I now no longer notice it.
Overall, I'm pleased with this little device. If you get into a regular habit of using it, it makes a difference, and it's a nice way to make your skin look more refreshed and toned.
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