The Latest Medi-Spa Skincare Technology- In Your Pajamas! - Stylehive

The fountain of youth is even closer than before... and now, you don't even have to leave your house in your quest. The hottest at-home skincare device is the Marvel Mini, by Ageless Beauty, and it harnesses the power of light to deliver results for a mild price tag in comparison to spa and dermatologist treatments. But the biggest question on everyone's mind is... does it really work? Curiosity got the best of me. I wasn't willing to withstand the pain or down-time of in-office treatments such as Titan or Thermage- and I didn't really think that my skin was looking like it needed something THAT drastic, either. A little kick-start perhaps?

The Marvel Mini is available in Red, Blue. And the system uses entirely safe (approved by NASA) intense, pulsed light to affect your skin. Different wavelengths of light result in different colors and different desired effects. The blue wavelengths of light provided are effective for acneic skin because of an anti-bacterial action. Green is indicated for hyper-pigmentation. Red is best for anti-aging. Sounds good. At 37, I'm just starting to see some signs of aging in my skin such as loss of firmness, increased pore size, lack of clarity, dullness (despite daily Clarisonic cleanings), and some fine lines. I've also developed sensitivity and redness around my nose and cheeks.

The makers of the Marvel Mini Red claim that red light "penetrates into the skin to help promote increased blood flow. This type of light also stimulates fibroblasts within the dermis to produce new collagen, accounting for its ability to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, giving the look and feel of a non-surgical facelift. It's like getting an injection of your own collagen. Red light can also help to decrease inflammation and thereby lighten the redness associated with rosacea and eczema, while rejuvenating aged or sun-damaged skin." Sign me up.

The Marvel Mini Red is a baby-sized version of the Marvel 6 Facial Rejuvenation System that is used by doctors and spas to provide light therapy. These treatments typically start at $500 per session.

I tested the Marvel Mini Red for all 18 sessions suggested. As promised, it is totally pain free. I felt only a subtle warmth. The wand is easy to use- you simply glide the light wand slowly across your face as directed by a series of beeps which the wand emits telling you to switch to a different quadrant. My treatments took approximately 4.5 weeks, and each treatment lasted 26 minutes. At first it seemed a little time-consuming, but I quickly got used to it and was watching television or even flipping through a magazine while the MMR worked it's wonders.

Results? I saw them right away. There was immediate reduction in my sensitivity and redness. And by a few treatments, I felt like my face looked fuller, and my skin tone more lively. By the end of my 18 treatments, there was increased firmness to my skin, and I felt a lot more confident posting sans-makeup photos of my final results to my blog. It took a lot of courage to do that!

I continued using the Marvel Mini Red for about a month after my initial treatments and then graduated to a more powerful system, the Baby Quasar. I continue to practice photo rejuvenation light therapy twice a week and it has definitely given my skin the boost I was looking for.

If you're looking for "surgical" results, you probably won't find it with light therapy, or an at-home device... but if you have reasonable results and especially if you're looking for something that is great for reducing the redness of rosacea... this futuristic, non-invasive skincare tool is nothing short of wondrous!