7 Skin Lift and Tightening Beauty Devices Graded on Efficacy

In the age of preventative beauty, at-home face lifting devices are the new “It” items to try.

Between Medicube‘s TikTok-viral Age R Booster Pro, the NuFace Trinity+ and Kim Kardashian‘s sold-out Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap for Skims, lifting and firming tools are being snapped up by consumers now more than ever in hopes of avoiding the hefty price of plastic surgery later. And why pay thousands of dollars to go under the knife when a single device promises to perfect the same tight and toned appearance?

The appeal of these at-home tools is obvious, says Chaneve Jeanniton, board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon and founder of Brooklyn Face & Eye. “These devices are convenient, safe when used correctly and easy to work into a home routine.” That said, they aren’t actual replacements for clinical procedures.

“If we’re defining lift as repositioning facial tissues, then no, at-home devices don’t do that. Some [of these tools] improve elasticity, skin smoothness and fine lines,” Jeanniton notes. “But the results are subtle and only last when they’re used consistently. Stop using them and skin is back to baseline. It’s best to think of at-home devices as maintenance for skin quality, not as shortcuts to lifting.”

Indeed, some devices are more powerful than others, and a few are just plain hooey. Here, a breakdown of seven viral face sculpting and tightening tools with a grade of A through F based on effectiveness, according to aestheticians and licensed skin care specialists. 

The NuFace Trinity+ Starter Kit went viral on TikTok in 2022 for its technology that targets the muscles under the skin. “This device is as close as it gets to in-office microcurrent treatments,” says celebrity aesthetician and dermatological nurse Natalie Aguilar. “When it comes to microcurrent, I find it’s better to treat yourself at home, since this treatment requires multiple sessions to be effective.” Consumers are encouraged to use the NuFace tool five times a week for the first two months and two to three times a week after that.

Grade: A-

2. Frownies The Original Wrinkle Patch Facial Patches, $25.95

Frownies face patches have been praised for their overnight ability to minimize the appearance of frown lines and tighten the skin. Typically, the tape is placed on the forehead, under the eyes and below the cheekbones next to the mouth. SYK Skin founder and esthetician Soo-Young Kim Abrams notes this only works to soften fine lines from dehydration and muscle movement, and if the tape is used often. “If someone already has a deep set wrinkle and they’re over 50 or 60 years old, are we going to reduce that line that is set at rest? Most likely not,” Kim Abrams says.

Grade: B-

3. Lyma Laser, $2,695

Applauded by the likes of Hailey Bieber and Gwyneth Paltrow, the Lyma Laser technology — described as “phenomenal” by Aguilar — promises to visibly transform and firm the skin, soften wrinkles, improve elasticity, reduce pigmentation and stimulate collagen growth. It’s recommended that consumers use the device every day for the first three months and three times a week after for optimal results. That said, Aguilar doesn’t believe the maintenance and price is worth the purchase.

Grade: B+

4. PMD Beauty SMAS Lifting Massage Band, $159

Combining E-Wave and Sonicglow technology, the new SMAS Lifting Massage Band is said to firm and tone the facial muscles, increase lymphatic drainage and improve circulation for a youthful-looking appearance. “It’s better than a basic face band, but the microcurrent waves feel like it’s doing nothing,” Aguilar explains. “You also have to use a gel to ensure conductivity and it just feels icky.”

Grade: B-

5. Medicube Age R Booster Pro, $220

A leader of the K-beauty movement on TikTok, Medicube is now going viral for its Age R Booster Pro device promoted by beauty tycoons Kylie Jenner and Jeffree Star. The device is an electroporation tool allowing active ingredients to penetrate the skin deeper than they normally would with a contact sensor that, when pressed to the face, emits LED light. Medicube suggests using this with its Zero Exosome Shot and Collagen Jelly Cream to improve elasticity, boost glow and seal hydration. Aguilar warns the device has to be used daily or every other day in order to see results.

Grade: A-

6. Skin Gym LitLift EMS LED Facial Tool, $59.99

Available on TikTok Shop, the Skin Gym facial tool combines vibrational massage, electrical muscle stimulation, LED light therapy and “therapeutic warmth” to help reduce signs of aging and shape the face. Licensed aesthetician Samantha Susca says however that this device is “not strong enough.”

Grade: B-

7. Skims Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap, $48

The Seamless Sculpt Wrap, which divided the internet at the time of its launch, is made with collagen yarn and Skim’s signature sculpting fabric with velcro clasps on the top of the head and behind the neck. The wrap is meant to lift the skin around the jaw and cheekbones for a long(ish)-lasting contour effect. Susca says this tool is “gimmicky,” while Aguilar says the result is a “short-lived ‘lifted’ look but nothing more.”

Grade: D