Zeno: Electric Zit Zapping

Celia writes:

As my coworker reading the magazine we saw the ad in (Cosmo Girl, to be exact) said, "It looks like an MP3 player, but it's for treating zits."

It's a heat-based anti-acne treatment, which as scares me a little, but not as much as the fact that it comes in many trendy colors, and includes a wall charger.

At first I thought the Zeno was heating up the pus in a zit, causing it to expand and come to a head, not unlike the old mother's trick of passing a red-hot needle over the surface or using a hot compress. But the company is claiming the heat from the Zeno "stimulates a heat-shock response in p.acnes, the bacteria causing at least 90% of all acne blemishes." They go on: "Heat shock proteins, activated by bacterial cells under heat stress, cause the self-destruction of p. acnes within the lesion, reducing inflammation and allowing the skin to return to a healthy state."

So yeah, I don't know. I do know that the entry level Zeno costs $150 (more if you want fancy colored cases) and replacement tips are sold in lots of 60 for $25. Anybody used one?

Product Page [MyZeno.com]

[#1 posted by tresser , January 7, 2008 12:59 PM]

get your cow-orker to go here if she happens to need acne prevention and an Mp3 player

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=
http%3A%2F%2Fwww.netyokocho.jp
%2Fcupid%2Fgoods%2FN-0013&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

(link broken down so i don't hork the page)

[#2 posted by Skep , January 7, 2008 1:20 PM]

I don't know if this gadget works or not, but as you mentioned, hot compresses have been and still are a doctor recommended treatment for acne and styes. But it is tough to get the compress at the right temperature to do some good but not burn yourself! So, if heat is a legitimate treatment and if a high tech device can reliably and safely deliver the correct temperature then it would seem like a good idea, though surely someone could make one that isn't so expensive to buy and operate...

[#3 posted by Anonymous , January 7, 2008 2:26 PM]

I have one. I love it. I'm almost 20 and still have pretty bad acne. This works incredibly well if I get a zit early on, and pretty well if I do it while the zit is already in full force.

[#4 posted by mdhatter , January 7, 2008 3:48 PM]

Seems like a guaranteed way to rid yourself of 150 dollars, plus shipping and handling.

[#5 posted by buboes_in_diplopia , January 7, 2008 4:22 PM]

Zeno on a budget:

1) Boil teakettle.
2) Fill film canister with hot water.
3) Press to pimple.

Optional: use washcloth to prevent burned fingers.

[#6 posted by David D. , January 8, 2008 7:16 AM]

Actually, the one to use is Thermaclear. It's cheaper, faster and generally more effective. As well, you only need to replace the tip once a year or so (with the Zeno it's as frequent as once a month). I bought my bf one off of eBay (the company doesn't sell in or ship to Canada) and it works well for him when nothing else did.

Disclaimer: I am not a shill, paid or unpaid. I am an ordinary human being just like yourself.

[#7 posted by maryr , January 8, 2008 7:39 AM]

I can't speak to the efficacy of the Zeno, but their molecular biology is B.S. Heat shock proteins basic purpose is not to trigger cell death - rather, their role is to promote survival at high temperatures or under other duress by acting as a chaperone to other proteins (to keep them folded correctly). Inducing the cells to produce heat shock proteins might slow growth/reproduction, but I don't think that's what is killing the bacteria.

Note: I'm just a BS level mol bio person myself so the heat shock proteins could be more complicated than I realize...

[#8 posted by ThatOtherGirl , January 8, 2008 1:02 PM]

My husband got one of these and I was seriously dubious, but tried it anyway on one of those pimples that never comes to a head- where it's just like an angry red inflamed lump that lasts for upwards of two weeks. I don't get them often (thank goodness), but when I do I hit them with an arsenal of ineffective things that usually ends up making them worse, and the skin around them irritated. ANYHOW... I tried it and the pimple was gone in two days! Whatever voodoo is in that little thing seems to work.

[#9 posted by noir , January 15, 2008 6:56 PM]

Fix your diet. Take a teaspoonful of flax seed oil a day and your complexion will clear up within days. Also, flax seed helps you to avoid other bodily inflammations that can harm you if left unchecked. $8.99/12 oz bottle lasts two-three months and is ultimately more beneficial for you than just treating the result of inflammation -- acne.

[#10 posted by Anonymous , January 18, 2008 12:19 PM]

Yes, it's worth the money. I'm a bit older but still get random zits. The Zeno clears it up in 2 days, if not 1.