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Ever since gua shas became all the rage back in 2020, it’s been one face gadget after another, but when I tell you this £40 microcurrent tool from Beautypro is the one, I’m not kidding.
As a beauty writer, I’ve tested everything from LED face masks to cryo globes and sonic-powered face cleansing brushes. It’d be fair to say there are plenty of fads in the skincare industry and a lot of them will set you back a pretty penny, but I think I might have found a sweet spot hero product for affordability and results.
Beautypro’s T-bar device (£39, Lookfantastic.com) is cheaper than competitor brands, such as NuFace, Magnitone and Facegym, while offering – in the case of NuFace – more than 10 times more pulses per minute. Indeed, getting technical with the numbers, the NuFace trinity (£199 alone or £385 for the starter kit, Lookfantastic.com) offers 8.4 pulses per second, according to its FDA report; if I scale that figure up to the minute I can then see that it, with 504 pulses per minute, pales in comparison to the T-bar’s promise of a whopping 6,000 pulses per minute.
Naturally, I had to put the product to the test to make sure these many pulses, which work to boost collagen production (in theory), were more than mere marketing lip service. Keep reading to see how I got on.
How I tested
Before testing, I spoke to Kimberley Medd, the skin expert and clinic lead at Face the Future, to determine what I might be looking to get out of the T bar. She told me that “beauty tools such as a gua sha are popular to use as a technique for lymphatic drainage, but you’ll see more benefits from devices with additional properties”. For the uninitiated, lymphatic drainage is a type of massage designed to stimulate excess lymph fluid (often in swollen areas) back into circulation.
“Facial tools that also have elements such as vibrations, like with a T-bar facial device, do more than just aid lymphatic drainage. They also decongest the under eyes, minimise dark circles, boost collagen production, clarify acne-prone skin and boost oxygen levels and circulation,” she adds.
“The skin is stimulated through pulses whilst also being stretched with outward movement of the tool, used for lymphatic drainage. A jade roller or T-bar tool is going to be more gentle for light pressure on the skin, acting less abrasive than a Gua Sha or tool that has prominent curves, whilst also achieving high results with the added vibration.”
With Medd’s kernels of wisdom in mind, I set about using the T-bar in the areas mentioned: the under eyes, my acne-prone cheeks and any zones in need of de-puffing, namely my jawline. I pulled the bar slowly in upwards and outwards motions across my face, and downwards around my chin and jawline, allowing the bar at least 60 seconds in each area. All in all, I’d estimate the process took around five to seven minutes with each use.
I used the bar on nights when I applied a face oil (around every two to three nights a wekk) for more slip and less resistance. I used the product for around three weeks, noting both immediate differences and long-term changes to the state of my fine lines, puffiness, dark circles and acne.
