For most of us, daily life is already packed with enough technology to give the Apple Store a run for its money.

Now, a wave of hand-held beauty gadgets looks set to give a high-tech upgrade to our home grooming routines, too.

“Until now, you’ve had to go to the clinic, pay for an expensive treatment and go back every two weeks,” says Christine Bensonct you can buy a product and then do the same thing at home is why these gadgets are so popular.”

So, just how much can we expect from these armchair beauty regimes? Here’s the Style team’s lowdown. But remember: always read — and follow — the instructions.

1 ZENO

AIM To zap zits.

METHOD Uses a low dose of heat to kill the bacteria that cause spots.

EASY TO USE? Very. It starts to warm up at the touch of a button, and 90 seconds later, a light appears that tells you it is time to hold the small, circular tip over the area where you feel the initial tingling of a spot. The treatment lasts a mere two-and-a-half minutes, but you need to use the machine two or three times in 24 hours, so it’s a good job it is portable.

VERDICT More suitable for one-off spots — targeting the whole face would be incredibly time-consuming. It also requires good observation skills, as you need to catch a blemish before it has a chance to develop. On the plus side, the heat is not painful and it does reduce a spot’s life span to a mere couple of days.

£100, from Boots

2 TUA VISO

AIM To tone facial muscles and give the skin a nonsurgical lift.

METHOD Sends an electrical microcurrent through the muscles to make them contract and plump up, thus tightening the skin. The current also boosts circulation to help drain toxins and calm puffiness and eye bags.

EASY TO USE? Easy peasy. Fill the two electrode reservoirs with water so they conduct the current, switch on the device at your chosen intensity, then hold it to various parts of the face. It beeps when it is time to change exercise; a full face workout takes 20 minutes.

VERDICT I felt strange sensations during use — the jowl exercises contorted my lips in the way I would imagine a stroke might feel and the cheekbone exercises sent a wave of sensitivity through my teeth. After a week, my cheeks started to regain some of their youthful pertness. The results are short-term, though, so you have to keep it up.

£179; tinarichards.com

3 TRIA

AIM To permanently defuzz anywhere, except near the eyes (ie, legs, armpits, bikini line, upper lip).

METHOD A laser pulse is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, which disables the follicle, thereby reducing hair regrowth.

EASY TO USE? It comes with a scarily long list of contraindications in a huge instruction manual. Use Tria only on paler skin tones — if you have darker skin, a tan or have used self-tan, it can burn and cause pigmentation. The process itself is straightforward. First, shave the area being treated, then press the end of the apparatus onto your skin. It beeps when the treatment starts and then once more, a second or so later, when it is time to move on.

VERDICT Surprisingly comfortable — all I felt was a slight stinging sensation. It takes a while to do, though, as the probe is less than 1cm in diameter. Two weeks after the first application, hair started to fall out. There was a 20% reduction in hair after my first treatment and 50% after the second use. It was particularly effective on the bikini line.

£745; tria.co.uk

4 NUFACE

AIM To reduce wrinkles and firm sagging skin.

METHOD Uses an electric microcurrent to tone the muscles.

EASY TO USE? A detailed but straightforward process. First, apply the provided gel to the face, then switch on the dual-probe hand-held device and move it across the face in slow, gentle movements for five minutes in the morning and again at night. After washing off the gel, spray the Optimizing Mist all over the face.

VERDICT My face felt supple and smooth from the first treatment. After three days, the fine lines around my chin line were softer, but my jaw line was as slack as before. The line on the bridge of my nose became less visible, and some lines disappeared altogether after a week. My skin didn’t feel any plumper, just smoother.

£220, from Selfridges

5 STOP

AIM To firm skin and reduce wrinkles.

METHOD TriPollar radio-frequency technology. Stop emits four low-power laser beams into the dermis (the deeper layers of the skin). The heat causes collagen fibres to contract, thereby tightening the skin, and boosts the formation of new collagen, which leads to a plumper, smoother complexion.

EASY TO USE? Fairly good. The manual contains simple drawings to take you through the process. The 5in device is comfortable to hold, but the warning light that tells you when you have reached the required temperature should be in a more visible position.

VERDICT Despite initial scepticism, I am impressed. The promise is greater elasticity, smoother skin and fewer wrinkles, and I certainly noticed a difference. The cracks around my eyes and mouth were softer and my skin had a more pillowy plumpness.

£396, from Selfridges

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