Wrinkles, your days are numbered! The NIRA Pro Laser caught my eye as someone who is a beauty-tech enthusiast. From LED masks to pricey red-light panels, I've used them all.
I've been chasing the technological fountain of youth for quite some time now — and I haven't discovered it yet. And no, don't tell me to "age gracefully." The only reason I haven't injected my face with Botox yet is because of my crippling fear of needles. Otherwise, bring on the anti-aging tools, treatments, and skin care routines, alongside my vitamin C serums and tretinoin.
The NIRA Pro is my latest skin care tech obsession. I first discovered it when it was spotlighted as an Innovation Award nominee for CES 2024. I saw the words "wrinkle reduction" and "youthful looking skin in 90 days," and I was like, "Sign me up!"
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableThe NIRA Pro is an at-home laser designed to offer professional-grade results to users. After 90 days of use, NIRA claims that its skin care device reduces wrinkles and renews skin by inciting the production of collagen. But the question is, does it actually work?
NIRA Pro Laser price
The NIRA Pro Laser costs $599 on NIRA's official website.
NIRA also sells the NIRA Precision Laser, which has a price tag of $449.
NIRA Pro LaserNIRA Pro Laser vs. NIRA Precision Laser
The NIRA Precision Laser came first. It has a narrow head, allowing users to target wrinkles and other skin care woes more, well, precisely.
However, the minor setback with the Precision device is that it takes too long. Could you imagine standing up in front of the mirror and placing its small head on each unwanted wrinkle one by one? Not a bad purchase if you're 27 and you're losing your marbles over a few rogue fine lines. But if you've got "trouble areas" up the wazoo, the NIRA Pro Laser is your best bet.
The NIRA Pro Laser has a larger head, allowing it to cover more surface area on your face. In contrast, the NIRA Precision Laser is better suited for treating hard-to-reach wrinkles.
So you'd be better off with the NIRA Precision Laser if you just have a few fine lines to tackle — or if they're located in places where there's a lot of curvature (e.g., the inner corner of your eye). But if you've got a lot more than the Precision Laser can handle, the NIRA Pro laser has you covered.
For this review, I only tested the NIRA Pro laser.
What does the NIRA Pro Laser claim to do?
NIRA boasts that the Pro Laser is a clinically proven, FDA-cleared, at-home laser treatment that can do the following:
- reduce fine lines
- diminish wrinkles
- tighten skin
- even skin tone
- lift hooded eyes
- brighten dark spots
- improve acne scarring
The company claims that one can achieve "younger looking skin" in just 90 days.
What's the science behind the NIRA Pro Laser?
The NIRA Pro Laser stimulates the production of collagen in your skin. How? It uses NIRA's patented laser tech to transmit something called "a non-fractional, non-ablative laser fluence" to your dermis.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableIf this sounds like gobbledygook to you (like it once did for me), allow me to explain. Non-fractional means that the laser light covers the whole area you're pointing at (as opposed to just tiny spots), so you're treating your targeted area evenly.
Non-ablative means the laser doesn't remove any layers of your skin, so it should, in theory, be relatively painless.
The NIRA Pro Laser warms your skin. It's hot enough to kick off the heat-shock protein (HSP) formation, but cool enough that it should remain below the pain threshold.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableThink of HSPs as molecular firefighters for your skin. When the NIRA Pro Laser stresses your skin, an SOS signal is released, so to speak, inviting the HSPs to rush to the scene and stimulate skin regeneration. They can also boost collagen production, which tends to slow as we grow older.
How do you use the NIRA Pro Laser?
Before using the NIRA Pro Laser, I always make sure that my skin is makeup-free and cleansed. After drying my face, I turn on the Pro Laser and tap it several times to set the treatment level to the highest tier.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableNext, I use the NIRA Pro Laser to treat my biggest frustrations: crows' feet and under-eye wrinkles. I start by placing the NIRA Pro Laser on my crows' feet — and I can feel the rush of heat hit my skin. I must hold the NIRA Pro Laser there until I hear a beep. (If you hear a rejection tone, it means you didn't place the Pro Laser on your skin properly, so you should redo the section).
To do my crows' feet and under-eye wrinkles for both eyes, it takes me less than a minute.
After the NIRA Pro Laser, I continue with my skin routine, which has been a personalized formula that I've been using from the skin care brand Curology.
NIRA Pro Laser design
The NIRA Pro Laser makes me feel like I'm holding an anti-wrinkle weapon of sorts. It looks like a futuristic ray gun, ready to decimate my wrinkles into oblivion with a single zap. The elongated grip makes the NIRA Pro Laser easy to hold. Its gaping opening is where the laser escapes, tackling any area you choose to place it on.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableThere's a power button on the front as well as a USB-C port for charging. (The NIRA Pro Laser comes with the USB-C cable, but you're on your own as far as a charging brick is concerned.)
On top of the USB-C port, you'll find an LED indicator, which blinks when it's running out of juice.
The NIRA Pro Laser is also super light and compact. I've brought it with me to several locations, including London and California for WWDC 2024. It's lightweight and compact, so it slipped comfortably in my travel bag, too.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableYou'll also find LED lights on top of the power button with five power levels. I highly recommend you start with the lowest tier to test your tolerance for the NIRA Pro Laser. As you carry on with the NIRA Pro Laser over time, feel free to climb up the power-level ladder until you reach the top setting.
Is the NIRA Pro Laser painful?
I used the highest setting throughout the entire experiment (do as I say, not what I do). I wouldn't say that the NIRA Pro is completely painless. For the most part, the experience is comfortable. But every once in a while, I'd find myself wincing. Sometimes, there is discomfort because it feels as if it's getting a little too warm for my tastes.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableHowever, throughout my time using the NIRA Pro Laser, I've never gotten burned or injured in any way. On rare occasions, I noticed some temporary redness, but there was no peeling nor anything dramatic.
NIRA Pro Laser battery life
The NIRA Pro Laser can last weeks on a single charge. I've taken the NIRA Pro Laser with me on three-week vacations and never had to recharge once.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableYou can totally leave the charging cable behind. Again, I only use the NIRA Pro Laser for less than a minute — and I'm not exaggerating. As such, I'm not expending a lot of energy nor power, so it has a pretty long runtime. When it does run low on juice, you'll see a flashing LED indicator telling you it's time to recharge.
Does NIRA Pro Laser actually work? Before and after pictures
I started using the NIRA Pro Laser in March of this year. About 48 days later, or a month and a half into the 90-day treatment, I did a check in for any visible changes.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / MashableAt first glance, I didn't see any profound differences in the before-and-after photos. If anything, it looked like my crows' feet had deepened. So much so, I reached out to the NIRA team to help make sense of it. However, with the help of the NIRA team, I realized there is some progress that I didn't catch initially. The after photo shows lifted hooded eyes, brighter dark circles, and reduction to the fine lines under my eyes.
Granted, this is only about 48 days in — and NIRA boasts that it takes 90 days, or three months, to see any visible results. So I decided to continue to using NIRA Pro. Here are the results of my 90-day treatment, with the before photo showing my first day using the device in March while the after photo is a mid-July snapshot.
Well, I'll be. It actually worked!
There is a visible reduction across the board to my crows' feet and under-eye wrinkles. You need a magnifying glass to see the difference, but hey, the NIRA Pro Laser has lived up to its promise.
Is the NIRA Pro Laser worth it?
I have the patience of a caffeine addict in line at Starbucks. I want to get rid of my wrinkles — and I want to do it now. I don't want to wait a few weeks, a couple of months, nor a season. Unfortunately, that's just not the way life works. As much as this trite line makes me want to roll my eyes, "consistency is key," particularly with the NIRA Pro Laser. And, most importantly, you need patience.
Even 90 days in, while there was definitely improvement to my skin, it was subtle. It took three months to see any significant smoothing to my crows' feet. It also seemingly gets worse before it gets better. However, the operative word here is "better." The proof is in the pictures. My skin did get better. It just took some time to get there. And it will take even more time to get the results I want.
The plus side is that the NIRA Pro Laser facilitates fast, at-home treatments. Whether you're a busy parent or an overwhelmed worker bee, you can always find time in your day for the NIRA Pro Laser. It only takes a minute or two.
So yes, the NIRA Pro Laser is totally worth it. It's the best beauty tech device I've used in 2024. Just make sure you keep your patience and consistency handy because you're going to need it.
