Q: I read your columns about the AOGNY skin-tightening machine and what it did for your jawline and under your chin. Have you tested any other models? And, if so, how do they stack up? Do you use the AOGNY anywhere else besides the face? Are there other applications?
A: Before I answer your question, let's start with a refresher on RF skin-tightening. Skin becomes loose as people age because the body produces less collagen. This leads to drooping skin and wrinkles, most obviously on the face. RF skin-tightening is a clinically proven method that uses radio frequency (RF) energy to heat the skin underneath the surface to stimulate production of collagen, which tightens the skin and smooths over wrinkles.
It also works for removing stretch marks, and two interchangeable probes are provided with the AOGNY, a small one for the face and a larger one for the body.
As you have noted, what pleased me the most was the way it pulled the skin up under my chin and gave me a more defined jawline. Once I hit my 50s, I thought I was stuck with a saggy look there forever unless I got cosmetic surgery. When I discovered an inexpensive, safe and easy way to improve this, I was definitely on board.
After I started using the AOGNY, I also started getting compliments on the overall appearance of my skin. But you need to be patient. It took months of using the machine for 20 minutes every three days to get the results I wanted, but now that I am there, I am not quite as rigid about the treatment schedule. As long as I get in two 20-minute sessions per week (at least three days apart), I am happy.
As for testing other devices, because I now have the finished result, it makes it difficult to evaluate other machines because I don't have any way to judge how effective they are. There certainly are other good machines out there, but given my experience with the AOGNY it has been a safe recommendation for me to make.
If I can find a small and affordable machine for travel purposes, I likely will give it a try. Continuing the maintenance is important enough to me that I pack the machine if I am going away for more than five days. The AOGNY is not heavy, but it is relatively bulky and not really meant to travel. I put it in a repurposed cloth shopping bag and tuck it into my large suitcase, surrounded by soft clothes to protect it.
AOGNY (note that it's not "agony," a typo often made when entering the name in a search engine) has held the line on price. The skin-tightening machine sells for $369 on Amazon, and there is often a $30 checkbox coupon available. There are consumer reviews and tutorials on Amazon, and they are worth viewing.
