Customer Reviews

Zeno Hot Spot Blemish Clearing Device, Blue

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(29)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

I am absolutely a skeptic, and the only reason I even considered this was I came into work today with a small mountain of a zit on my chin (okay, it wasn't a mountain but it felt/looked like one) and was desperate. I knew from experience that popping zits like that don't work, and though I faithfully applied a salycilic acid solution all weekend that usually DOES take care of these occasional bothers, the thing just got bigger, not smaller. So I hopped online and looked at options. I literally ran out at lunch to buy one of these and brought it back to my office to try, but not before checking LOTS and LOTS of websites to see what people's experiences were with these. Overall reviews seemed to be that the vast majority of people saw some benefit, and since the unit carries a 30-day return policy, what did I have to lose.

Got back from lunch and powered the thing up and, following directions, applied it both to the mountainous Zit and to a smaller one that was making a go for it on my cheek. The result one hour later? The little one on my cheek is just plain GONE... don't ask me how, I can't explain it except to read what the directions/product info says about how it works, but it's gone. The mountainous one? Down to a molehill after one hour - noticeably smaller nearly immediately and I'm confident already that after I treat this again in a few hours (you can do up to 4 treatments in a day) it will be gone completely.

NO ONE is more shocked by this than me. Like anyone afflicted with occasional acne I've tried just about everything. I'm nearly 50 and my face still breaks out about once a month, hormonal no doubt. But it was crisis mode today because I had an important appointment and meeting tomorrow and didn't want my chin to be the center of attention. It won't be. Looking in the mirror right now the difference between this morning when I left the house and now is night and day - the lump on my chin isn't the first thing you see/notice.

The design of the on/off button takes some getting used to- it is very sensitive to the touch and I found myself inadvertently turning it on all the time, which requires quick action to stop it in cycle - otherwise it tallies against the 80 uses the unit provides. Also the display lights (power on and the meter showing how many uses you have left) are a little hard to see in bright light- I had to keep holding the thing under my desk or shading it some other way to see the lights, though I found this less of a problem in "normal" lighting than in my office lighting, which is quite bright. I DO really like the audible signals built into this.

UPDATE: The next morning the mountain was noticeably lessened, enough so that it could be covered with makeup and was still there but down to about 1/4 the size of the previous day. I figure another day's treatments of it and it'll be gone. The small one I treated yesterday that disappeared within the hour did not return - still totally gone. This unit is a keeper - it'll stay on my makeup table FOREVER.

FURTHER UPDATE: The day I got this and had some trouble figuring out the on/off button, I contacted ZENO by email and was pleasantly surprised with a quick reply offering to replace the unit immediately. Now that I understood how well the thing works I was NOT ready to give it up (!), but they sent me a new one anyway and I returned the one I purchased, which also took care of the "uses" I had accidentally tripped on the way to figuring out the on / off thing.

On that issue - here's what I've finally figured out: The unit has a thumb-sized indentation on the side that, when you go to pick it up, your thumb just naturally slides into. For ergonomic purposes, that's just GREAT - but know that when your thumb goes in there it turns the unit ON and starts a cycle. Once you figure that out, you get used to picking it up from the sides, no big deal. I checked the directions for the unit and they're very simple/easy to understand, but while they tell you how to turn the unit ON... they do not tell you that you do NOT have to turn it off (thus my earlier searching for how to turn it off!) You kind of assume that if you turn something on you must later turn it off, but in fact after the 2 1/2 minute cycle, the unit turns itself off (which is actually very handy!). So what I thought was a bit of a flaw is actually a strength, once you understand that the thing takes care of itself once you turn it on - it counts away the 2 1/2 minute cycle, alerting you every 30 seconds as it proceeds, alerting you audibly when it is done, and then just turns itself off. Geeze, I wish everything in my life was that self-contained!

I continue to be VERY pleased with this item. I have used it several times on "emerging" zits - the kind you can feel but not really see yet - and they simply never emerge. I've used it on an occasional small blemish that did emerge, but one treatment before bed or before I put on makeup, and it's taken care of. NICE. I remember when Zeno first came out with the "professional" version of this several years ago, and I was interested then but the cost was too high (north of $100). So very pleased that they decided on a consumer version. This is a definite keeper, and I will own one ALWAYS.

extremely simple to use and it really does work. Wasn't sure about this product, decided to try it...now I wonder why I didnt know about this product earlier...good bye pimples!

Hi I'm a big fan of zeno. I got a blemish and it quickly disappeared after zeno. I can't say enough good things about this product. It's a must for any beauty/fashionista.

I have been a loyal Zeno customer and used to use their former model. The former model worked well (the base of the product was re-usable and you had to buy replacement heads). Zeno has moved away from that product and is now focusing on this proudct - Zeno Hot Spot. It works well, when it works. I have had two in a row completely stop working after very few uses. On top of that, they have the worst customer service I have ever experienced. They do not answer their phones, do not returns voicemails, and sometimes do not return emails. They did send me one new one, but I had to pay the shipping costs to send it to them. Now that the new one has broken, I am seriously considering getting a refund and trying to find a new solution.

Oh my gosh! This thing is just cuter than a bug's ear, plus it really does get the job done quickly and right. I normally use it only once or twice when the pimple first appears and it gets the job done perfectly. I tend to get the big kind that make me very self conscious and not want to leave my house ever. It really gets me down because they almost always happen in pairs and mimic small mosquito bites! But, I am no longer embarassed to go out in public when I have an outbreak, because now I have a tool that stops the pimple as quickly as it started which means clearer skin. I have also noticed that the pimples don't come back as often either once I've treated the area. I got this product back in February and I don't regret a minute of it! The Zeno has really changed my life for the better and I am a much happier person because of the confidence it has given me.


One bit of advice though is that through trial and error, I have found that some of those occasional really stubborn mountainous pimples may need an extra couple applications closer together (maybe 3 treatments a day for 2 days or so, instead of 1-3 within the first 24 hours). The key to know when to do a few more applications is if the pimple initially goes down, but seems to only get better in baby steps. If it reacts this way, my experience based on my doctor's evaluation is that this is more a cystic type of pimple, which just requires a little more diligence with the Zeno. The book that comes with it says it is not for cystic acne, but it has worked for me on these type too with a little more patience, which is better than a big ugly resulting scar after a 2 week tyrade on my face. You just cannot put a price tag on confidence! I hope that this product can help others the way that it has helped me.

I've had acne where a cyst will pop up once every few months so I researched Zeno and bought one because studies show that heat actually does help acne. I am not a doctor, but I am an engineer and I can tell you that the disposable tips on zeno are a complete ripoff designed so that people have to keep spending money. Think about it--how many other things with heaters & thermostats do you have to throw away after a certain number of uses. Toasters, curling irons, furnaces...the list goes on. Sure, things will break down over time but Zeno doesn't get terribly hot and the heating/thermostat components have an actual life of thousands of cycles except that in Zeno they're artifically "killed" with the microchip in the head.

Here's my Zeno substitute which I have found works even better than Zeno itself. Buy the following (Home Depot or Amazon has all this stuff):
1. Credenza lamp dimmer ($12)
2. 10 Watt "candelabra base" incandescent light bulb ($2)
3. Night light with replaceable bulb ($2)
4. Extension cord ($5)

Connect it all together and start with the light at the lowest dimmer setting. Place the bulb on the zit and SLOWLY increase the dimmer until very warm. If it gets too hot, then back off a little bit.

I have found this works great because it stays hot for as long as I want to treat the zit, and there's no waiting in between times if I have a second area that needs treatment. The best thing is that the only thing needing replacment are the cheap bulbs and they last a very long time because they're not running at full voltage.

If you use this, just be careful because 10 Watts isn't much but it can burn sensitive areas if you're not careful.

I am pretty skeptical of devices like this. I think, in general, they're rushed to market without a lot of research or even good design that makes them work. I have had friends who have bought home laser treatment and hair-removal devices and been very disappointed. So I was not exactly the target market for the Zeno.

However, I have oily skin and am breakout-prone. I am in my early thirties and while I've gotten disciplined enough about my skincare and diet to avoid major breakouts most of the time, I still get them, especially in the summer because I'm using more stuff on my skin to prevent sun damage. I used a sunscreen I wasn't 100 percent sure about a week ago and sure enough, within a few days I ended up with two big pimples on my chin. I'm going on vacation with my husband next week and didn't want to deal with a week-plus healing time for these things. So I decided to try this Zeno Hot Spot.

Well, all I can say is it really works. I got it home and immediately used it on the worst pimple, which was bright red and pretty large. I decided to only treat that one until I figured out how my skin reacted to the Zeno. I treated the zit, went to bed, and the next morning I woke up and it was much less red and probably 1/3 of the size it had been. I treated it again, and then treated the other zit, morning and night. That was yesterday and today the first zit is almost gone and the second is well on its way to being healed. Usually I would be dabbing salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and other topical ointments like crazy (as well as applying ice) to get these pimples to heal, but the Zeno has them so small at this point that I am confident by the time we leave, they'll be gone.

I wish they had come out with this a long time ago. I've suffered through breakouts when I had important meetings, presentations, TV interviews, etc. It is very hard to maintain your confidence in stressful situations when you have gigantic pimples on your face - you feel like that's all people are staring at. I think anyone who suffers from minor breakouts should invest in one of these to treat the problem and get rid of the zit before it becomes a self-confidence problem.

The only problem I have, which another reviewer mentioned, is that the on/off switch is VERY sensitive and it doesn't take much to turn it on. I handle the product by the sides and I haven't wasted any uses, and it's not hard to avoid once you know about the problem. But it is something to be aware of and something Zeno should probably fix in the next design phase.

I really can't say enough about this. My days of suffering through embarassing pimples seem to be over, FINALLY! (I've been dealing with breakouts since I was 11, no joke). I highly recommend this product.

I bought this to try out before my wedding. Well needless to say the stress is making me breakout. Oh and the waxing...haha. But this thing totally works. I notice an instant difference. Totally recomend. Oh, and I have super sensative skin and found there to be no side effects.

I had a blemish that was bothering me for weeks. One Zeno Hot Spot treatment and it virtually disappeared over night! I also used it on a spot that was a blemish-to-be, and it never reared it's ugly head. I would definitely recommend Zeno to anyone.

I have to admit, I bought this because I thought it looked cool. I did not expect it to do much. Now, after using it for almost 2 months, I have to say it is absolutely FABULOUS! It really works! It is actived by a light touch...kind of like my iPhone or touch screen computer, then you just apply it to the pimple for a couple minutes. I've tried it on all types of pimples...old, new, small, big, hormonal, etc. On the big nodule under the skin type pimples, once I use it they feel soooooo much better...not hard, but softer, not as tender, not as sore...it is like a warm, efficient compres without all the wet mess! I even used it on one of these type of pimples on my neck last week and it worked great! Anywhere from 1-3 applications works nicely, usually within 12-24 hours. I get the best and fastest results (usually later the same day) though if I use it on a "fresh" pimple...you tend to need less applications when you use it earlier. I like it so much that I just bought another one in pink for my daughter.