Just in case you haven't heard:

There are two products out there that are pocket-sized and reduce inflamation in mild to medium sized infected pimples.

I've been reading reviews online (these two gadgets were on CNN)... and so far they have positive results. Neither work on white or blackheads... but only on infected pimples.... and are most effective if used early in the infection.

Zeno: Came out in 2006, it applies a 2.5 minute round of "heat therapy" to your pimple which kills bacteria. Pimple inflamation decreases, allowing pimple to heal. $150

ThermaClear: Premiered this year (2008), it applies a 2-second light to the infected area. After 3 treatments within a 24-hour period, people notice their pimples are noticably smaller. There is a sting when light penetrates the pimple. $180

Read about the reviewer's complete experience:
http://www.geardiary.com/2007/05/22/the-th...eatment-review/

I don't know about the new one. But the science behind the Zeno is good. But it is so specific as to what it helps. I tried the method by boiling water and dipping a spoon in. Then after the spoon was cool enough to not burn the skin I set it on a deep, underskin, not-yet-developed zit. I did it a couple time more that day and the zit never actually appeared--I woke up the next day and I felt nothing there. But I wouldn't get the device because: expensive (recurring expense of "tips"), I don't get those kinds of spots often, and lastly I want to cure my problem--not treat the symptom. But it might be worth having for special occasions since it seems that everybody always gets prom and wedding zits.

I used to put a face cloth into VERY hot salt water... then hold it to my infected pimple when it was cool enough not to burn. I'd do that for 20 minutes. The zit would shrink by 80% during that time... and would then begin to heal.

The Thermaclear is applying a pulse of UV light to the zit, I believe. UV light kills bacteria.
In biology class, we had to swab the toilets and then store them for 1 week. One swab was put under UV light (like a tanning bed) for 20 minutes. 1 week later, we looked at both swabs: The first swab was overgrown with bacteria when viewed under a microscope and the other swab (which was exposed to UV light) did not have any bacteria.

yuh...I been tanning for about a month now going to the tanning bed every day and then every 2 days I'll skip a day. It healed all my chest acne and cysts I had aorund my pelvic area. Since then I've had no new breakouts. I even use tanning lotion except on my face. But its not some cheap kind, was 120 dollars, 12 bronzers, lots of moisturizers....is VERY good. Called Australian Gold

I bought a zeno, and I don't use it because the pimples I used it on would take longer to fade than if I didn't use it. On one, I had a very dark brown patch on my face which lasted about a month. So I don't use it anymore, it really seemed to interfere with the healing process, bacterial infection aside.