Beauty Tech: Most Innovative Technology in the Beauty Industry

What It Is: Cosmetic surgery to get dimples
Projected Cost: $5,000*

Have you ever wanted dimples on your cheeks and felt that it was a trait you’re either born with or you aren’t, then think again. One of the newest plastic surgery trends is actually creating dimples through a simple procedure. 

Fake Dimples @에뛰드 ETUDE/Youtube

This surgery comes with a price tag, and is certainly not covered by insurance as it’s very niche and completely cosmetic in nature. But if you can’t live another day without dimpled cheeks, then luckily you have this option available to you. 

What It Is: Refrigerator for skincare products
Projected Cost: $50-$150*

If you spend a lot of money on skincare products, it’s only natural that you’d want to ensure that your expensive serums last as long as possible, and stay as potent as possible for their entire duration. Enter the skincare fridge. 

Skincare Fridges @hobbybuying/Pinterest

These extra-small mini-fridges are designed to keep your skincare products at optimal temperatures, which are often colder than room temperature but slightly warmer than that of a typical refrigerator used for food.

What It Is: A snail-slime facial treatment
Projected Cost: $250+*

This facial treatment is certainly not for the faint of heart–or for those who fear all things ooey gooey. Nevertheless, proponents say that it’s one of the best treatments out their for keeping skin looking youthful and glowy. 

Snail Facials @Inside Edition/Youtube

The treatment consists of simply allowing snails to slither their slimy trails across one’s face for a period of time, usually between one and two hours. If the thought of this makes you want to wretch, then there are plenty of ordinary facials that boast similar results you might want to try.

What It Is: A mirror that detects skin problems
Projected Cost: $99*

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and picked apart your skin’s imperfections, then perhaps you will consider buying a mirror that does it for you. The HiMirror is something out of the future that you can buy today.

HiMirror @HiMirrorSmartMirror/Facebook

The mirror has a “Skin Analyzer”, which “measures a variety of skin factors and provides daily tips,” according to the company’s website. It also helps to track the effectiveness of products you test out, and even recommends products to buy based on your unique skin profile.

What It Is: People using Astroglide and others as primer
Projected Cost: $5*

A Tik Tok trend that has taken off like wildfire–probably because of how silly it is and not how well it works–is using personal lubricant from your local pharmacy as a primer under makeup. Proponents claim that it gives wearers a dewy glow. 

Personal Lubricant As Makeup @Grwrady/Youtube

While it is certainly safe to use on your facial skin, that doesn’t mean that it gives users the desired appearance. Because many lucricants tend to have flavor-enhancing additives, they will likely clog the delicate pores on your face, giving you a youthful glow from acne, not the product itself.

What It Is: Let’s men try on beard styles before committing
Projected Cost: Free 

Men’s beard styling is a huge market with massive potential for growth in the coming years. A big piece of technology that allows them to experiment without needing to get a razor involved is virtual beard styling.

Virtual Beard Styling @gqmagazine/Pinterest

This way, men no longer run the risk of trying out that 70s mustache or 90s goatee and realizing that it looks horrible, and having to shave it all off and erase months of growing out the beard. Instead, they can see if they’ll pull it off before they even get anywhere near a blade.

What It Is: Bedding that reduces the appearance of fine lines
Projected Cost: $100+*

What if there was actually a guarantee that your beauty sleep was making you more beautiful? Enter the latest in pillowcase technology, copper ion bedding. This bedding is made with copper ions in the threading, which work wonders on wrinkles.

Copper Ion Bedding Removes Wrinkles @winssyllc/Pinterest

The way the ions interact with skin actually promote collagen production, which means fewer wrinkles and fine lines the more you sleep. As sleep already is shown to be anti-aging, this invention is a real win-win. 

What It Is: Extreme facetuning
Projected Cost: N/A

Yassification is an internet beauty trend that gets its name from the exclamation”Yas!”, which is often said in reference to someone pulling off a look with heavy makeup and styling. People would “yassify” pictures by editing them to almost unrecognizable lengths.

"Yassification" @matasha/Youtube

The internet then took it too far, as it often does, by editing pictures of all kinds of ugly movie villains, proving that with some heavy contouring anyone can look good by today’s Instagram-obsessed beauty standards. 

What It Is: NFTs related to makeup/beauty
Projected Cost: Various

NFT stands for non-fungible token, and essentially means an image that is traceable to a single original copy that an individual can own and prove ownership of. In today’s internet age, rife with screenshots and copy-pasting, it’s a novel thing to be able to prove ownership. 

Beauty NFTs @narsissist/Instagram

In the beauty industry, these images look like specific makeup or hair looks, and can be purchased by anyone for the right price. Rarer NFTs can cost in the thousands or even millions, while the average person can buy ones for dollars or cents. 

What It Is: Incredibly ornate (and long) nail designs
Projected Cost: $50-$100+*

Gen Z is all about pushing the envelope, and nail beauty has been no exception. High school students can even be seen sporting nail art so out-of-this-world and impractical it’s difficult to imagine them wielding a pencil to complete their schoolwork. 

Over-The-Top Acrylic Nails @nprpins/Pinterest

These acrylic designs can sometimes feature elaborate additions ranging from rhinestones and lace to entire objects embedded in the nails with nail glue. Though typically long nails will cost between 50 and 100 dollars, the sky is truly the limit.

What It Is: 3D printed personalized makeup
Projected Cost: TBA

3D printing technology has gone from simple plastic patterns to almost being able to print synthetic organs, so it’s no surprise that the next application would be fully customizable makeup. 

3D Printed Makeup @alluremagazine/Pinterest

The expectation is that soon you’ll be able to design a color palette of eyeshadow in person, and the machine will print it for you right in front of your eyes.  While it hasn’t been rolled out yet in your local Sally Beauty Supply, surely the first generation of makeup printers will make pricy products. 

What It Is: Augmented reality that allows you to try on looks
Projected Cost: $100*

If you’ve ever poorly photoshopped a picture of a haircut you want onto a photo of your face, then this product is for y0u. The augmented reality feature allows you to see what you’d look like with a makeup color or hairstyle before you buy.

AR Try-Ons @fsanuy/Twitter

With applications that could one day lead to being able to try on clothes virtually as well, you’ll be guaranteed to avoid the problems that come with online ordering, and hopefully never have to go through the hassle of returning a package again. Companies like Microsoft are at the forefront of creating this tech. 

What It Is: An app that keeps you looking youthful
Projected Cost: TBA

While certain skin-tracking apps have already been rolled out, the thinking behind this concept is an app that stays on top of changes in the skin, so you can be alerted if there are things you’re doing wrong that are causing lasting damage. 

Apps to Measuee Skin Aging @KelseyLDelValle/Pinterest

While we may not need an app to know that wearing sunscreen every day is the key to keeping skin wrinkle-free, the app would be able to bring to your attention any sudden changes that could suggest other health issues. Look out for apps like this on Apple’s iOS in the near future. 

What It Is: Using cold temperatures to remove body fat
Projected Cost: $1200 per session*

Coolsculpting promises to do the impossible: remove unwanted bodyfat without a change in diet or exercise. Using temperatures far below freezing, the treatment promises to permanently kill fat cells without damaging the skin above. 

Coolsculpting @grouponuk/Pinterest

It takes up to three months to see results, as it takes your body time to remove the dead fat cells through natural elimination processes. And while results are technically permanent, it’s still possible to gain weight in the same areas after removing the fat.