Zeno ($185.00, Amazon.com) is a handheld acne device that supplies heat of 121oF to the area of a blemish for an average of 2.5 minutes to get rid of the blemish faster. Versus other acne treatments, how effective is Zeno? Is it worth the cost?
How effective is Zeno for mild to moderate acne?
Graph courtesy Bruce et al.
In a double-blind, controlled clinical study by Bruce et al., it was found that Zeno use amongst 51 patients (mean age 20) resulted in a faster improvement of acne. As noted from the above graph, there is a more substantial gain from using Zeno at days 0-4 than thereafter, with the most substantial gains at days 2-3. On average, the patients who used Zeno had their blemishes gone 2.3 days faster.
How does Zeno work?
It is not exactly known. The heat supplied to the bacterial species most commonly responsible for acne, P. acnes, has been reported in the Annals of the New York Academy of the Sciences to be sufficient to increase the level of heat-shock proteins within the cell. However, according to the study by Bruce et. al., it is unknown whether these heat-shock proteins are the cause of death of P. acnes or an adaptive response following cell death. At any rate, the research indicates that Zeno does in fact kill P. acnes quickly.
What about Zeno in comparison to other spot treatments for mild-to-moderate acne?
No peer-reviewed published studies to date have compared the efficacy of Zeno to other acne treatments. However, in a 1995 study in the British Journal of Dermatology, it was reported amongst 12 patients using 5% benzoyl peroxide for two days that there was a significant reduction in the number of blemishes. Benzoyl peroxide has also been found by Nacht et. al. to kill bacteria by generating reactive oxygen species in the sebaceous follicle; however, because it triggers free radical formation, its use should be limited to the spot of the blemish, like Zeno. An advantage to Zeno over benzoyl peroxide is that benzoyl peroxide can denature tretinoin, one of several retinoids, so benzoyl peroxide cannot be used in conjunction with retinoids, while Zeno can.
What about Zeno compared to acne systems for the face?
90% of patients using the Murad Acne System for 4 weeks have also reported an improvement in the number of pimples, for $59.90. 80% of patients using ProActiv Solution for 3-6 weeks have reported the same, for $39.95. However, these studies cannot be compared in actuality because they were taken from two different sources. For a comprehensive list of several different acne treatments, please click here.
As a result…
Zeno is proven effective against mild to moderate acne patients only, with acne subsiding 2.3 days faster in patients who use Zeno than those who do not. However, the results need to be compared directly in a study with benzoyl peroxide users, as benzoyl peroxide is a proven effective, much cheaper on-the-spot acne treatment (for instance, ZAPZYT Acne Treatment Gel is $4.99 on Amazon.com). At any rate, for patients who find that their acne is resistant to benzoyl peroxide, Zeno makes a particularly attractive option.