# Zit Zapper - Real or Bogus?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit-zapper-real-or-bogus/334634>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit-zapper-real-or-bogus/334634 "2005-12-08T06:07:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NotTomJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6a8cbe/32.png) [@NotTomJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotTomJones)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit-zapper-real-or-bogus/334634/1 "2005-12-08T06:07:01Z")

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Saw a brief mention of this item on the local news. Does anyone have any firsthand experiece with this? Anyone know if its legit?

[Zeno Zit Zapper](http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2005/06/zeno_zit_zapper_1.html)

> [@](#):
>
> In an FDA-reviewed, controlled clinical trial, 90% of blemishes treated with Zeno disappeared or faded within 24 hours…

Its got a hefty price tag (and the marketing geniuses built it so that you need to purchase something periodically to keep it working!), but if it works as well as claimed:

> [@](#):
>
> Zeno can clear up a pimple in just hours.

I’m vain enough to buy one.

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**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zit-zapper-real-or-bogus/334634/2 "2005-12-08T12:46:17Z")

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It uses heat…you can too!

Take a washcloth and a cup of boiling water. Fold the cloth so you get a thick corner, dip in the water, lightly touch the zit (be careful not to burn yourself), and press harder as the temp of the water drops and allows you to. Repeat a few times per zit, a few times a day.

IANAD, but you should probably go see one if your acne is bad. I used Retin-A gel when a teen and it worked really well. The first two weeks brought a mass of zits up, but then it controlled them quite well. Now I am back on it to control the occasional zit and clear the fine wrinkles starting around my eyes at age 35.

-Tcat