“If you go to the gym and work with a trainer, you target different muscle groups,” explains Conture R&D scientist, John Tedeschi. “[This device] focuses on another part of the body that needs to be exercised." Meaning, all of that manipulation can help depuff, debloat, and even tone droopy areas.

Unlike a sweaty session on the elliptical, however, this tool is pretty effortless and user-friendly. It looks a bit like a hairdryer, and charges through a USB that you plug into your computer. I test-drove it for the recommended period of 30 days, and noticed that my skin was plump, glowing, and noticeably brighter almost right away. Granted, my few, new wrinkles aren’t deep or pronounced enough yet to provide an accurate picture of how it affected them (if at all), but there was something viscerally satisfying about the feel and the sound of the suction against my skin. This is progress, I thought. This is doing something.

To make sure my enthusiasm wasn’t entirely misplaced, I spoke with New York dermatologist Julie Russak about the benefits (real or imagined) of skin suctioning. She conceded that all of that tugging and pulling does indeed increase blood flow and can certainly bestow a healthy glow — albeit a temporary one.

But New York dermatologist Neal Schultz, creator of BeautyRx and host of DermTV.com, had more cautionary words, noting that overuse may result in “premature failure of elastic fibers,” which could cause laxity, rather than firmness, of the skin. The solution? Stick to the recommended twice-daily use, and don’t go overboard.