Stretchable Electronic Facial Masks for Radiofrequency Therapy

Abstract

Acne, the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin condition, significantly impacts patients’ quality of life and mental health. Radiofrequency (RF) therapy offers a deep heating effect, devoid of antibiotic resistance, and side effects in pharmacological treatments, while avoiding the skin-type limitations in phototherapy. However, conventional RF devices face challenges associated with long-time hand-held use and short effective treatment-duration due to small sizes and continuous movement of the probe. Consequently, the stretchable electronic facial mask for radiofrequency therapy (SEFM-RFT) is presented for large-area treatment and hands-free operation. A radiofrequency-array heating model is proposed to ensure the therapeutic efficacy and safety, and an adsorption hot-pressing packaging technique is developed to maintain close skin contact. Animal experiments demonstrate that SEFM-RFT reduces the number of lesions by 78%, while the effect on acne recovery is proved through bacterial and histochemical experiments. The development of SEFM-RFT represents a significant advancement in flexible electrical therapy devices.