Sure, we could wash our face and get plenty of sleep, but let’s see what crazy technology can do instead!

While we wouldn’t go so far as to call ourselves handsome all the time, we’ve got photographic evidence that the men of the SoraNews24 crew are capable of being at least sporadically good-looking. Oftentimes we require a little outside help to achieve this status though, such as having talented hairstylists and fashion consultants transform us into today’s most popular anime character or a smooth Tokyo bar host.

Unfortunately, our Japanese-language writer Hirazi was left out of our last few male makeovers, so we decided to send him a skin-beautifying mask to make up for it. If you’re imagining one of those thin lotion-applying masks that you use once and then throw away, though, think again.

▼ “Sorry we didn’t invite you to our group SMAP makeover, Hirazi. Now put this on your face!”

No, our plan to lift Hirazi’s spirits wasn’t to help him put together a Street Fighter II Vega/Balrog cosplay outfit. Instead, we decided to hook the guy up with manufacturer Onepeak’s Colorful LED Beauty Mask, which promises to improve the appearance of your skin through the power of light-emitting diodes.

▼ We also figured there was a chance it might turn Hirazi into a sentient robot, which would also be pretty cool.

The primary apparatus consists of two pieces, one for your face and one for your neck. There’s also a head strap that goes around the back of your cranium, power cords, and a controller.

The inner surface is covered with LEDs, and the mask can be set to emit seven different colors, each with a different purported effect, such as blemish or wrinkle removal, pore care, or promoting collagen generation.

Slipping on the mask (which is made overseas but for sale here on Amazon Japan for 7,499 yen [US$71]), Hirazi was surprised at how heavy it is. At 730 grams (1.6 pounds) it doesn’t feel like much when you’re holding it in your hands, but strapped to your face the weight is definitely noticeable, and you might feel more comfortable lying down when using it.

Wanting his skin to have a healthy firmness, Hirazi opted for collage generation, for which the manual says the red light is most effective.

In addition to selecting the light’s color, you can also adjust its intensity, pattern, and duration using the controller. The maximum selectable time for a single session is 90 minutes, but Hirazi didn’t want to overdo it, so he set the timer for 20 minutes and grabbed a book to read while making himself more handsome.

Of course, one session wouldn’t be enough to gauge the mask’s effectiveness, so Hirazi continued with daily sessions for one week.

▼ He also felt less weird about how he looked in the mask after checking out what some other SoraNews24 team members wear to work.

So finally, after seven days of using the mask how did he look?

“I think the skin around my cheeks looks a little tighter,” Hirazi says, “So I think I’m going to keep using the mask.” We’ll let you know whether his skin shows any further improvement, and also if the mask slowly takes over his body and turns him into an agent of an invading cyborg army from beyond the stars.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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