A personal care system having a treatment device for applying a treatment to the skin or hair of a user is provided. The treatment device has a camera for taking an image of the skin. The system may include or be in communication with an application programming interface (API) that can process the image. The system or an associated API can recommend the use of treatment regimens or topical products according to information determined from the digital image of the skin.

A method and a hand-held device for dermaplaning is disclosed that includes a blade assembly which includes a blade, a blade holder and a safety cage. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the safety cage limits the amount of penetration of the blade into the facial skin to enable the device to be safely used by non-professionals. The dermaplaning device includes a vibration generator that causes the blade to vibrate at a predetermined frequency. Various embodiments of the hand-held dermaplaning device are disclosed for vibrating the blade.

A hair care device for enhancing uptake of a topical in hair. The hair care device comprises a topical delivery unit for applying the topical to the hair surface, an ultrasound generator (103) for generating ultrasound at a frequency exceeding 15 MHz, wherein an ultrasound intensity is in a range between 2 W/cm.sup.2 and 100 W/cm.sup.2, and an ultrasound transducer (105) for applying ultrasound to the topical and/or the hair surface to enhance uptake of the topical by the hair.

An apparatus for drying hair includes first and second mutually-opposing arms adapted for movement between an open configuration for receiving a length of wet hair therebetween and a closed configuration adjacent the hair. A vibrator imparts vibration from at least one of the arms to the length of hair in use, to move and separate hair fibres for improving drying of the hair. A method of drying hair includes using the apparatus to impart vibration to a length of wet hair held within the apparatus. The method may further include using the apparatus to style the hair substantially simultaneously with drying the hair.

A hair styler uses ultrasound at an ultrasound frequency of at least 1 MHz to get a non-chemical hair styling. Advantageously, the ultrasound frequency is between 1 and 100 MHz, preferably between 3 and 10 MHz, and more preferably between 3 and 5 MHz. The ultrasound energy is preferably applied at a power that is at least 1 W/cm.sup.2, and preferably does not exceed 10 W/cm.sup.2, such as 6 W/cm.sup.2. The invention may be used for hair curling and for hair straightening. A hair straightening method comprises temporarily straightening hair, and applying ultrasound to temporarily straightened hair to obtain straightened hair. Advantageously, ultrasound is applied during a period of between 5 seconds and 2 minutes, and preferably during about 10 seconds.

A method and a hand-held device for dermaplaning is disclosed that includes a blade assembly which includes a blade, a blade holder and a safety cage. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the safety cage limits the amount of penetration of the blade into the facial skin to enable the device to be safely used by non-professionals. The dermaplaning device includes a vibration generator that causes the blade to vibrate at a predetermined frequency. Various embodiments of the hand-held dermaplaning device are disclosed for vibrating the blade.

A dispensing head for application of shave lubricating material such as foam, gel or lotion to the skin of a user includes a spreading blade portion with a flexible blade with a concave spreading surface and an outer spreading edge. A dose of the material is applied to the blade from a source to be released from the spreading edge for spreading between the spreading surface and the skin. Dimples on the spreading surface hold it away from the skin. The spreading blade portion is generally fan shaped with side edges extending outwardly from an inner edge to an arcuate outer edge at the spreading edge A vibration motor located behind the spreading surface for vibrating the spreading surface and the spreading edge thereon is provided to assist in spreading the material.

A cosmetic device having a main body portion, and a brush portion disposed outside the main body portion, the cosmetic device including a vibration motor disposed in the main body portion and having a rotary shaft equipped with an eccentric weight; a motor holding portion that holds the vibration motor; a coupling portion disposed in the main body portion that connects the motor holding portion to the main body portion in a relatively displaceable state; and a brush attachment portion extending from the motor holding portion and connected to the brush portion, wherein the brush attachment portion extends in a direction different from an axial direction of the rotary shaft in the vibration motor.

A device for converting a rotating motion into a reciprocating motion comprises a motor having a rotatable motor shaft carrying cylindrical component, an embedded cam groove of the cylindrical component, a rod component constrained to travel back and forth and forth, and a cam follower carried on the rod component. The cam follower is engaged in the embedded cam groove track of the cylindrical component so that as the rotatable motor shaft rotates, the cam follower transmits the movement dictated by the embedded cam groove track profile thereby causing the rod component to travel back and forth once for each rotation of rotatable motor shaft. There is also disclosed a mascara applicator assembly; a first electric toothbrush assembly; and a second electric toothbrush assembly comprising such a device.

A personal care system having a treatment device for applying a treatment to the skin or hair of a user is provided. The treatment device has a camera for taking an image of the skin. The system includes an application programming interface (API) that can process the image. The API can recommend the use of treatment regimens or topical products according to information the API gathers from the digital image of the skin.