Can you take a facial device on a plane?

The rule for beauty devices comes from the Civil Aviation Bureau's list of restricted items and is the same on domestic and international flights.

A beauty device that uses small gas cartridges falls under the list's entry for small cartridges with no flammable or toxic gas: 50ml or less per cartridge, up to 4, carry-on and checked.

Japan's list has no entry for facial devices, so what the device runs on decides the answer.

Read as a portable electronic device

A rechargeable facial device falls into the row for portable electronic devices, the same row that covers portable medical devices such as AEDs, nebulisers and CPAP machines. The limit there is set by the battery's watt-hour rating, 160Wh, and not by what the device does to the skin, so EMS, RF and LED models are read alike.

A detached battery stays in the cabin

If the battery of a facial device comes out, Japan's list treats it as a spare battery for that device. A spare of 100Wh or less can go in carry-on but not in checked baggage, and it has to be protected against short circuits.

Models that run on a small gas cylinder

Japan's list names beauty devices that use gas cartridges in its entry for small cartridges without flammable or toxic gas: 50ml or less per container, 4 per person, carry-on and checked. JAL's FAQ for international flights answers the facial device question in the same terms and adds that on its America routes these cylinders are accepted neither in the cabin nor in checked baggage, whatever the product.

Hair curlers and hair irons are the exception

Heated hair tools with a lithium-ion battery are taken out of the portable electronic devices row. Japan's list sends them to a separate entry under everyday goods, where a cordless curler or iron is accepted only if its heat source and battery can be separated, for example by removing the battery.

Dry-cell and plug-in models

A roller or cleansing brush that runs on dry cells sits under a different line: Japan's list marks dry cells as non-dangerous, allowed in carry-on and checked baggage. For plug-in appliances, Australia's CASA says electrical appliances are not considered dangerous goods, though depending on the device they may be subject to security or carry-on baggage restrictions.

Lists that name a close relative

Facial devices are not named on these lists, but some close relatives are. The TSA has entries for laser hair removers and for massagers, both allowed in carry-on and checked bags. CASA puts epilators in one row with electric shavers, toothbrushes and beard trimmers, for personal use under the lithium ion limit of 100 Wh.

Extra conditions apply in Mainland China.

Each row comes from that authority's own page. Airlines can be stricter, and the screening officer has the final say.