Cordless products appeal to travellers and those without enough handy electrical outlets. Besides shavers, this group includes a butane curling iron from Revlon and a rechargeable beard and moustache trimmer from Wahl. Lighted makeup mirrors from Conair and others come in battery or corded models and many electric toothbrushes sit in rechargeable stands. Looking your best has become far more of a personal statement of confidence and so a hot lather machine to heat foam shaving cream cans in less than a minute, haircutting kits and massagers are becoming popular. Sometimes a doctor's prescription is required.
Dental products occupy a niche that overlaps both beauty and health groups.
So too are so-called flossers, from Teledyne Water Pik and others. For travellers who wish to continue their home discipline of mouth care, Panasonic offers a small, portable, battery-operated pulse jet irrigator. It provides 1,600 pulses per minute to flush debris and plaque from crevices between teeth and can massage gums. The market for these appliances is expected to grow, as dentists and hygienists emphasise that regular brushing with the traditional type of toothbrush is not enough to prevent gum disease. Updated for easier and more accurate use by consumers, these instruments fit in with medical officials' stress on reducing the number of visits to doctors and patients' personal responsibilities in their own healthcare.