What are the best and worst microcurrent devices available? Cassandra has bought and tried a lot of them, and as a medical esthetician who loves to depuff her face in the morning – the question is which one is the best? While some of these products can be as expensive as $500, where is your money best spent? Cassandra has purchased some that were disasters, but she has also purchased some that have transformed her skin. We're going to talk about all of this as well as what not to do with your microcurrent device. Cassandra is also going to explain what to steer clear of because there are some scams out there.
But, before all of this, we need to talk about what microcurrent is for. Microcurrent shoots electricity into the skin, and it stimulates skin cells. A lot of brands or companies say that it tightens the skin, lifts the skin, and gives you a chiseled contour. Some brands say that it also helps collagen support and helps to reverse wrinkles.
In Cassandra's personal opinion, the best thing for skin concerns like this are laser treatments and chemical peels done within dermatology clinics. If you're truly looking to build collagen, then doing it in-clinic going to be your best bet. As an important side note, remember to apply sunscreen. This is the best DIY way to prevent collagen from breaking down.
Does microcurrent help with wrinkles?
Microcurrent could potentially be able to build collagen, but Cassandra hasn’t seen a ton of scientific backing for that. Cassandra loves microcurrent for is lymphatic draining, tightening, and toning the skin. It also helps with muscles. While microcurrent is not a facelift, microcurrent stimulates the muscles inside of your skin. There is medical data and science showing that it creates ATP which is what your cells use as energy.
Moreover, microcurrent can help get lymphatic fluid back into the body and circulate it throughout. Cassandra has used microcurrent on her puffy days, but in clinic, it can also be used to mitigate bad Botox. Botox is meant to prevent your muscles from moving and making expressions. Because if we can't move our face as much, our skin creases or “wrinkles” less.
Microcurrent stimulates your muscles underneath the skin which makes your Botox wear off quicker. If you have Botox, and you’re using microcurrent, make sure you’re using the microcurrent in a place where the Botox is not being used. If you’ve had bad Botox, using microcurrent can help reverse that. More simply, microcurrent tells the Botox, “stop working, get out of here.”
What is the difference between in-clinic versus at-home microcurrent?
There’s also a difference between in-clinic microcurrent and at-home microcurrent. Yes, microcurrent is offered in clinic. But, if you’re getting microcurrent for something else on the body or for a specific reason, go in professionally. But, if you’re getting microcurrent because you want to de-puff or lift, you’re probably going to pay $50 to $150 for a facial. But, for microcurrent to work, you need to use it over time. So, a lot of estheticians or practitioners will book people for 6, 8, or 12 sessions which can be very expensive.
If you do microcurrent at home every single day, you’re getting more of those benefits as opposed to going to a clinic once or twice a month. If you want to do advanced microcurrent at home, you may want to go into a clinic first, see a professional, learn the facial anatomy, and learn how to do it at home. And if you're looking to commit to something long-term, at-home devices are going to get you more bang for your buck even if some of them cost $150 or even $500. $500 is around the cost of five microcurrent sessions. But at the same time, you can use your at-home microcurrent device for five days a week as opposed to once a month for 5 or 6 months. The one caveat is that you have to be consistent and accountable. If you don’t use the device often enough, it’s not going to work.
So, going to an appointment might be right for you. But from Cassandra's approach, she’s seen a lot of benefits from using the devices daily. To her, depuffing is the greatest benefit, not so much the collagen stimulation, and that is what she uses microcurrent for.
(The Worst ) Alibaba Microcurrent Device -$59.99
This emits light, and it shocks your face unevenly. With all microcurrent devices, you need a conduction gel, but even when using different gels, this was still a disaster. Also, if you see this tool, it doesn’t matter what brand, it probably comes from the same manufacturer.
TOUCHBeauty Trifecta Microcurrent Facial Device - $179
Cassandra does love this for the neck, but it was only the third microcurrent device she’d ever used. So, she did manage to find better devices. And although this was intense, Cassandra could not get it to fluctuate. If you want to use this as a massage tool, then it’s heavenly. But as a microcurrent device, she didn’t see results with it. She couldn’t get it to grasp the face properly, and it also takes forever to charge.
EvenSkyn Phoenix - $139.99
This is a solar-powered microcurrent device that looked so amazing, and at first, Cassandra wanted it really badly. When Cassandra put this in the sun, it never charged so she didn’t quite know what to do with it. There’s no other way you can charge this either. Cassandra likes that is has smaller probes, but they don’t grip the skin as well either.
Solawave Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy - $169
This vibrates, and it has a therapeutic warmth that is amazing for burns or pimples. This is so good, but there doesn’t seem to be a microcurrent effect. Even when she uses it with a gel, she doesn’t feel microcurrent anywhere. She also didn’t notice any depuffing effects. This is a wonderful LED device for on-the-go use. Cassandra loves this as an LED device for spot treatments, but it is not necessarily a microcurrent device.
Foreo Bear - $219
Cassandra used to love this, and it’s travel friendly too. They have two different sizes, but Cassandra doesn’t truly see a difference between the two sizes. This wasn’t that strong of a device. Cassandra did see a little bit of lifting, but she felt like the benefit came more from the massage than the microcurrent. The application for this device is also really hard to navigate.
Ziip Beauty ZIIP GX Series - $495
This is a good product, but Cassandra doesn’t recommend the gel. It did not absorb, and it was very oily, especially for Cassandra’s oily-prone skin. But, if you’re dry, Cassandra will love it. It has a universal charger, and Cassandra likes the way that the probes are spaced. Everyone has a different face size, but this one actually has probes that are spaced nicely. This is also easy to hold. It curves nicely into your hand whereas some of the other devices were hard to hold.
NuFACE Trinity -$449
NuFACE Mini -$209
Cassandra has loved this device for years. NuFACE has better prices, and they work just as well as other devices if not better. She loves the mini NuFace because it sits on the face so nicely, and it works with the contours of her face perfectly. As opposed to the Trinity, there are only three settings instead of five. The way NuFACE devices beep tells you when to hold it on the skin, making it very user-friendly. The NuFACE is best for beginners who want to lift and tone their faces at home. It’s simple, easy to use, and effective. Cassandra has seen major before and afters and a lot of estheticians have one. Also, NuFACE makes some of the best conduction gel.
Medicube Age R -$209
This is a microcurrent device, and it’s the most intense of all. It’s intended for use on the jaw, neck, and body. When you use it on the face, you can see the face twitch. This does have different settings which allow you to take it easy. This grips and lifts the skin, and it’s wonderful for tech neck and muscle tension.
Myolift Mini Microcurrent Device - $350
Even though they make ones for in-clinic, this mini is for at-home use. You can charge the battery and take it on the go, and it has two individual probes that you can use to isolate different parts of the face. You can control every aspect of the microcurrent. You can control the time, the intensity, and the type of current. You can separate and hold individual muscles to stimulate them. You might need some education on facial anatomy. For example, Cassandra likes to anchor and drag thezygomaticus major muscle and minor.She also loves to apply it the corrugator supercilii andsome of the frontalis muscles, but you wouldn’t want to do this if you’re happy with your Botox results. But, for people with bad Botox, this could get rid of the Botox quicker.
You can also anchor and pull the chewing muscles. When you turn it on, it gives you a conduction bar. All microcurrents need a gel because you need to conduct electricity to create a circuit. When you put a conduction gel on, the conduction bar turns black, and it shows that you’re creating a circuit. This allows you to see if you’re treatment is working. It’s not as intense as the Medicube which can taste metallic. Cassandra uses it on a setting of 350. You can charge it or plug it in, and it’s wonderful for toning. However, they don’t give the same results for neck tightening or muscle massage as the Medicube, and it’s not for beginners.
Coverphoto cred: Martha Stewart