DOES MICROCURRENT NEED TO HURT TO WORK?
Does Microcurrent Hurt?
Is Microcurrent Painful?
Does it need to hurt to know it’s working?
MICROCURRENT AT HOME
One thing I love about using the MINI vs. other microcurrent machines...NO PAIN!
Literally, nothing.
Which is nice because using it around the eyes can be tricky if it is zinging and zapping you.
I usually give up.
The MINI gives you a nice, targeted lift without the zing and zap.
Don't believe me?
Check out some of the Youtube videos about this.
We all agree.
You don't have to have pain to get results with microcurrent!
Have questions about microcurrent or the MINI?
Just ask!
WHAT MICROCURRENT WILL (AND WON'T) DO
6 THINGS MICROCURRENT WON'T DO --
And 3 Things It Will That Might Surprise You
When working with clients, I will often introduce microcurrent to those who are interested in anti-aging.
Most know what it is and like the effects, but sometimes I encounter someone who isn't really familiar with it and has lots of questions.
I thought I'd do a brief FAQ for those interested in microcurrent but are unsure of exactly what it will and won't do.
First, we'll start with what microcurrent won't do:
1. It won't cause any downtime. Microcurrent is a wonderful tool that can be used at any time of the day or night and it won't leave any telltale marks or issues except that you'll look more rested, uplifted and even thinner (in your face, anyway!)
2. It won't cause a rash or lasting redness. Some redness likely will occur during your treatment, but this is due to increased blood flow (a good thing!). It often subsides after treatment, but you might have a bit of a flush in your cheeks.
3. It won't get rid of wrinkles and crepey skin. Microcurrent works the underlying muscles much like weights at the gym. Once you plump up the muscle, the skin will look better (tighter, more firmed), but it won't remove crepey skin. For that, you need filling agents and/or collagen builders, like the LED red light.
4. It won't be permanent. Treatments fade after a day or two, but the good news is that you can build cumulative effects if you do microcurrent consistently. Every second or third day is optimal and will keep the results. The more you do it, the faster your muscles will respond.
5. It doesn't always give the amazing results after only use. You will see results, but if you are new to this, it will likely take a few treatments to tone your muscles. Again, the more often you can do it, the better (just like going to the gym).
6. It won't hurt. A properly done treatment should not hurt. As a matter of fact, you really shouldn't feel anything. Occasionally, you may feel a tingle or two, but usually this because you don't have enough conductive gel applied. Using a hydrating mist during your treatment will keep the conductive gel from drying is a must!
What microcurrent will do that might surprise you:
1. It will help penetrate product. Apply a nice firming serum (non-oil-based) before your conductive gel and you'll get a nice extra firming boost.
2. It will target areas like the lips and eyes if you have a system with small probes or an attachment. Many systems for home use cannot really do this, but the MINI (my favorite home microcurrent tool) does. Probes on systems like the NuFace are great for toning cheeks or forehead but are too large to get under the muscle and lift (you can get attachments for this).
3. It will make your eyes look whiter and brighter! Using the microcurrent around the eye area can increase blood flow and help decrease puffiness and help you look a little more wide awake. Just a few minutes targeting the area can help.
NuFace Microcurrent vs. Clareblend MINI
Back in the day (oh, about 6 years ago), I used my NuFace religiously.
Then, my NuFace stopped working.
Again.
When I first bought it, it worked for about a month and then stopped holding a charge. I contacted the company and they wanted to sell me a fixed system for another $200+.
I had a mini-hissy fit and told them what I thought of that.
They relented and sent me a new system. I was happy and used it for a few years.
Then I found the MINI.
I opted to use my MINI more often as I found it a bit more easy to use, a little more powerful and always loved my results.
But now and then I still grabbed my NuFace and used it.
Until a few days ago. Again, it has let me down and no longer holds a charge.
Unfortunately, there is no remedy for this situation and I must now toss it into the black hole of useless beauty products (mine is large...yours too?). While my MINI needs a plug or power outlet to work, I find this reassuring as I know as long as I have a power source, I will have the ability to use it.
Back in the day I would have re-purchased a NuFace, but not now. I'm not bashing it; it serves its purpose. However, it's more expensive, not as reliable and has let me down twice. That tells me all I need to know.
Celebrity Skincare - They Use (and love) Microcurrent, Too!
"It's like a little workout for your face," actress Jennifer Aniston said in an interview with InStyle magazine.
Backed by science and discovered for actual medical treatments. The electrical stimulation technology behind the microcurrent facial has been used in partnership with various treatments for Bells Palsey sufferers, a sudden paralysis or weakness of facial muscles that causes one side of your face to appear to droop.
Of course, when they discovered that it can help lift the face of a Bell's palsey patient, the beauty industry's wheels started churning.
It's been used for facial paralysis for about 70 years.
Here is how microcurrent works:
For a professional cosmetic procedure, an aesthetician would apply a conductive gel to your face. It's like the gel is used for ultrasound scans, since it allows for the distribution of electric impulses.
Next, the aesthetician would use the microcurrent wands, two of them, to the skin's surface, stimulating the facial muscles underneath.
"The two wands effectively speak to each other. They're delivering currents back and forth during the procedure."
It lifts and tightens using those tiny electrical pulses that stimulate the top layer of skin and the underlying muscle. This is how it seems to lift and tone. Albeit, temporary, it's a go-to treatment for a growing number of anti-aging enthusiasts and celebrities have been hip to this for years.
The good news? The results are cumulative meaning that the more you do it, the more effective and better results you see. If done a few times a week, with a home device, you can actually keep the lift going continuously. But it does take the effort.
The bad news? The professional esthetic procedure ranges from $200 to $600. Ouch! That's just not feasible for most of our budgets on a weekly basis.
Does microcurrent hurt? You'd think driving electrical impulses into the skin would be painful, but done properly and with the right conductive gel, microcurrent should not hurt a bit. However, during the treatment, patients might feel a tingle on the skin or have a metallic taste in their mouth (very slight). Most clients find the procedure to be relaxing and soothing.
Spray a little lavender mist in the air, put on some spa music and glide the wands over the skin. It�s like a relaxing, but high-results, spa treatment. It can also be quite addictive when the client sees the lift.
To keep it going, clients are often persuaded to use home devices that effectively help keep the results vs. having to go for multiple treatments per month.
One of those devices is the Clareblend Mini. A somewhat newer counterpart to more well-known (and marketed) devices such as the NuFace, the Mini is a tool that is available through licensed professionals only.
Found online through a few savvy Estheticians who are loving the results and effectiveness of the little tool. It is also a (virtually) painless tool compared to its more famous rival.
Although I've had one or two clients tell me they feel a zap now and then, when I use the Mini, I get zero zaps.I thought it didn't even work when I first used it, but I realized after looking in the mirror, how effective it was. I still get zapped with the NuFace if I don't enough gel on. It can really hurt if I'm not paying attention.
Feeling zaps usually comes from not using enough, or the proper type of, conductive gel. Also, it can happen on skin that is completely new to microcurrent and a bit sensitive to it. Usually, working with it, your skin gets used to it and the zaps diminish substantially, or altogether with time. Most people don't feel a think and enjoy the treatment.
I like to cocktail together a really hydrating and firming treatment to use as a conductive gel. Since microcurrent effectively drives products into the skin, you want to use a gel that good for you and not heavily synthetic or chemical-laden.
You have to use a non-oil-based gel that is water-soluble for the current to work. Using any oils or creams is strictly forbidden, as they hinder the conductive process.
Even if clients use the gel that comes with the system, they should apply a nice firming gel underneath to really get a double whammy of treatment.
I get great results with that!