Microcurrent Facelift and Rejuvenation

SUMMARY
A series of microcurrent treatments is a completely non-invasive facelift and rejuvenation procedure that is relatively inexpensive compared to other even non-surgical treatments. Microcurrent treatments are also zero downtown, no pain or unpleasant sensations. 
​The procedure is also known as Microcurrent Therapy or Bio Microcurrent Tightening. 
The cost of one treatment varies between USD 90 to USD 250, depending on the location and the provider.
A series of treatments provides a mild facelift and improves skin texture. 
To maintain results after the initial series, the maintenance microcurrent procedure should be repeated every one-two months.
​For those who want a completely non-invasive facial rejuvenation, microcurrent is the best version of a non-surgical facelift.

​​
​1. Rejuvenation effects of the microcurrent treatments. What is microcurrent treatment? The technology behind the treatment.

2. Microcurrent effectiveness for skin and face rejuvenation. Why and how it works?
​
3. How is Microcurrent Facial treatment performed? 

4. Important consideration - combining microcurrent with fillers and Botox;  

​5. Microcurrent before and after

​References and Literature

Microcurrent devices use two prongs to deliver a mini electric current and stimulate rejuvenation processes in the facial tissue

Rejuvenation Effects of the Microcurrent Treatment.
What is microcurrent treatment?

Microcurrent Facial (McF) treatment is a mild non-surgical facelift. Micrrocurrent is 

• completely non-invasive,
• not painful,
• no downtime,
• with gradual and cumulative rejuvenation effects.​

The procedure is also called Bio Microcurrent Lift or Microcurrent Tightening.

​Microcurrent acts on both upper and lower facial layers, skin and muscles, and improves lymphatic and blood flow. The treatment strengthens and lifts underlying facial muscles and improves skin quality. Results of the microcurrent treatment --
​ 

• a younger facial contour. Facial muscles are toned and the face is more lifted in all the areas where it was sagging;
• a slight improvement in facial lines. Mimetic wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes are re-trained,
• lessening of the fine wrinkles due to the production of new collagen and elastin,
• an overall skin tightening and toning, and
• more radiant skin with ​a smoother complexion,
• gradual removal of the injectable products, fillers and Botox, from the face. This is an important consideration in planning your treatments. Read here​

​The results are very natural looking because microcurrent triggers natural rejuvenation processes.
​
​The treatment is very mild. For this reason multiple sessions are required to achieve a lasting effect. After that, maintenance sessions every four to eight weeks are recommended to maintain the results, unless a patient also has injections of Botox and/or fillers.

Microcurrent treatment before and after. Note the improved lower face contour, an improvement in the nasolabial fold, relaxation of the wrinkles around the eyes, a slight lift in the upper eyelid

What is microcurrent treatment? 

Microcurrent uses extremely low-level electrical currents that mimic body's own electrical currents.
Those currents mildly stimulate natural production of collagen and elastin, improve circulation of lymph and interstitual fluid in the treated area, relax and tone the mimetic muscles on the face. 
​ 
Microcurrent Therpary (MT) or Microcurrent Electrical Nerve Stimulation (MENS) has been originally developed for and used in physical therapy to facilitate recovery from a muscle injury. The effectiveness of Microcurrent Therapy for the muscle injury is well studied and documented, and that prompted adaptation and use of the technology in the facial rejuvenation.

Besides salon-grade microcurrent devices, there are many microcurrent at-home treatment devices such as NuFace, Biosincron, ReFa S Carat, ZIIP Beaty, and many others. 

Microcurrent effectiveness for skin and face rejuvenation. Why and how it works?

Skeptics will point out that there have been no well designed scientific studies to demonstrate that the microcurrent treatment is effective for the facial rejuvenation. However, there is abundant anecdotal evidence (confirmations of those who had the treatment) that the microcurrent facial works, and customers keep coming back for the treatment.

It is not entirely clear how exactly Microcurrent technology affects the face. However, based on the available studies from the physical therapy, and applying the knowledge of biological mechanisms, it is reasonable to suggest that  microcurrent stimulation affects and acts on most layers of the face (see the anatomy of facial layers here), including the interstitium (see here), but excluding the deep and superficial fat pockets/layers. 
​
Particularly, it appears that microcurrent 1) relaxes and tones facial muscles, which leads to a lifting effect and less mimetic wrinkles, 2) stimulates skin renewal by an increase in ATP production, 3) affects both muscles and skin by an increase in the extracellular stimulation and intracellular signaling. 

Manufacturers of the one of the most known at home microcurrent devices, NuFace, conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a consistent use over a 60 day period. 70 - 80% of users reported an improved facial contour, better skin tone, less wrinkles. Medical grade/spa grade micro current devices are  more powerful and produce even more visible results than at home devices do with fewer treatments.

​Some science behind the microcurrent is as follows - 
​
​Microcurrent effects were first studied in relation to healing muscle injury and pain reduction. One of the first and major studies (Cheng, 1982) showed that micro current 1) dramatically stimulates an increase in ATP production (Cheng, 1982); ATP fuels all biochemical reactions within the body; 2) increases the uptake of aminoisobutyric acid, which is essential for protein synthesis and membrane transport, by 30-40%.
Thus, ATP increase and extracellular stimulation of intracellular signals are generally proposed as the mechanisms behind the microcurrent effectiveness. 

Multiple studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Microcurrent Therapy in the healing of the muscle injury and muscle pain. Those studies show - 

• Some reduction in facial muscle pain (Zuim, 2006);
• May be beneficial for regrowth of atrophied muscle (Ohno, 2013);
• Potentially effective in delaying age-related macular degeneration and possibly even improving it (Chaikin, 2015).

How is Microcurrent Facial treatment for facial rejuvenation performed? 

A microcurrent facial device has two prongs.
​An esthetician moves the prongs along the client face, along the facial muscles, and the prongs deliver a very low dose of energy to the face. Some people feel a slight tangling or a slight metallic taste in the mouth. There is no pain and no downtime: there is no swelling or redness on the face after the procedure. The results are very subtle and accumulate over the weeks of the initial treatment series. 
​A Microcurrent treatment session in a medical spa or an office takes about an hour for the face and neck. 

A series of six to 12 weekly sessions are recommended to achieve the optimal results. After that a maintenance procedure every four to eight weeks is recommended to maintain the results.

The protocol is different for the at home devices, partially because they are not as powerful as the medical grade ones are and also because the treatment time is much shorter. Typically at home microcurrent devices are recommended to be used on an almost daily basis for a month or two to see results. 

Important consideration - combining microcurrent with fillers ​

There are no published studies on the topic, however, medical aesthetics practitioners who have experience with both microcurrent and injections of fillers and Botox have observed that micro current treatments dissolve fillers and remove Botox. Sometimes, micro current treatments are used for that very purpose - to remove unwanted fillers or Botox from a patient's face.
That 
​
Typically several procedures are required to completely remove thicker (volumetric) fillers such as Voluma by Allergan. Thinner fillers may take two or three procedures.
The mechanism behind that effect lies in the increase of the lymphatic and blood flow in the area and muscle movement stimulated by the microcurrent treatment.

​Therefore, there are four options to avoid wasting money on injectables that will be dissolved by the microcurrent action: 
1. Have filler injections only. This may be a better treatment option for those who want an immediate and more dramatic result and do not mind injections;
2. Have micro current treatments only. This may be a better course of action for someone who wants more natural looking results and rejuvenation of the entire face and prefers completely non-invasive treatments. 
​3. First undergo a series of 6 to 12 micro current treatments to lift and rejuvenate the underlying muscles and improve the skin. Then discontinue the microcurrent treatments and correct the remaining issues on the faces with injectable fillers. This is the route for someone who does not mind spending more time and money and is aiming the most natural looking results through addressing several aging facial layers. 
4. If both procedures are desired, start with the microcurrent as described in #3. Then have injectable fillers. After that wait for at least six weeks to start maintenance microcurrent treatments.

Microcurrent facelift before and after

​Note that the results after the first treatment only last several days. A series of treatments is required. Typically, eight to twelve microcurrent sessions spaced at one-week intervals are recommended to gradually build up the cumulative and lasting results.
After that series the results fully last for some two-three months. To maintain the results it is recommended to repeat the procedure every one-two months.
If the maintenance procedures are not performed, the face will gradually, over six to twelve months, return to how it looked before the treatments. 

Microcurrent before and immediately after one treatment

References 

Chaikin L, Kashiwa K, Bennet M, Papastergiou G, Gregory W. Microcurrent stimulation in the treatment of dry and wet macular degeneration. Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, NZ). 2015;9:2345-2353. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S92296.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4689270/ 

Cheng N., Van Hoof H., Bockx E., Hoogmartens M., Mulier J.C., De Dijcker F.J., Sansen W.M., De Loecker W. (1982) The effects of electric currents on ATP generation, protein synthesis, and membrane transport of rat skin. Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research 171, 264-272.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7140077 

NuFace. Clinically tested.
https://www.mynuface.com/pages/clinically-tested-fda-cleared ​ 
​2018. Accessed May 15, 2018. 

Ohno Y, Fujiya H, Goto A, et al. Microcurrent Electrical Nerve Stimulation Facilitates Regrowth of Mouse Soleus Muscle. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 2013;10(10):1286-1294. doi:10.7150/ijms.5985.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3752717/​ 

​Zuim PRJ, Garcia AR, Turcio KHL, Hamata MM. EVALUATION OF MICROCURRENT ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION (MENS) EFFECTIVENESS ON MUSCLE PAIN IN TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS PATIENTS. Journal of Applied Oral Science. 2006;14(1):61-66. doi:10.1590/S1678-77572006000100012.