NuFACE Before and After, What Results Really Look Like
Medically reviewed by
4 independent reviewers
Andrew Conrad Barile, PT, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) | Licensed Physical Therapist (PT) | CEO and Founder, Xtreem Pulse LLC
Read bio
Dr. Andrew Conrad Barile is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the CEO and Founder of Xtreem Pulse LLC, the engineering company behind PureLift. He earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Daemen College and is a licensed physical therapist.
He brings over two decades of clinical and entrepreneurial experience across physical therapy, craniosacral therapy and medical device innovation, built on a working knowledge of human anatomy and muscle physiology.
For PureLift LAB he reviews how current is delivered across all ten levels, from sub-sensory nanocurrent and skin-level microcurrent to motor-level EMS, and how the Infuse pass fits into the same ten-minute routine.
Bertica M. Rubio, M.D.
Board-Certified Physician, Dartmouth Medical School | Medical Director, Antiaging Regenerative Medicine Clinic
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Dr. Bertica M. Rubio is a board-certified physician and Medical Director of the Antiaging Regenerative Medicine Clinic in Redlands, California. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from Dartmouth Medical School and completed her pediatrics residency at UC Irvine Medical Center.
With decades of clinical experience, she specialises in age management medicine, regenerative medicine, wound healing and growth factor therapies, and her practice integrates evidence-based medical science with advanced aesthetic treatment.
For PureLift LAB she reviews articles for medical accuracy across the whole dial, from the gentle nanocurrent and microcurrent settings through to muscle-level EMS and the Infuse pass.
Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS
Board-Certified Otolaryngologist | Head and Neck Surgeon | Fellow, American College of Surgeons | Mount Sinai
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Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS is a board-certified otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at ENT and Allergy Associates in West Nyack, New York. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
He completed his otolaryngology residency at New York University Medical Center, serves as Assistant Clinical Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Otolaryngology.
For PureLift LAB he brings a wider clinical lens, connecting at-home facial stimulation from microcurrent to EMS to the anatomy underneath, with the same rigour we apply to every device specification.
Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann
Chair of Angiology, Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg | Clinic Director, University Clinic for Angiology
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Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann is Chair of Angiology at the Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane and Clinic Director of the University Clinic for Angiology at the Brandenburg University Hospital.
He trained at the University of Hamburg, was a Max Planck Society Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, and held senior consultant posts at the Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin before his appointment as Chair in 2016.
One of Europe's leading authorities on arteriogenesis, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications and US and EU patents, he reviews for PureLift LAB how the evidence on electrical stimulation is read and where its limits lie.
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NuFACE before and after results usually show a subtly firmer, more lifted jaw and cheek after several weeks of regular use, not a facelift, and they fade if you stop.
This article walks you through what to expect, such as:
- what changes in the first session and what takes weeks
- how to tell a fair before and after photo from a misleading one
- what NuFACE cannot change
- how to take your own before and after photos
- how NuFACE results compare with other microcurrent devices
and many more!
We make a competing device, PureLift, so we have kept this to what any microcurrent device can and cannot do and how to judge the photos yourself.
Key Points:
The first session often gives a short-lived lifted look that fades within hours to a day, while the lasting change builds over weeks of regular use.
The published evidence for facial electrical stimulation comes from twelve weeks of regular sessions, so a fair before and after compares photos taken months apart, not minutes.
A before and after photo is only fair if the lighting, angle, distance, expression and makeup are the same in both images.
NuFACE, like every microcurrent device, works on muscle tone and does not tighten loose skin, restore lost volume or erase deep lines.
Results are maintained rather than permanent, so they fade gradually if you stop using the device.
What NuFACE does
NuFACE is a handheld microcurrent device with two spheres that pass a low current through the skin into the facial muscles. NuFACE lists the TRINITY+ Starter Kit at $395 and the MINI+ Starter Kit at $250, and both hold FDA clearances, K212947 and K191672.
NuFACE does not publish the output of its devices, and it requires a branded gel, starting around $35.
Our full review of the flagship model is in our NuFACE TRINITY+ review.
What results look like over time
Right after a session
Many people see a lifted, more awake look straight away, mostly around the jaw and cheekbones. This immediate effect fades within hours to a day.
It is the reason many brand photos are taken right after a session, and it is not the lasting result.
After four to eight weeks
With five sessions a week, most people start to see a firmer jawline and a slightly lifted cheek that lasts between sessions.
After twelve weeks
A randomized controlled trial by Kavanagh and colleagues, published in 2012, measured the effect of facial electrical stimulation after twelve weeks of regular use, which is the time frame to judge any device by.
A week by week breakdown is in our week by week results article.
How to judge a before and after photo
Check that the lighting is the same. Light from above deepens shadows under the jaw and cheeks, while light from the front flattens them.
Check the angle and distance. A camera held slightly higher or further away changes how the jawline looks.
Check the expression and posture. A raised chin or a slight smile lifts the face on its own.
Check makeup, hair and skin condition. Contour, a fresh tan or hydrated skin changes the result without any device.
Check the time between photos. A before and after taken an hour apart shows the temporary effect, not the result you will keep.
More on reading these photos is in our guide to microcurrent before and after photos.
What NuFACE cannot change
Loose or crepey skin, since microcurrent works on muscle rather than skin laxity.
Lost volume in the cheeks or temples, which needs filler or fat rather than muscle work.
Deep etched lines, covered in our wrinkles article.
These limits apply to every microcurrent device, including ours.
How to take your own before and after photos
Take the before photo on day one, in the same spot by a window, at the same time of day, with no makeup and your hair pulled back.
Hold the camera at eye level, at arm's length, and take a front photo plus one from each side.
Keep a neutral face with your teeth together and your chin level.
Take the after photos the same way at four, eight and twelve weeks, before a session rather than right after one.
How NuFACE results compare with other devices
No study has compared NuFACE with another consumer device head to head, so claims that one brand gives better results are not backed by published evidence.
What differs is cost, published output, the gel requirement and the technologies on offer. Our comparisons are in PureLift vs NuFACE, NuFACE vs ZIIP HALO and FOREO BEAR 2 vs NuFACE TRINITY.
For a full ten device comparison, see our best microcurrent device for face article.
Do NuFACE results last
The result is maintained rather than permanent. If you stop, muscle tone gradually returns to where it was over the following weeks.
Most routines move from five sessions a week to two or three once the result is where you want it, as covered in our article on stopping a facial device.
Do not use any facial current device if you have a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, if you are pregnant or if you have epilepsy, and skip broken or irritated skin. The full list is in our safety article.
Frequently asked questions
Does NuFACE really work
NuFACE can give a subtly firmer, more lifted look with regular use over weeks. It does not replace a facelift and it does not tighten loose skin.
How long does it take to see NuFACE results
An immediate lift fades within a day. The lasting change usually shows after four to eight weeks of five sessions a week, and is best judged at twelve weeks.
Are NuFACE before and after photos real
Many are real but taken right after a session, which shows the temporary effect. Check that lighting, angle, expression and timing match.
Do NuFACE results go away
Yes, gradually, if you stop. The result is maintained with two or three sessions a week.
Is NuFACE FDA cleared
Yes. The TRINITY+ and MINI+ hold FDA clearances K212947 and K191672, which you can look up in the FDA 510(k) database.
This article sits inside our full map of the category, where we set out all 33 devices we track, what each one carries and what each brand publishes: Nine Technologies on One Dial, What the Rest of the Market Actually Carries.