Can You Use a Microcurrent Device on Your Body
Medically reviewed by
4 independent reviewers
Andrew Conrad Barile, Physiotherapeut, Doktor der Physiotherapie
Doktor der Physiotherapie (DPT), Lizenzierter Physiotherapeut (PT)
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Dr. Andrew Conrad Barile ist Doktor der Physiotherapie sowie CEO und Gründer von Xtreem Pulse LLC. Er erwarb seinen Doktortitel in Physiotherapie am Daemen College und bringt über zwei Jahrzehnte klinische und unternehmerische Erfahrung in der pädiatrischen Physiotherapie, Craniosacraltherapie und medizinischen Geräteinnovation mit. Sein tiefes Verständnis der menschlichen Anatomie, Muskelphysiologie und therapeutischen Technologie bietet einen wissenschaftlich fundierten Ansatz für Gesichtsverjüngung und Anti-Aging-Lösungen.
Bertica M. Rubio, M.D.
Medizinischer Direktor, Anti-Aging-Regenerationsmedizinische Klinik | Facharzt | Dartmouth Medical School
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Dr. Bertica M. Rubio ist eine zertifizierte Ärztin und medizinische Leiterin der Anti-Aging-Regenerationsklinik in Redlands, Kalifornien. Sie erwarb ihren Bachelor of Science an der Loyola Marymount University und ihren Doktortitel in Medizin an der Dartmouth Medical School (Geisel School of Medicine). Ihre Facharztausbildung in Pädiatrie absolvierte sie am UC Irvine Medical Center.
Mit jahrzehntelanger klinischer Erfahrung spezialisiert sich Dr. Rubio auf Altersmanagement, regenerative Medizin, Wundheilung und Wachstumsfaktor-Therapien. Ihre Praxis verbindet evidenzbasierte medizinische Wissenschaft mit fortschrittlichen ästhetischen und regenerativen Behandlungen, um Patienten zu optimaler Gesundheit und jugendlicher Vitalität zu verhelfen.
Dr. Rubio ist leidenschaftlich daran interessiert, Patienten über die Wissenschaft hinter Hautpflege, Gesichtsverjüngung und nicht-invasiven Technologien wie EMS (Elektrische Muskelstimulation) zur Gesichtstonung aufzuklären. Ihre Artikel für PureLift LAB verbinden fundiertes medizinisches Wissen mit praktischen Anleitungen für echte, nachhaltige Ergebnisse.
Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS
Facharzt für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde und Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie | Fellow des American College of Surgeons | Assistenz-Professor für Klinische Medizin, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
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Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS, ist ein von der Ärztekammer zertifizierter Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Arzt und Kopf-Hals-Chirurg bei ENT and Allergy Associates in West Nyack, NY. Er erwarb seinen medizinischen Abschluss an der Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, absolvierte seine Facharztausbildung in Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde am New York University Medical Center und ist Assistenzprofessor an der Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Er ist Fellow sowohl des American College of Surgeons als auch der American Academy of Otolaryngology.
Dr. Grinbergs Perspektive als Kopf-Hals-Chirurg bietet den Lesern von PureLift LAB eine erweiterte klinische Sichtweise — er verbindet die EMS-Anwendung zu Hause mit der zugrunde liegenden medizinischen Anatomie mit derselben wissenschaftlichen Genauigkeit, die wir auf jede Gerätespezifikation anwenden.
Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann
Lehrstuhl für Angiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg | Klinikdirektor, Universitätsklinik für Angiologie, Brandenburgisches Klinikum | Ehemaliger Oberarzt, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
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Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann ist Lehrstuhlinhaber für Angiologie an der Medizinischen Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane (MHB) und Klinikdirektor der Universitätsklinik für Angiologie am Brandenburgischen Universitätsklinikum. Er absolvierte seine medizinische Ausbildung an der Universität Hamburg, war Max-Planck-Gesellschaft-Stipendiat am Max-Planck-Institut für Herz- und Lungenforschung und hatte leitende Oberarztpositionen an der Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Virchow inne, bevor er 2016 zum Lehrstuhlinhaber an der MHB berufen wurde.
Prof. Buschmann ist einer der führenden europäischen Experten für Arteriogenese – das durch Fluss angetriebene Wachstum und die Umgestaltung von Blutgefäßen – mit mehr als 150 begutachteten Veröffentlichungen und mehreren US- und EU-Patenten für Geräte, die das Wachstum von Kollateralgefäßen durch kontrollierte Scherkräfte-Therapie stimulieren. Seine Forschung verbindet mechanische und elektrische Stimulation mit vaskulärer Anpassung, Mikrozirkulation und Gewebeperfusion.
Die Beiträge von Prof. Buschmann bieten den Lesern von PureLift LAB eine gefäßbiologische Perspektive, die unsere bestehenden Autoren aus den Bereichen Klinik, Physiotherapie und chirurgische Anatomie ergänzt – und erklären, wie EMS-Stimulation nicht nur die Gesichtsmuskeln, sondern auch die Mikrozirkulation, die sie versorgt, aktiviert und warum eine intelligente Anwendung auf der Ebene des Blutflusses ebenso wichtig ist wie die Muskelkontraktion.
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A facial device is cleared for facial use and sized for small facial muscles, so it does little on larger body areas, and some body areas should never have current applied at all.
This article sets out what to check before you start, such as:
- why a facial device's clearance stops at the face
- why small probes do little on large muscles
- the body areas you should never use it on
- what cellulite and body contouring claims are based on
- what body stimulation devices are actually for
and many more!
The neck and upper chest are the sensible limit for a facial device, and below that you are outside what it was built for.
Key Points:
Facial devices are cleared for cosmetic facial stimulation, and using them elsewhere is outside that clearance.
Facial probes cover a few square centimeters and facial muscles are thin, while body muscles are many times larger and deeper.
Never use any stimulation device across the chest over the heart, on the front of the throat, over the carotid arteries, on the abdomen during pregnancy, or over broken skin.
Cellulite is a structural feature of fat and connective tissue, and toning muscle underneath does not change it.
Body stimulation devices exist for muscle training and pain, with larger pads, different outputs and their own clearances.
The clearance stops at the face
Facial devices in this category are cleared for over-the-counter cosmetic facial stimulation, and that indication defines what the device is for.
Using a facial device on your thighs or abdomen is not illegal, but it is outside what the manufacturer has shown the device is suited to.
It also means safety guidance written for the face does not cover the body.
How clearance works, and what it does and does not prove, is in our article on FDA clearance.
Why it does little on large muscles
Size
Facial muscles are often a few millimeters thick and sit just under the skin, so a small probe reaches them easily.
Body muscles such as the quadriceps or abdominals are far larger and deeper, with more tissue between the skin and the muscle.
A probe sized for a cheekbone covers a tiny fraction of a thigh, and the current spreads through more tissue before reaching anything.
Output
Facial devices are designed to reach facial muscles comfortably, which is a lower requirement than reaching deep body muscle.
Our devices publish up to 7 mA at 500 ohms on Face and Pro, 7.7 on Pro Edition and 9 on Pro Plus and GLOW, all chosen for facial work.
Body muscle stimulation devices use large adhesive pads and outputs designed for that job.
Where never to use it
Across the chest over the heart, or anywhere a current path could cross the chest, because of the risk to cardiac rhythm.
On the front of the throat, over the thyroid and larynx, and on the sides of the neck over the carotid arteries.
On the abdomen or lower back during pregnancy, and pregnancy is a contraindication for facial use too, covered in our pregnancy article.
Over broken, inflamed or infected skin, open wounds, or areas with reduced sensation.
Anywhere at all if you have a pacemaker or another implanted electronic device, set out in our article on implants.
The neck and upper chest
The neck and upper chest are a reasonable extension of facial use, since the platysma runs from the jaw down across the collarbone.
Stay off the throat and the pulse points, and keep the level below your cheek setting.
The crepey texture on the upper chest is a skin damage problem rather than a muscle one, so toning does little there.
Technique and limits are in our neck and chest article.
Cellulite and body contouring claims
Cellulite is created by the structure of fat lobules and the fibrous bands that connect skin to deeper tissue, which is why it appears in people of every weight.
Toning muscle underneath does not change that structure.
Treatments with evidence for cellulite work on the bands or the fat directly, through procedures such as subcision or specific energy devices, delivered in clinics.
A body contouring claim attached to a microcurrent device deserves the same scrutiny as any other claim borrowed from a different use, which we discuss in our article on what microcurrent is used for.
What body devices are actually for
Neuromuscular stimulation units with large pads are used in physical therapy and sports for muscle activation and rehabilitation.
TENS units are used for pain relief, covered in our comparison with TENS.
Each has its own clearances, outputs and guidance, designed for the body rather than adapted from the face.
If you want body stimulation, buy a device built and cleared for it, and keep your facial device for your face.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my facial microcurrent device on my stomach or thighs
It is outside the device's facial clearance, and small facial probes do little on large, deep body muscles. A body stimulation device built for that purpose is the better choice.
Can microcurrent reduce cellulite
Cellulite is a structural feature of fat and connective tissue, and toning muscle does not change it. Treatments with evidence for cellulite are clinic procedures.
Where should you never use a microcurrent device
Over the heart, the front of the throat, the carotid arteries, the abdomen during pregnancy, broken or infected skin, and anywhere at all if you have an implanted electronic device.
Can you use microcurrent on your neck
Yes, as a reasonable extension of facial use, staying off the throat and the pulse points at the sides and keeping the level lower than on the cheek.
Is there a microcurrent device for the body
Body stimulation devices exist for muscle activation and pain, with large pads and their own clearances. They are designed differently from facial devices.
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.