Microcurrent Before or After Red Light, the Right Order
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
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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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Use microcurrent first with a conductive gel, then remove the gel and use red light or your LED mask on clean, dry skin, finishing with serum and moisturizer, unless your LED brand gives a different order.
This guide sets out the routine, such as:
- the recommended order and why
- whether to remove the gel
- how long each step takes
- morning vs evening
- devices that combine both
and many more!
We make devices with and without light, so we have tested this routine many times.
Key Points:
Microcurrent needs a layer of conductive gel; most LED masks are designed for clean, dry skin.
Doing microcurrent first means you can wipe the gel off before the light.
There is no need to wait between them beyond removing the gel.
Red light and blue light follow the same order.
Devices such as PureLift GLOW put current and light in one head, so they follow their own instructions.
The order, and why
Microcurrent depends on a generous layer of conductive gel. Most LED mask makers ask for clean, dry skin with nothing that could leave a film between the light and your face. Doing microcurrent first lets you finish the current, remove the gel and then switch on the light without compromise.
Reversing the order works too if you prefer, but you will then be applying gel straight after the light and removing it again, which is one more step for no gain.
Step by step
| Step | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleanse and pat dry | 1 minute |
| 2 | Apply conductive gel, run your microcurrent session | Up to 10 minutes, 3 minutes per side ideal, 5 minutes per side at most |
| 3 | Rinse or wipe off the gel, pat dry | 1 minute |
| 4 | Red light or LED mask | As your device recommends |
| 5 | Serum, moisturizer, sunscreen in the morning | 1 minute |
Our wider product order is in our microcurrent before or after skincare article.
Why combine them at all
The two technologies work on different targets. Microcurrent works on the facial muscles for a firmer, more lifted look, while red light works on the skin for the look of fine lines and texture over 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.
How they compare is in our microcurrent vs red light article, and an under eye routine using both is in our red light and microcurrent for under eyes article.
Morning or evening
Either works. A morning session gives a fresher look for the day, and an evening session fits more easily before bed. Keep your strongest actives such as retinoids for nights when your skin is calm.
Timing questions are answered in our morning or night article.
Devices that combine current and light
Our GLOW model adds red light at 634 nm and blue light at 465 nm to the same head as nanocurrent, microcurrent and EMS, so current and light are delivered together. In that case, follow the device's own routine rather than the two-step order above.
Stacking a mask with a current device is covered in our LED mask protocol and our LED mask vs GLOW article.
Our devices run nanocurrent at level 1, microcurrent at level 2 and EMS from level 3 to 10, plus an Infuse pass, on one dial, with three minutes per side of the face as the sweet spot, and no more than five minutes per side, ten minutes in total, and they work with any water-based conductive serum.
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
Should I use microcurrent before or after red light
Microcurrent first, then remove the gel and use red light on clean, dry skin.
Do I need to wash off microcurrent gel before LED
Yes, rinse or wipe it off so the skin is clean and dry for the mask, unless your LED brand says otherwise.
Can I use microcurrent and red light on the same day
Yes, back to back in one routine.
How long should I wait between microcurrent and LED
No wait is needed beyond removing the gel.
Is there a device that does both
Yes, PureLift GLOW combines nanocurrent, microcurrent and EMS with red and blue light in one head.
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.