Microcurrent on Face, Where to Use It and Where Not To
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
Read bio
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 on the jaw, cheeks, forehead, brows and neck, gliding upward and outward along the muscles, and keep away from the eyelids, the front of the throat, broken skin and recent injection sites.
This guide covers each zone of the face, such as:
- the jawline and the area under the chin
- the cheeks and the smile lines
- the forehead and brows
- the under eye area, and how close is too close
- the neck, and the part of the neck to skip
and many more!
Each zone below has the direction to glide, how long to spend and what to expect from the area.
Key Points:
Microcurrent works on the facial muscles under the skin, so the best zones are where those muscles sit close to the surface, such as the jaw, cheeks and brows.
Always glide upward and outward, holding each end point for a second or two, and keep both contact points touching the skin.
Avoid the eyelids, the eyeball area, the front of the throat over the thyroid, broken or irritated skin and fresh filler or injection sites.
A full face session on our devices takes about ten minutes, with no more than three minutes per side.
A conductive layer that stays wet matters as much as where you glide, because a dry patch weakens the current and can sting.
Why the zone matters
Microcurrent passes a low current through the skin into the muscles underneath. The visible effect, a firmer and more lifted look, comes from those muscles, so results show most where they sit close to the surface.
Every zone also has a direction. Gliding upward and outward follows the lift you want to see, while gliding downward works against it.
The muscles each zone works on are mapped in our microcurrent facial chart.
Zone one, the jawline and under the chin
How to do it
Start at the center of the chin and glide along the jawbone toward the ear, holding for a second at the end point. Repeat three to five times per side.
For the area under the chin, glide from the center of the chin back toward the angle of the jaw.
What to expect
The jawline is the zone where most people notice a change first, usually a crisper edge after several weeks of regular sessions.
Loose skin on the jowls is a different problem from muscle tone, which we explain in our article on sagging jowls.
Zone two, the cheeks and smile lines
Glide from the corner of the mouth up toward the top of the ear, then from the side of the nose out across the cheekbone toward the temple.
These paths work the muscles that lift the cheek. Sessions here give a fuller, more lifted look across the mid face.
Hollow cheeks caused by lost fat are not something microcurrent fixes, as covered in our hollow cheeks article.
Zone three, the forehead and brows
Glide from the top of the brow straight up toward the hairline, working from the center of the forehead out to each side.
For the brows, glide from the inner end of the brow outward along the brow bone toward the temple, then hold for a second at the tail of the brow.
Keep the contact points on the brow bone and above it, never on the eyelid.
Zone four, around the eyes
The skin around the eyes is thin, so use a low level and stay on the bony orbit rather than the soft tissue.
Glide from the outer corner of the eye toward the temple, and along the upper cheekbone under the eye, never across the eyelid itself.
What microcurrent can and cannot do for under eye puffiness is in our under eye bags article.
Zone five, the neck
Work the sides of the neck only, gliding upward from the collarbone toward the jaw.
Skip the front of the throat, over the thyroid and windpipe, and the area over the pulse at the side of the neck.
Start on a low level here, since the neck can feel more sensitive than the face.
Where not to use microcurrent on face
The eyelids and the eyeball area.
The front of the throat, over the thyroid.
Broken skin, active breakouts, rashes, sunburn or skin under treatment by a dermatologist.
Fresh filler or neuromodulator injection sites, until your provider says otherwise.
Over metal implants in the face, unless your doctor has cleared it.
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.
How long to spend on each zone
On our devices a full session is about ten minutes, with no more than three minutes per side of the face, so each zone gets roughly a minute.
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 a ten minute session and no more than three minutes per side of the face.
Step by step technique for a full session is in our step by step guide.
Keep the conductive layer wet throughout, using any water-based conductive serum, as covered in our guide to the best gel or serum.
Frequently asked questions
Where should you use microcurrent on your face
On the jaw, under the chin, cheeks, forehead, brows and the sides of the neck, gliding upward and outward along the muscles.
Where should you not use microcurrent
Avoid the eyelids, the front of the throat, broken or irritated skin, fresh injection sites and anywhere your doctor has advised against.
Can you use microcurrent under your eyes
Yes, on a low level along the bony orbit and upper cheekbone, but never across the eyelid itself.
Can you use microcurrent on your neck
Yes, on the sides of the neck gliding upward, but skip the front of the throat over the thyroid.
Which direction should you move a microcurrent device
Always upward and outward, holding for a second or two at the end of each glide.
How long should you spend on each area of the face
About a minute per zone, with a full session of around ten minutes and no more than three minutes per side.
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.