Where to Buy a Microcurrent Device, and How to Avoid Fakes
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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Buy a microcurrent device from the brand's own site or an authorized retailer, check the FDA clearance and warranty, and be wary of marketplace listings priced far below retail, which can be counterfeit, used or gray market.
This guide helps you buy safely, such as:
- the safest places to buy
- how to spot a counterfeit or gray market device
- warranty and return terms to check
- buying used
- FSA and HSA eligibility
and many more!
We sell our devices directly, so we have written this as a checklist you can use for any brand.
Key Points:
The brand's own site and its authorized retailers are the safest places to buy, since they carry the warranty.
Marketplace listings far below retail can be counterfeit, used or gray market, imported outside the brand's official channels.
Check the return window, whether it applies to used devices and how long the warranty runs.
Used devices may have worn batteries or no warranty, and you cannot verify their history.
Some devices may be FSA or HSA eligible, so check before you pay.
The safest places to buy
The brand's own website, which carries the full warranty and return policy.
Authorized retailers listed on the brand's site, such as department stores and beauty retailers.
Professional estheticians and spas that are official stockists.
Our devices are sold directly at pureliftlab.com.
How to spot a counterfeit or gray market device
The price is far below the brand's own price without an official sale.
The seller is not listed as an authorized retailer on the brand's site.
Packaging, logos or instructions look different from the brand's photos, or the manual is missing.
There is no serial number, or the brand cannot register it.
Gray market devices are genuine but imported outside official channels, and may not carry a US warranty or US instructions.
Check the FDA clearance
Ask for the 510(k) number and confirm it covers the exact model. See our guide to checking a clearance.
Warranty and returns
How long is the return window, and does it cover a device you have used?
How long is the warranty, and does it cover the battery?
Do you need to register the device, and is proof of purchase from an authorized seller required?
Buying used
A used device may have a worn battery, damaged contact points or no warranty, and you cannot verify its history.
Some owners report that NuFACE items bought from third-party sellers arrived used, covered in our NuFACE reviews summary.
FSA and HSA eligibility
Some facial devices may be eligible depending on the device and your plan. See our FSA and HSA article.
Choosing which device to buy
The checklist is in our guide to choosing a toning device, and ten devices are compared in our best microcurrent device for face 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 a ten minute session and no more than three minutes per side of the face, 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
Where is the best place to buy a microcurrent device
The brand's own site or an authorized retailer listed on it, since both carry the warranty.
Are cheap microcurrent devices on marketplaces real
Some are, but listings far below retail can be counterfeit, used or gray market. Check the seller against the brand's authorized list.
Should I buy a used microcurrent device
Be cautious. A used device may have a worn battery, damaged contact points or no warranty.
How do I know if a microcurrent device is genuine
Buy from an authorized seller, check the serial number with the brand and compare packaging with the brand's photos.
Can I buy a microcurrent device with FSA or HSA
Some devices may be eligible depending on the device and your plan, so check before you pay.
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.