How to Choose a Facial Toning Microcurrent Device
Medically reviewed by
4 independent reviewers
Andrew Conrad Barile, Fisioterapeuta, Doctor en Terapia Física
Doctorado en Terapia Física (DPT), Fisioterapeuta Licenciado (PT)
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El Dr. Andrew Conrad Barile es Doctor en Terapia Física y CEO y Fundador de Xtreem Pulse LLC. Obtuvo su Doctorado en Terapia Física en Daemen College y aporta más de dos décadas de experiencia clínica y empresarial en terapia física pediátrica, terapia craneosacral e innovación en dispositivos médicos. Su profundo conocimiento de la anatomía humana, la fisiología muscular y la tecnología terapéutica ofrece un enfoque invaluable respaldado por la ciencia para la rejuvenecimiento facial y soluciones antienvejecimiento.
Bertica M. Rubio, M.D.
Director Médico, Clínica de Medicina Regenerativa y Antienvejecimiento | Médico Certificado por la Junta | Escuela de Medicina de Dartmouth
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La Dra. Bertica M. Rubio es una médica certificada y Directora Médica de la Clínica de Medicina Regenerativa y Antienvejecimiento en Redlands, California. Obtuvo su licenciatura en Ciencias en la Universidad Loyola Marymount y su título de Doctora en Medicina en la Escuela de Medicina de Dartmouth (Geisel School of Medicine). Completó su residencia en pediatría en el Centro Médico UC Irvine.
Con décadas de experiencia clínica, la Dra. Rubio se especializa en medicina para el manejo de la edad, medicina regenerativa, cicatrización de heridas y terapias con factores de crecimiento. Su práctica integra la ciencia médica basada en evidencia con tratamientos estéticos y regenerativos avanzados, ayudando a los pacientes a alcanzar una salud óptima y vitalidad juvenil.
La Dra. Rubio siente pasión por educar a los pacientes sobre la ciencia detrás del cuidado de la piel, el rejuvenecimiento facial y las tecnologías no invasivas como EMS (Estimulación Eléctrica Muscular) para el tonificado facial. Sus artículos para PureLift LAB combinan un conocimiento médico riguroso con orientación práctica para lograr resultados reales y duraderos.
Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS
Otorrinolaringólogo y cirujano de cabeza y cuello certificado | Miembro, Colegio Americano de Cirujanos | Profesor clínico asistente, Escuela de Medicina Mount Sinai
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Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS, es un otorrinolaringólogo certificado por la junta y cirujano de cabeza y cuello en ENT and Allergy Associates en West Nyack, NY. Obtuvo su título de médico en la Facultad de Médicos y Cirujanos de la Universidad de Columbia, completó su residencia en Otorrinolaringología en el Centro Médico de la Universidad de Nueva York y es profesor clínico asistente en la Escuela de Medicina Mount Sinai. Es miembro de la American College of Surgeons y de la American Academy of Otolaryngology.
La perspectiva quirúrgica de cabeza y cuello del Dr. Grinberg ofrece a los lectores de PureLift LAB una visión clínica más amplia, conectando la práctica de EMS en casa con la anatomía médica subyacente con el mismo rigor científico que aplicamos a cada especificación del dispositivo.
Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann
Cátedra de Angiología, Hochschule Médica de Brandeburgo | Director de Clínica, Clínica Universitaria de Angiología, Hospital Universitario de Brandeburgo | Ex Consultor Senior, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlín
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El Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann es Catedrático de Angiología en la Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane (MHB) y Director Clínico de la Clínica Universitaria de Angiología en el Hospital Universitario de Brandeburgo. Completó su formación médica en la Universidad de Hamburgo, fue becario de la Sociedad Max-Planck en el Instituto Max-Planck de Investigación Cardiaca y Pulmonar, y ocupó cargos de consultor senior en la Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Virchow antes de ser nombrado Catedrático en la MHB en 2016.
El Prof. Buschmann es una de las principales autoridades europeas en arteriogénesis — el crecimiento y remodelación de los vasos sanguíneos impulsados por el flujo — con más de 150 publicaciones revisadas por pares y varias patentes en EE. UU. y la UE sobre dispositivos que estimulan el crecimiento de vasos colaterales mediante terapia controlada de tasa de cizalladura. Su investigación conecta la estimulación mecánica y eléctrica con la adaptación vascular, la microcirculación y la perfusión tisular.
Las contribuciones del Prof. Buschmann aportan a los lectores de PureLift LAB una perspectiva de biología vascular que complementa nuestra autoría clínica, de fisioterapia y de anatomía quirúrgica existente — explicando cómo la estimulación EMS activa no solo los músculos faciales sino también la microcirculación que los abastece, y por qué la administración inteligente es tan importante a nivel del flujo sanguíneo como en la contracción muscular.
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Choose a facial toning device by checking five things in order: an FDA clearance you can look up, a published output figure, what it costs to run each year, whether you will use it several times a week, and the return policy.
This checklist walks you through the decision step by step, such as:
- how to look up a clearance yourself in two minutes
- what an output figure tells you and what it does not
- the hidden yearly cost of branded gels
- microcurrent only versus microcurrent plus EMS
- the questions to ask a brand before you buy
and many more!
We make PureLift devices, so we have written this as a checklist you can apply to any brand, including ours.
Key Points:
A facial toning microcurrent device works by sending a low current through the facial muscles, and results depend on regular use over weeks rather than the brand name.
An FDA 510(k) clearance number can be looked up in the FDA database in a couple of minutes, and a brand that cannot give you one is a brand to question.
An output figure means little unless the brand also states the load it was measured at, typically in ohms.
Required branded gels can add well over $100 a year to the cost of a device.
The best device is the one you will use four or five times a week for three months, since the published results come from twelve weeks of regular use.
What a facial toning microcurrent device does
It is a handheld device with two contact points that passes a low electrical current through the skin and into the facial muscles while you glide it along set paths.
The aim is a firmer, more lifted look, most visible along the jaw, cheeks and brows, built up through repeated sessions rather than in one go.
Kavanagh and colleagues in 2012 measured an increase in cheek muscle thickness after twelve weeks of regular sessions, which is the strongest published evidence in this field.
The full explanation of how it works is in our article on whether microcurrent devices work.
Step one, confirm an FDA clearance
How to check it yourself
Ask the brand for its 510(k) number, or find it on the box or the product page. It starts with a K followed by six digits.
Search that number in the FDA 510(k) database on the FDA website. The entry shows the company name, device name and the date of clearance.
Check that the device in the entry matches the device you are buying, because some brands cite a clearance for an earlier model.
What a clearance does and does not mean
A clearance means the FDA accepted the device as substantially equivalent to one already on the market for a stated use. It is not an approval and it does not rank devices against each other.
No clearance is not automatically a reason to avoid a device, but it means you are relying on the brand's own claims. More detail is in our article on FDA clearance.
Step two, look for a published output figure
Output is the amount of current the device delivers, stated in microamps or milliamps. Several leading brands do not publish it at all.
A figure is most useful when it comes with a load, for example up to 7 mA at 500 ohms. Without a load, two brands' figures cannot be compared precisely.
Do not treat a higher number as a better device. Once the current reaches the muscle, more of it does not produce a proportionally better result, as we explain in our article on microamps.
Every figure published across the market is collected in our table of published output figures.
Step three, decide which technologies you need
Microcurrent only
Simpler devices run microcurrent alone, usually with three to five levels. They suit someone who wants a gentle daily routine and nothing more.
Microcurrent plus EMS
EMS, electrical muscle stimulation, produces a visible muscle contraction at higher levels. Devices that combine both let you move from a gentle setting to a stronger one on the same dial.
Our devices work this way, with nanocurrent at level 1, microcurrent at level 2 and EMS from level 3 to 10. The difference is explained in our EMS versus microcurrent article.
LED and other extras
Some devices add red or blue light, heat or percussion. Pay for these only if you would use them, because each extra raises the price without changing what the microcurrent does.
Step four, work out the real yearly cost
The sticker price is only part of the cost. Many devices require a branded conductive gel, often priced from around $30 to $80 a tube.
Used four or five times a week, a tube may last a few weeks, so the gel can add well over $100 a year.
A device that works with any water-based conductive serum costs less to run and lets you choose your own products. Which serums work is covered in our guide to the best gel or serum.
Also check the battery, the charging method and whether replacement parts are sold, since a device you cannot recharge or repair has a short life.
Step five, be realistic about how often you will use it
The published results come from regular use, typically four or five sessions a week for the first eight to twelve weeks, then two or three a week to maintain.
A full session on our devices takes about ten minutes, with no more than three minutes per side of the face.
If you know you will not keep to that, a cheaper device is a lower-risk test of whether the habit sticks. What to expect over time is in our article on how long microcurrent takes to work.
Questions to ask any brand before you buy
What is your FDA 510(k) number, and does it cover this exact model?
What is the maximum output, and at what load was it measured?
Does the device require your own gel, or will any water-based conductive serum work?
Where is it made, and under what quality standard? Ours are made in Japan in an ISO 13485 facility.
What is the return window, and does it apply to a used device?
A brand that answers all five plainly is giving you what you need to compare. For a side-by-side of ten devices on these points, see our comparison of the best microcurrent devices for face.
Who should not use a facial toning device
Anyone with a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, anyone pregnant and anyone with epilepsy should not use one.
Avoid broken or irritated skin, active acne flare areas and recent filler or injection sites until your provider says otherwise.
The complete list is in our safety article.
Frequently asked questions
What is a facial toning microcurrent device
It is a handheld device that sends a low current through the facial muscles to give a firmer, more lifted look over weeks of regular use.
How do I know if a microcurrent device is FDA cleared
Ask for its 510(k) number and search it in the FDA 510(k) database. Check that the entry names the exact model you are buying.
Is a stronger microcurrent device better
No. A higher output figure does not mean a better result, and figures without a stated load cannot be compared between brands.
Do I need a special gel for a microcurrent device
Some devices require a branded gel. Others, including ours, work with any water-based conductive serum, which lowers the yearly cost.
How often should I use a facial toning device
Most routines use four or five sessions a week for the first eight to twelve weeks, then two or three a week to maintain the result.
Should I choose microcurrent only or microcurrent with EMS
Microcurrent alone suits a gentle routine. A device that adds EMS gives a stronger setting on the same dial for people who want visible muscle contraction.
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.