Can You Use a Microcurrent Device on Your Body
Medically reviewed by
4 independent reviewers
Andrew Conrad Barile, kinésithérapeute, DPT
Doctorat en physiothérapie (DPT), physiothérapeute agréé (PT)
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Le Dr Andrew Conrad Barile est docteur en physiothérapie et PDG ainsi que fondateur de Xtreem Pulse LLC. Il a obtenu son doctorat en physiothérapie à Daemen College et possède plus de vingt ans d'expérience clinique et entrepreneuriale en physiothérapie pédiatrique, thérapie craniosacrale et innovation en dispositifs médicaux. Sa profonde connaissance de l'anatomie humaine, de la physiologie musculaire et des technologies thérapeutiques offre une approche scientifique précieuse pour le rajeunissement du visage et les solutions anti-âge.
Bertica M. Rubio, M.D.
Directeur Médical, Clinique de Médecine Régénérative Anti-âge | Médecin Certifié par le Conseil | École de Médecine de Dartmouth
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Le Dr Bertica M. Rubio est une médecin certifiée et directrice médicale de la clinique de médecine régénérative anti-âge à Redlands, en Californie. Elle a obtenu son Bachelor of Science à l'Université Loyola Marymount et son Doctorat en médecine à la Dartmouth Medical School (Geisel School of Medicine). Elle a effectué sa résidence en pédiatrie au UC Irvine Medical Center.
Forte de plusieurs décennies d'expérience clinique, le Dr Rubio est spécialisée en médecine de gestion du vieillissement, médecine régénérative, cicatrisation des plaies et thérapies par facteurs de croissance. Sa pratique intègre la science médicale fondée sur des preuves avec des traitements esthétiques et régénératifs avancés, aidant les patients à atteindre une santé optimale et une vitalité juvénile.
Le Dr Rubio est passionnée par l'éducation des patients sur la science derrière les soins de la peau, le rajeunissement du visage et les technologies non invasives comme l'EMS (stimulation électrique musculaire) pour le tonus facial. Ses articles pour PureLift LAB allient connaissances médicales rigoureuses et conseils pratiques pour obtenir des résultats réels et durables.
Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS
Otolaryngologiste et chirurgien de la tête et du cou certifié par le conseil | Membre, American College of Surgeons | Professeur clinique adjoint, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
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Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS, est un oto-rhino-laryngologiste certifié par le conseil et chirurgien de la tête et du cou chez ENT and Allergy Associates à West Nyack, NY. Il a obtenu son diplôme de médecine au Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, a effectué sa résidence en oto-rhino-laryngologie au New York University Medical Center, et est professeur clinique adjoint à la Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Il est membre de l'American College of Surgeons et de l'American Academy of Otolaryngology.
La perspective chirurgicale de la tête et du cou du Dr Grinberg offre aux lecteurs de PureLift LAB une vision clinique élargie — reliant la pratique EMS à domicile à l'anatomie médicale sous-jacente avec la même rigueur scientifique que celle que nous appliquons à chaque spécification d'appareil.
Prof. Dr med Ivo Buschmann
Président d'Angiologie, Hochschule Medizinische Brandenburg | Directeur de clinique, Clinique universitaire d'angiologie, Hôpital universitaire de Brandebourg | Ancien consultant principal, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
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Le Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann est titulaire de la chaire d'angiologie à la Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane (MHB) et directeur de la clinique universitaire d'angiologie à l'hôpital universitaire de Brandebourg. Il a effectué sa formation médicale à l'Université de Hambourg, a été boursier de la Société Max-Planck à l'Institut Max-Planck de recherche sur le cœur et les poumons, et a occupé des postes de consultant principal à la Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Virchow avant d'être nommé titulaire de la chaire à la MHB en 2016.
Le Prof. Buschmann est l'une des principales autorités européennes en arteriogenèse — la croissance et le remodelage des vaisseaux sanguins induits par le flux — avec plus de 150 publications évaluées par des pairs et plusieurs brevets américains et européens sur des dispositifs stimulant la croissance des vaisseaux collatéraux par une thérapie contrôlée du taux de cisaillement. Ses recherches relient la stimulation mécanique et électrique à l'adaptation vasculaire, à la microcirculation et à la perfusion tissulaire.
Les contributions du Prof. Buschmann apportent aux lecteurs de PureLift LAB une perspective en biologie vasculaire qui complète notre expertise clinique, en physiothérapie et en anatomie chirurgicale — expliquant comment la stimulation EMS engage non seulement les muscles faciaux mais aussi la microcirculation qui les alimente, et pourquoi une administration intelligente est aussi importante au niveau du flux sanguin qu'à celui de la contraction musculaire.
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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.