Want to know the only (top-notch) anti aging facial that I nowadays lay money and time on? Well, it is called microcurrent therapy, and has been a true game changer for my skin.

This kind of treatment works in so many ways. It lifts, it tones, it heals, it reduces acne. And is completely natural. Personally, I’ll never ever stop using microcurrent on my face!

This post will explain how this treatment can make your skin younger and healthier. And also, what microcurrent therapy devices I use myself.

This is what I will cover. And you can jump to any part of the post by clicking on the headlines below.

• What is microcurrent therapy?
• Microcurrent facial benefits – 5 ways it makes you younger
• Microcurrent therapy devices or salon treatments?
• What is the best microcurrent device? – Nuface vs Ziip vs Myolift
• Summary – Why microcurrent is the best anti aging facial I’ve ever tried

Let’s get started with teaching you all you need to know about this powerful anti aging facial.

What is microcurrent therapy?

Let’s briefly give you some background facts about this technology.

• Microcurrent is a super low-level current that imitates our body’s own natural bio electrical activity. With microcurrent therapy, we can stimulate our skin cells and muscle cells. By sending these soft and very gentle currents down our tissues.

• Microcurrent therapy is also known as MENS-therapy (microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulation). But should not be confused with TENS-therapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). Microcurrent uses micro amperage current, which is a thousand times smaller than the milliamp that TENS uses.  

• Microcurrent therapy can be used as anti aging facial treatments for stimulation of our facial muscles and rejuvenation of our skin. 

• It can also be used for pain management and for injuries. And it has actually been used by medical doctors since the 1970s for pain relief as well as on patients with paralysis conditions in the face such as Bell’s palsy. 

• True microcurrent does not feel anything or very little. And it should not cause any contraction of the muscle. It will still efficiently stimulate and re-educate the muscle to resume the plump appearance it once had. 

• Microcurrent increases the stimulation of ATP (I’ll come back to this later) in the cells which in turn increases the synthesis of proteins. It also increases blood flow which leads to better exchange of oxygen, antioxidants, and other nutrients to the cells.  

Now let’s go over to what this anti aging facial can do for your skin and face long term. If you are consistent with it.

Microcurrent facial benefits – 5 ways it makes you younger

Microcurrent works in many different ways to improve and youthify your skin. And the major reason this is happening is thanks to increased ATP concentration.

ATP (Adenosince 5’-triphospate)  is a molecule that stores and transfers energy in our cells. And is used for all cellular activities. 

Increased ATP concentration will in turn increase uptake of amino acids and synthesis of the skin building proteins collagen and protein. 

This increased ATP also energizes the facial muscles. In a similar way to how exercise energizes the muscles of our bodies. 

As we get older, the concentration of ATP begins to fall. Meaning the cells lose their full potential. This reduces the synthesis of collagen and elastin in the skin. As well as the energy within the muscle cell that is needed for them to remain firm and plump. 

With that short explanation of ATP. Let’s divide this section into 5 main outcomes of using microcurrent therapy as an anti aging facial treatment.

1) It restores volume in your face and reduces sagginess

We have 43 muscles in our faces. Microcurrent stimulates them to gives you a fuller and plumper face. Which counteracts any volume loss you may experience.

In my two recent posts about nasolabial folds, jowls, and marionette lines, I talk a lot about how volume loss is the big cause of these matters. So if you are concerned about saggy skin, and the specific nasolabial folds, jowls and marionette lines that come with it. Then definitely give microcurrent a try. 

Something to also understand is that when it comes to your face, your skin is directly connected to the facial muscles. What this means is that stimulating and training your muscles will not just restore volume. But also lift and tighten your skin. As a sort of natural facelift.

2) It increases the production of collagen and elastin

As mentioned above, increased ATP will increase proteins in the cells. And for the skin cells, this means more collagen and elastin.

What this means is that with time, microcurrent improves the structure of your skin and helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles. 

3) It increases blood flow and improves lymphatic drainage

Just like a massage, microcurrent therapy will also increase blood flow and aid with lymphatic drainage. This will give you an instant and radiant glow and reduce puffiness. As well as improve your overall skin health by improving delivery of nutrients, antioxidants, and oxygen to your skin cells.

This helps even more with fighting the aging process and reducing the harm from free radicals that we are exposed to daily. 

3) It helps with healing the skin and to fight acne

Thanks to the increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients that microcurrent brings on. It also helps to speed up healing. 

And on top of that it helps to eliminate bad bacteria, both topically and internally. This is because the extra oxygen that is delivered to the skin cells, makes it more difficult for the acne causing bacteria to survive. 

5) It helps strengthen your ligaments.

I mentioned this in my previous post too when discussing saggy skin (nasolabial folds, jowls, and marionette lines). Because weakened ligaments are a contributing factor. 

Gladly, since microcurrent help with energizing all cells and has a positive effect on healing. It actually helps strengthen those ligaments and prevent further sagginess. 

There is also some studies indicating microcurrent might help with bone formation. This can be an extra bonus effect since strong facial bones are crucial for a face to look younger for longer. See my post about facial bone loss to learn more.

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In short. By using microcurrent you will counteract saggy skin by restoring volume and tighten your skin. You will also increase the production of collagen and elastin for long term effects on wrinkles and fine lines. And on top of that, you get a radiant glow, less acne, and better skin health in general.

A bonus effect of using microcurrent on your skin is that it increases the uptake of any skincare serum you might use underneath the conductive gel.

Microcurrent therapy devices at home or salon treatments?

Microcurrent treatment can be offered as a powerful anti aging facial at certain salons. But you also have the option to do home treatments by buying your own microcurrent therapy device.

Question is, which option is the best? And how are they different?

For me, personally, I just go with the home devices. Since I simply do not have any salons where I live that offer this kind of treatment. 

I do have three different microcurrent therapy devices that I alternate between. I will come back to that in the next section. And I would say they all provide effective anti aging facials and long term results if used regularly. 

Here are what I consider to be the pros and cons of using either microcurrent therapy devices on yourself. Or going to a salon or clinic for a professional anti aging facial with microcurrent. 

Salon treatments with microcurrent 

Pros

• Stronger machines (usually) 
• Many different programs (usually) 
• Fast results

Cons

• Expensive
• Not available everywhere or at times that suit you
• Hard to be consistent. And just as with training you have to be consistent for long term results.

Microcurrent therapy devices for home treatments

Pros

• A lot less expensive than the salon treatments
• Easy to use on yourself
• Easy to be consistent
• Gives great result especially over time
• Available for everyone

Cons

• Takes time and practice
• Gels can be expensive and messy
• Not as strong as the salon treatments so takes longer time to get results.

As I said I only use home devices myself. And I love how they make my skin tighter and more glowy. I also love the fact that they keep my production of collagen and elastin high since I can do the treatment regularly. 

Now if you happen to do have a salon in your area that gives this type of anti aging facial And that has good credentials. Then I would say go for both (if you can afford it).

Definitely have a home device for consistency and to have a steady increased concentration of ATP. But do a salon treatment every once in a while. 

Before you do go to any salon though. I truly recommend you research the therapist/doctor and reviews they are having. 

If you want to order your own microcurrent therapy device as I did. Then the next section will be all about the ones I personally use.

What is the best microcurrent device? Nuface vs Myolift vs ZIIP

So let’s talk about specific microcurrent devices to use at home. And more precisely, the three devices that are most known and talked about. Nuface, Ziip, and Myolift mini. 

In short, I think they are all fantastic. And at the same time, they are all different. They all have at least one feature that I like so much that I cannot stop using it. In other words, yes I use them all. 

Update: ZIIP has recently been updated with several new programs that are so powerful that I hardly use any of the other devices anymore. This has saved me a lot of time for sure, and my skin is better than ever :).

But since I do not do any salon treatments I decided to do the best I could with these instead.

I will now explain about them each. What I like about them, how I use them, and what makes them unique in my opinion. That way you can decide for yourself which microcurrent device is best for you and your concerns. 

Tip: I have a separate post about the device Foreo Bear. It’s not on my top list of devices (I get no result from using it) so I have not included it here.

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*Please note, this post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a small commission if you purchase through any of those links. It doesn’t cost you any extra and I only recommend products I truly love and use myself. You can read my full disclosure here.  

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Nuface

This is the device I started with. Mostly because I had heard a lot of great things about it. It looked extremely easy to use. And since they offered a money-back guarantee for satisfaction. So I really had nothing to lose. 

And yes, I did notice an effect on firmness and glowiness right after the first treatment. I could feel this was good for my skin so I ordered their attachment called ELE shortly thereafter. 

The Nuface device itself is called Trinity and is small enough to be held in one hand. It has two quite large probes that you slide over your skin. And you can work with more advanced techniques too. Where you lift and hold the muscles with the probes (all explained in detail in Nuface instruction videos). 

The ELE attachment is meant to be used around the eyes and lip area. It has much smaller probes in order to target those small muscles very efficiently. 

It made a huge improvement in my under-eye puffiness and hooded eyes that I get very easily (If I have a bad night’s sleep my eyes will tell for days).

Tip: See my post about hooded eyes and saggy eyelids to learn more about these concerns and how to improve them.

If you are getting the Nuface, then definitely get the ELE attachment too.

I also like that Nuface Trinity is so easy to use. And that is a key to getting microcurrent to work efficiently. You have to be consistent with it.

For those of you who wonder about the strenght, Nuface goes up to 335 microamps (and up to 200 micoramps with the ELE attachment).

So are there any negative things to say about Nuface? Well unfortunately my device stopped working after about a month. But there was no problem with getting a new one sent to me right away. And that one has worked perfectly.

The Nucafe is also limited to one program with one set of waveforms (frequency). So what does that mean?

Well, different shapes of the microcurrent waves will target different conditions. And I will explain this more when I talk about the other machines that offer programs with some other waveforms.

I would still, due to the immediate effects I am seeing on myself, recommend Nuface. I found it especially effective for plumping my cheeks (which you can read more about in this post), contouring my jawline, and improve my eye areas.

Where to buy it

For the best price and customer service (and of course with the money-back guarantee included), I recommend Dermstore. Which you find on this link.

If you live anywhere in Europe I recommend a store called Cultbeauty. And you find them on this link. They are super fast with shipping and they also give you free shipping in the whole of Europe. And of course, with Nuface’s money-back guarantee included.

ZIIP

ZIIP was the second microcurrent device I bought, and it is now my favorite!

I was curious because it was said to have a lot of different programs (with different waveforms). All for different concerns. Such as pigmentation, acne, and programs solely for lymphatic drainage, jowls, contouring, and more. 

Besides the different waveforms, ZIIP goes up to 400 microamps in strength (depending on what program you use).

ZIIP also mixes their microcurrent with nanocurrent. Which they mean are even more effective in creating ATP and give long-term results.

The device is small, smaller than the Nuface, and can easily be held by one hand. It also looks and feels a lot more exclusive.

The device comes with either the golden gel or the Crystal gel, and both are amazing! I actually love them so much that I use them with my other devices as well (see my post about conductive gels to learn more).

The 14 different programs are fun to try and easy to change with the help of their app that you connect to your device. Very high-tech, yet super simple.

So how effective is it? Well, I think I am falling in love with my ZIIP more and more.

I find it incredibly effective for plumping my cheeks (which you can read more about in this post), eliminating jowls and nasolabial folds, contouring my jawline, and improving my eye areas. You can read my post about hooded eyes to see how it has helped me with that issue.

The device has programs for each and every concern you want to target. Or full programs that cover the whole face. You can also combine the programs as you wish.

There is also a program that only uses nanocurrent, for a very gentle, healing, and cumulative treatment. This is one of my favorites too. And it is also the only treatment that can work even on a damaged skin barrier (if it’s not too severe). And will help speed up the healing process.

Another program that used to be my favorite is the one that targets acne, and all kinds of impurities. And since I used to get some kind of acne every once in a while (due to something I ate or had on my skin). Especially during that time of the month. This program was a life-changer.  Because I rarely just got a small pimple. I usually got a cystic one that took forever to heal. (see this post to learn about how to treat cystic acne and how I learned to combat this problem).

By using this program with my ZIIP, it cleared everything up and sometimes as fast as 24 hours. That is incredible and has saved my skin a lot.

There is also a program that specifically targets lymphatic drainage. And if I have had a bad night’s sleep, this sure improves the way my face looks by reducing puffiness.

There is also a program specifically for the forehead, and a lot more!

One downside with the device that is worth mentioning is that you have to be careful because it can get very slippery. And can break easily too. This has happened to me as I dropped it a few times too much on the floor. The company sent me a new one, thankfully. But be careful with it!

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My new post ZIIP vs Nuface will explain about the ZIIP in more detail. And give a more detailed comparison of these two.

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The ZIIP is a bit more expensive than the other two. I personally think it’s worth the extra cost due to all the different programs and waveforms that you get with it. It just does so much for your skin.

Also, I have a ZIIP discount code for 20 percent (ziipwithann). Which is almost $100 off. This link will take you there (make sure to use my code ziipwithann to get the discount), but they only ship within the USA.

If you live in Europe I recommend Cultbeauty on this link (no discount code, unfortunately) for free and fast shipping. You will also get a 10 % off your first order.

Myolift mini

This is my latest and most advanced microcurrent therapy device. And it is as close to a professional one you can come, in your own home.

Myolift mini has two handles with two probes on each. Making it possible to pinch any muscles of your face and hold for very targeted microcurrent treatment.

This device also comes in two different programs. One is for educating/training your muscles. And the other one is actually for relaxing them. Since some muscles can be very tense and therefore benefit from this type of stretch. The company means that lines that are occurring from tense muscles can be improved with this “erase program”.

Myolift mini is also adjustable with the intensity. From 175 microampere all the way up to 400 microampere.

A downside with myolift is that it takes some time to learn the technique. But there are plenty of youtube videos for that.

It is also much larger than the other two and needs both hands to perform a treatment. Personally, I think it’s fun, but I understand not everyone finds the same amusement of having to deal with the long cords and messy probes. 

If you are going to buy Myolift mini do understand it takes an initial investment in time to learn how to do this treatment efficiently. But it’s worth it!

You find more info about Myolift on this link. And if you use my myolift mini discount code: ‘ayoungerskin’ you will get a 5 % off.

Tip: See my post about microcurrent conductive gels to learn more about why you need a conductive gel. And which ones I use personally.

Summary – why microcurrent is the best anti aging facial I’ve ever tried

So here is the short recap of what this post is all about. I personally find that microcurrent therapy is the most exciting anti aging facial out there. Because it does so much to your skin. And you can see an improvement even after the first treatment. 

Some of the most important benefits of using this kind of anti aging facial are:

• Microcurrent enhances cellular activity (by increasing ATP). This in turn leads to increased production of both collagen and elastin. Making the skin firmer and smoother.

• Microcurrent stimulates and trains your muscles to restore volume and plumpness. Which in turn tightens your skin and prevents/reduces sagginess of your skin. 

• Microcurrent improves circulation and skin health in general. And gives a radiant glow thanks to the improved blood flow.

• Microcurrent improves delivery of oxygen and important nutrients and antioxidants to the skin cells. Which reduces the breakdown of collagen and elastin.

• Microcurrent helps fight acne bacteria due to the extra oxygen that it delivers to the cells.

You can either find a good salon in your area that provides this kind of treatment. Or you can do what I did. Buy your own microcurrent therapy devices and use them on yourself in the comfort of your home.

I have the Nuface trinity (with ELE attachment), the ZIIP, and the Myolift mini. And I prefer to use my ZIIP the most since it provides so many programs and opportunities.

I suggest you start with the Nuface or ZIIP if you are all new to this kind of treatment. Since I find those devices to be the most simple ones to use.

You also get a money-back guarantee with The Nuface so you can try it out risk-free. This is something the other microcurrent therapy devices don’t offer. With ZIIP on the other hand, you get a discount of 20 % if you use my code (ziipwithann).

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I think Microcurrent therapy is an amazing treatment. And a much much better and safer option to stay youthful, than using the fictitious botox and fillers. Microcurrent makes your skin younger in so many ways. Simply by giving the cells what they need to do the work.

Just remember to be consistent with your treatments, since it takes time to retrain muscles and build collagen and elastin. See it as going to the gym. The best result will come over time.

Hope you liked this post! And as always, let me know in the comments if you have any questions regarding this topic or the specific microcurrent therapy devices I use. And if you’ve tried this treatment already, please share your experience 🙂

Until next time, love your skin!