The Science Behind Microcurrent
Is microcurrent just hype? Or is there actual science to back up the claims?
Table of Contents
History and medical use
Microcurrent is one of the most popular technologies in the beauty industry in the last few years. But microcurrent isn’t new, it’s actually been used in the medical industry for decades, especially in physical therapy for sports injuries, so it’s very safe, effective and targeted.
Many other medical conditions have case studies noting improvement through microcurrent therapy as well, such as headaches and migraines, TMJ, edema and swelling reduction, blood circulation, low back pain, wound healing, pain reduction, osteoarthritis and even facial paralysis conditions like Bell’s Palsy.
How does it work
As we age, the muscles lose adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is a nucleotide that is able to store and transport chemical energy within cells that promotes cell growth in skin cells and muscle tissue. The muscles start to atrophy from not being used, which causes sagging, especially around the jaw line, chin and neck. Skin will also start to fall and expression lines start to develop.
Microcurrent emits low levels of painless electrical impulses over the face and neck to under worked muscles to regain their strength and that mimic the natural occurring electrical signals in the body, increasing the amount of ATP by as much as 500%. By reproducing the body’s electrical current, you can re-establish muscle memory naturally.
This beauty treatment uses electrical signals to promote cell growth. While this sounds like it would be painful, the treatment is non-invasive and completely painless. There is also no recovery time and you often see immediate results. Microcurrent facial toning re-educates the muscles and restores them almost to their original shape.
Microcurrent facials also improve circulation which stimulates collagen production, improves skin tone and textures and improves the appearance of fine lines. The results are so dramatic that they are often referred to as a “non-invasive face lift”.
Side effects
Microcurrent has a long history of being very safe. While side effects are very rare, they can include nausea, fatigue, drowsiness or headaches. The side effects usually start during or about 90 minutes after treatment, and may last from 4 to 24 hours post-treatment. Lowering the intensity may reduce or eliminate these issues. There have been no lasting adverse reactions reported.
Intensity
Research shows the ATP peak production is at 500microamps. Always use caution when increasing intensity so as to not fatigue facial muscles.
Thyroid
Do not use over the thyroid area (front center of neck) when using any “high tech” beauty device in the form of a current, frequency, needle or light to avoid any damage to the thyroid gland.
Disclaimer
Microcurrent devices are beauty devices, not medical devices. Microcurrent devices are not meant to be used to diagnose or treat any medical conditions.
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