Ask The Expert: How can microcurrent beauty devices help firm up skin?

People use microcurrent devices more commonly for contouring and to tackle signs of ageing. Photo: Foreo

Ask The Expert is a column on topics related to fashion and beauty.

Foreo’s South-East Asia general manager Anel Puzic answers your questions this month on microcurrent devices.

What do people usually use microcurrent devices for? – Kim, PJ

People use microcurrent devices more commonly for contouring and anti-ageing.

It is used for wrinkles, fine lines and contouring of the face. When you use it over time – the jawline or cheekbones –the whole face, wherever you treat it, will become more contoured and defined.

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What is the science behind microcurrent devices? – Celine, KL

This clinically-proven technology has been used by doctors to treat patients with muscle atrophy, where the muscle treated with the current has better flexibility and is more plumped.

Anel Puzic recommends starting slow with using your microcurrent device once or twice a week before increasing the intensity. — Photo: Foreo

This technology has been used for decades and has progressed to the microcurrent. It has been clinically tested in many different products through many ways, in different universities in different clinics, so it’s a super tested technology.

What it does is it stresses the fibroblasts underneath your skin in the muscles to produce collagen and elastin. We naturally have current in our bodies, for example, our hearts, which work on the electrical current.

It’s a natural system that we use externally to stress the muscles like we would do in the gym, for example.

The current goes through the top layer of the skin and to enable conductivity, it’s often used with a water-based serum after cleansing to remove sebum.

In general, how often should one use a microcurrent device? – Hani, PJ

It depends on the user, but to start, we suggest once a week and then see the results before increasing. Start slow, once or twice a week, and then see how you adjust to it and then increase the intensity.

The good thing about microcurrent devices is it’s a natural thing. Increasing the level of electric current to your body will not harm it.

I personally have started with seven times a week so I am on a daily level.

When should you not use a microcurrent device? – Aileen, KL

If you have blemishes, any skin damage, and, obviously, pregnancy, which is a state that you don’t want to interfere with.

You should not use it on a thyroid gland, on the part of the neck where the thyroid gland is, just to be safe, even though there has not been any specific damage that we know of.

If you have had a very abrasive facial that took a layer off the skin like a chemical peel, then you should definitely avoid using anything, including the microcurrent because even the new cells of the skin have been removed, so your skin is super sensitive at that time.

Can you use microcurrent devices if you have eczema? – Hui, KL

In my opinion, for people with eczema, they can use it and it might even help if the conductive serum that is used with it is not harmful.

This depends on the state of the eczema because it may be mild and you have just a tiny fraction of the skin that is dry. Some eczema is very difficult to handle like when you have wounds in the skin. So probably the best answer is to avoid using the device.

But based on the experiences of our people with mild eczema who work within the company and throughout the world that test the product, they have had no issues with microcurrent devices.

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How many weeks or months will it take before you start seeing positive results? – Dianne, Kuching

I would express this in number of uses, not in weeks, because the number of uses in a week varies from person to person. Usually, you would see results after three to five uses.

It’s actually two minutes per treatment, but some people who like the feel of it may do it longer, but the device will always tell you when two minutes are up. But you can continue or you can stop as it depends on whether you’re in a rush or pampering yourself for the weekend.

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