Cosmetic electrotherapy is a range of beauty treatments that uses low electric currents passed through the skin to produce several therapeutic effects"Introduction, Facial Electrical Manual, The Carlton Institute. 23 pages. (Page 2) such as muscle toning in the body and micro-lifting of the face.Dawn Mernagh-Ward, Jennifer Cartwright, Health and beauty therapy: a practical approach for NVQ level 3, Edition 3, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 2004, , . 420 pages (page 109) In rehabilitation medicine, electrotherapy has been widely utilized and studied; however, its use on healthy muscles, particularly in cosmetic and non-clinical settings, remains controversial. Some studies have questioned its effectiveness in these contexts, citing a lack of sufficient scientific evidence to support its claimed benefits.".Kristin Schaefer Centofanti, "Electrical Stimulation for Health, Beauty, Fitness, Sports Training and Rehabilitation", Advances in Muscle Research, 2008, Volume 4 (Application of Muscle/Nerve Stimulation in Health and Disease), 69–116. (page 69)
The use of electricity in cosmetics goes back to the end of the 19th century,See for example: "Dr Hardaway has remarked the wide usefulness of electrolysis in cosmetic manipulations." in The Medical Times and Register, Volume 16, (Author: Horatio Charles Wood), Publisher The Medical Publishing Company, 1886 (90)In the treatment of scars (cicatrix): ".. electro-galvanic currents ought to remove cicatrical tissue of the skin, and thus prove of incalculable value as a cosmetic" in Eclectic medical journal, Volume 45, Ohio State Eclectic Medical Association, Published 1885, (page 99) almost a hundred years after Luigi Galvani discovered that electricity can make the muscle in a frog's leg twitchThomas Thomson, An outline of the sciences of heat and electricity, Publisher Baldwin & Cradock, 1830. "Chapter VII: Of Electricity by Contact" (page 489) (see galvanism). In the 20th century, researchers such as Robert O. Becker, Björn Nordenström,Mark Woodhouse, Paradigm Wars: Worldviews for a New Age, Publisher Frog Books, 1996, , , 648 pages (page 192) and Thomas WingDeborah Powell, MicroCurrent for Horses (and other vital therapies you should know, Publisher Matrix Therapy Products, , (page 15)made significant contributions to the development of microcurrent devices. Becker's work focused on bioelectric phenomena and their role in tissue regeneration; Nordenström proposed the potential therapeutic applications of endogenous electric currents in disease treatment; and Wing developed some of the earliest microcurrent stimulation devices for use in both clinical and cosmetic settings.
Treatments
There are four main types of treatment, that differ in the type of current they use (see Comparison table, below), including: Galvanic treatment Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) (also known as Faradic treatment) Micro-current electrical neuromuscular stimulation (MENS)Susan Cressy, The beauty therapy fact file, Edition 4, Publisher Heinemann, 2004, , , 469 pages. (page 160) High-frequency treatment
Galvanic treatment Galvanic treatment in the beauty industry has been described since at least the 1970sAnn Gallant, Body treatments and dietetics for the beauty therapist, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 1978, , , Length 392 pages (page 308) and earlier. Sometimes called galvanism, the treatment aims to improve the skin in two ways: (1) cleansing: a process called desincrustation, and (2) nourishing the skin condition, through an electro-chemical processKarl Augustus Menninger, Martin Mayman, Paul W. Pruyser, "A manual for psychiatric case study", Grune & Stratton, 1952, 355 pages (page 332) called iontophoresisSusan Cressy, The beauty therapy fact file, Edition 4, Publisher Heinemann, 2004, , . 469 pages (page 161) (also called ionisation). It is used to improve various skin conditions, including signs of aging, hyperpigmentation, and acne.Ann Gallant, Kathy Gillott, Jackie Howard, Principles and techniques for the beauty specialist, Edition 3, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 1993, , , 328 pages (page 181) This is achieved by the application of a small, constant, direct current.Dawn Mernagh-Ward, Jennifer Cartwright, Health and beauty therapy: a practical approach for NVQ level 3, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 2004, , , 420 pages (page 138) The treatment works on the principle that charged ions in the skin are either attracted or repelled from the electrodes, resulting in certain chemical effects.Lorraine Nordmann, Professional Beauty Therapy: The Official Guide to Level 3, Publisher Cengage Learning EMEA, 2007, , , 650 pages (page 256) "Galvanism works by penetrating active substances into the subcutaneous tissues, where they act on the ineffective circulation to bring about an improvement in the vascular and lymphatic interchange in the area. This is completed in a natural and harmless way, and is aided by the actual effect of the galvanic current on the tissues. This improves the function of the cellular membrane, and allows the trapped fluid and fat to be dispersed and eliminated."Ann Gallant, Body treatments and dietetics for the beauty therapist, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 1978, , , Length 392 pages (page 310) Galvanic treatment are often used on the face (facial galvanic treatment) and on the body to treat cellulite (galvanic cellulite treatments)."Galvanic Cellulite Treatments", BABTAC, British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology website, retrieved 5 Nov 2011
Faradic treatment Faradic treatment has also been described in the beauty industry since the 1970s and earlier. The treatment tones the muscles by repeatedly contracting them with the electric current, resulting in their firming and toning, and an increase in muscular metabolism aims to remove waste products more readily.Lorraine Nordmann, Professional Beauty Therapy: The Official Guide to Level 3, Publisher Cengage Learning EMEA, 2007, , , 650 pages (page 247) Faradic treatments are generally used on the face and body, and work by contracting muscles with a short pulse of interrupted direct current.Dawn Mernagh-Ward, Jennifer Cartwright, Health and beauty therapy: a practical approach for NVQ level 3, Edition 3, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 2004, , , 420 pages (page 132)
The treatment is also called neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES),Dawn Mernagh-Ward, Jennifer Cartwright, Health and beauty therapy: a practical approach for NVQ level 3, Edition 3, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 2004, , , 420 pages (page 132) and some of the manufactures who produce the equipment use their own terms, for example, Slendertone calls it electronic muscle stimulation,"How it Works: Electronic Muscle Stimulation " at Slendertone website, retrieved 18 Nov 2011 or the treatment is called after the name of the manufacturer, such as Ultratone or Slim Master.
Microcurrent treatment Microcurrent treatments (MENS) have been around since the 1970s in medical applications and are distinguished by their use of micro-ampere currents (i.e. millionths of an amp) which are hardly perceptible, but mimic the body's own bio-electric currents. The treatment is designed to soften wrinkles and rejuvenate skin, including skin damaged by sunburn, acne, stretch marks, cellulite and scarring.Dawn Mernagh-Ward, Jennifer Cartwright, Health and beauty therapy: a practical approach for NVQ level 3, Edition 3, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 2004, , , 420 pages (page 108)
This increased ATP also energizes the facial muscles, similar to how exercise energizes the muscles of our bodies. Unlike anywhere else on the body, the facial muscles are directly connected to the skin, so the result of energizing the muscle is often an improved, lifted appearance. When used on the face, the treatment has become known as a "non-surgical facelift"Nicholas Perricone, Forever Young: The Science of Nutrigenomics for Glowing, Wrinkle-Free Skin and Radiant Health at Every Age, Publisher Simon and Schuster, 2010, , , 351 pages (page 111) and "facial lifting".
Microcurrent treatment works by passing a very small direct current through muscle tissue to stimulate the Golgi tendon organ.Susan Cressy, The beauty therapy fact file, Edition 4, Publisher Heinemann, 2004, , , 469 pages (page 160) It encourages production of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) which leads to the creation and stimulation of structural proteins like elastin and collagen.
Different microcurrent characteristics, particular the frequency and shape of the changing voltage (waveform), have different effects on the tissue.
Frequency Micro-current effect 600 HzSkin Surface 500 HzSkin sub-Surface 300 HzLymphatic stimulation 20 HzCirculation 10 HzFacial muscles 0.8 HzDeep facial
Waveform shape Micro-current effect Sine Superficial Square Pumping Rectangular Lifting Sawtooth(Ramp) Longer lifting Microcurrent devices have been in the beauty industry for over a decade, the most known being the CACI device. Modern professional and personal use microcurrent devices combine waves of multiple shape and vary in frequencies used.
Since microcurrent treatment uses a low-grade electrical current, there has been health concerns over safety of its use. People with pacemakers or any kind of heart condition should avoid it. Moreover, pregnant women are advised against it as well. It is always recommended to individually consult with doctor or aesthetician before using microcurrent.
High-frequency treatment High-frequency treatment uses low-current high-frequency alternating currents, delivered via a glass electrode,Jeanine Connor, Sheila Godfrey, Gil Milsom, BTEC National Beauty Therapy Sciences, Publisher Heinemann, 2004, , , 381 pages (page 197) sometimes called a violet ray. Glass electrodes are often filled with either neon gas which produces pink, orange, or red light, or argon or rarefied gas which produces violet light. Because of the color of light that is produced when electricity is passed through the gas, they are inaccurately called ultraviolet or infrared, however no UV rays or infrared rays are produced, just visible light. High frequency current does convert some of the oxygen in the air surrounding the electrodes into ozone, the treatment has a germicidal action, and is also drying and warming.Susan Cressy, The beauty therapy fact file, Edition 4, Publisher Heinemann, 2004, , , Length 469 pages (page 153) Consequently, the treatment is used to aid healing and also to help desquamation (the skin's natural exfoliation) and stimulate sweat and sebaceous glands. Sparking may occur when the electrode is close to the skin and then pulled away repeatedly. Some electrodes may contain a metal coil that produces a mechanical vibration, as well as sparking energy that can be felt indirectly when held in one person's hand while another person uses their hands directly on the skin. Because the effect may be pleasurable, similar devices are used in erotic electrostimulation.
Treatment and current The characteristics of the treatment current include: (a) whether it is (direct or alternating), (b) current frequency, (c) size of the current (all very small), and (d) the duration and shape of any pulses.
Comparison