Who would not like a firm and youthfully sculpted face… With age, collagen and elastin gradually break down what puts a significant strain on skin’s integrity - aging marks begin to occur. Simultaneously, the epidermis gets much thinner while the connective tissue is drastically weakened - the facial muscles become loose as the thinned out epidermis starts to hang, contributing to the face’s saggy appearance. Luckily, techniques like EMS and microcurrent exist and can provide us with the exact effects that we want. What is the difference between them and which one should you go for?
MICROCURRENT
Microcurrent facials is a great option for those who would like to maintain a healthily youthful appearance of the face without choosing the more invasive alternatives like plastic surgery procedures, laser treatments, chemical peels or cosmetic injections. While, similarly to EMS, it is a type of electrotherapy, it is considerably gentler and more superficial than the latter. For this reason, although it undoubtedly works for the whole face, it is slightly more effective in the face areas where the skin is naturally thinner like the around-the-eyes region and the forehead where it provides an instant, and with more sessions - long-term, rejuvenating effect. What else does a microcurrent facial do?
• First and foremost, microcurrent acts upon the facial muscles, positively influencing their tone what gives a significant lifting effect.
• It stimulates the production of ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, what on the other hand fuels the synthesis of the skin’s structural proteins like collagen and elastin - it provides the skin with more elasticity and firmness.
• It induces cell proliferation and renewal hence promotes the formation of a new layer of the skin. Consequently, the skin is notably softer, smoother and brighter while dullness and uneven structure are gone.
• It improves facial circulation and successfully encourages lymphatic drainage thus both reduces puffiness and provides the skin with a nourished, healthy glow.
EMS
Meanwhile, EMS, or electrical muscle stimulation, is a stronger electrotherapy technique. It has been designed to powerfully mimics the electric potential that naturally causes the muscles to contract as if they were working, producing facial countenances. At the same time, because of this, EMS is usually used for larger body areas and when it comes to the face - to the firmer regions with more muscle tissue like the lower part of it. It is also why EMS has many medical applications like strengthening the muscles and preventing their atrophy after jaw surgeries, trauma or in neurological conditions. Nonetheless, what does it do cosmetically-wise?
• EMS effectively strengthens and thus tones and sculpts the bigger muscles of the face, providing a natural lifting effect and preventing a saggy facial outline.
• During the process of aging, wrinkling tends to transform into abnormal fat deposition in the cheeks, the chin and the neck. By efficiently reducing facial fat, the procedure tightens and smoothes the skin even better.
• It substantially improves local skin circulation hence increases the amount of needed nutrients that reach the skin and give it that healthy natural glow that we all seek.
• It also positively influences the production of skin collagen and elastin and thereby promotes skin integrity and youthful structure.
WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN GOING FOR EMS OR MICROCURRENT
Surely, there is a lot of other questions that you would like to ask like whether the procedures hurt or how long their effects are going to last. Primarily, neither microcurrent nor EMS should hurt, although you will feel a slight tingling sensation as the muscles are stimulated to contract. A single session takes about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the area, and there is no downtime to it unless the device is used incorrectly or your skin is particularly sensitive - then, mild irritation may potentially occur. With consistent use, the effects will become long-term, although without frequent repetition they will subside. Both procedures are complementary to other treatments, including each other, what will only enhance their beneficial effects.
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