The 10 Best Microcurrent Devices, Tested by Editors

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The best microcurrent devices effectively lift, tone, and rejuvenate skin while being easy and comfortable to use at home.

Rich Scherr is an updates strategist and fact checker for Dotdash Meredith brands, including Health and Verywell. He is a seasoned financial and technology journalist who served as editor-in-chief of the Potomac Tech Wire for nearly two decades, and is a regular contributor to the sports pages of The Baltimore Sun. He has also been a news editor for America Online and has contributed to the Associated Press and The Washington Post.

In This Article

Health / Elena Garcia

Microcurrent devices have taken over TikTok and other social media platforms, with influencers touting the many skincare benefits of these pricey and futuristic-looking products. They are said to help tone the face, decrease puffiness, reduce wrinkles, and even stimulate collagen and elastin production by sending an electrical current to the facial muscles and skin cells, building up facial muscles to create a lifting and tightening effect.

So, do they actually work? Experts we interviewed, including Ava Shamban, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills, say yes, a quality microcurrent device can provide results when used consistently. The best microcurrent devices provide lasting results and are easy to use, effective, and comfortable on your skin. Bonus points if it has extra features like LED lights, a cleansing brush, or a microcurrent lip attachment.

We spent nearly 500 hours testing 14 of the best microcurrent devices on the market to help you find the best options that really provide results. We evaluated each device based on ease of use, performance, features, and results. We also interviewed experts for their input and had a dermatologist on our Medical Expert Board review this article for medical and scientific accuracy.

I’m an Editor at Health, and I’ve seen the NuFace Mini+ all over the internet. After we put it to the test, I understand the hype. I love its straightforward use, making it a perfect introduction to microcurrent devices. Plus, its portable design lets you take your skincare routine on the go. If you’re curious about microcurrent technology, the NuFace Mini+ is an excellent starting point.

-Lauren Paige Richeson, Commerce Editor

The TheraFace Pro is the best overall microcurrent device due to its amazing ability to lift, tone, and address skin concerns. Using it three times a week on our face, jaw, and neck gave us visibly lifted and toned skin, especially around the jawline, and fewer breakouts.

Beyond microcurrent, it excelled in facial cleansing, LED light therapy, and reducing puffiness. Each five-minute session was effective, and by the end of our testing, TheraFace Pro had significantly improved our skin’s tone, tightness, and health.

The five different attachments offered might seem overwhelming initially if you’re a beginner, so we love that the TheraFace Pro also comes with an app to explain how to use each attachment and how each one benefits your skin. This small but mighty device basically does it all and has an impressive battery life.

The NuFace Trinity+ Starter Kit was one of our favorites for several reasons. NuFace provides excellent FDA-cleared, professional-quality devices that are user-friendly (even for beginners). We found it super simple to set up and saw immediate results after each use. Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist at Shafer Clinic in New York City, praises NuFace devices. She notes that she’s seen improvements in facial tone and fine lines with just five minutes of consistent daily use.

The set comes with Aqua Gel, Silk Crème, and an applicator brush to apply the products to your face. We also liked that this set includes a few different attachments for the face and delicate eye area. We love how small and discreet this device is, as well as its charging dock, which makes the set easy to store on your bathroom counter without taking up a ton of precious space.

While we know spending over $300 for a facial skincare device isn’t cheap, the Evertone Everlift Microcurrent Device is one of the least expensive products we tried and loved. This pick provides immediate lifting and toning results and is one of the most user-friendly devices we tested, but the results didn’t last quite as long as some of the other options on our list.

We liked that this option was easy to use, charge, and maneuver around the face. The device beeps when it’s time to move onto another area of your face, and it doesn’t have a ton of confusing buttons to figure out.

A smaller version of the NuFace Trinity+, the NuFace Mini+ is ideal for travel because it’s small, compact, and easy to use. After each use, we noticed less puffiness and a tighter jawline.

The device has only one button, which you use to turn it on or off and change the microcurrent intensity. We loved that this pick wasn’t painful or uncomfortable, even on the highest setting. It comes with the Aqua Gel Activator, Silk Crème Activator, an application brush, and the ability to connect the device to an app that shows you how to use it. We didn’t experience long-lasting results with this microcurrent device, but we did like that it toned our face in the short term.

The Foreo Bear microcurrent device couldn’t be more intuitive and easy to use. Its design is straightforward, and the instructions can be found in the Foreo app. After using the Foreo Bear for the first time, we noticed a big difference in how toned our skin looked. It provided a tightened appearance for a few days before we needed to use the device again.

The device offers three different treatment lengths and has a microcurrent level that ranges from 1 to 10 (with 10 being the strongest). It also comes with Supercharged Serum to use when gliding the device across your face.

We chose the ReFa Carat Ray Face as the most versatile because it’s essentially a facial roller and microcurrent device in one. After each use, we noticed a more defined jawline and less puffiness in our face. The device glides across the skin easily and doesn’t need any conducting gel. We liked that we could use it on our face and the collarbone area.

Unlike other microcurrent devices we tested, the ReFa doesn’t need to be charged. Instead, it has a small solar panel on the handle that uses energy from the sun to power the device. The microcurrent strength is pretty minimal, so you shouldn’t expect any zapping or painful sessions.

We noticed tighter and glowy skin immediately after using the Face Gym Pure Lift Face Facial Toning Device. It has three different microcurrent levels and includes an Activator Serum. The device fits comfortably in your hand, and slight vibrations indicate when it’s time to move to another area. We also like that this device has a timetable that shows how much time remains in the 10-minute session, so you can have a leisurely session without watching the clock.

Well-known for his epic work on celebrities’ brows, Joey Healy created the Joey Healy Face Renovation Device to further sculpt the eye area. After our testing period, we noticed a significant difference in how glowy and tight our skin looked, especially the skin around our eyes.

We love that the device is easy to use right out of the box and has five levels to choose from. Although our skin did seem more toned after testing this pick, we didn’t see long-lasting results for depuffing or brightening.

Small, slim, and easy to use, the SolaWave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand allows you to address multiple skin concerns in just a few minutes daily. Dr. Engelman recommends this pick because it's four features blend red light therapy, galvanic current, facial massage, and therapeutic warmth into one device.

We love how easy it is to use this device—all you have to do is glide it across your skin and feel the effects—no gel is needed. The red light works to target wrinkles and breakouts, and the warming effect felt lovely in our under-eye area. Consistent use of the SolaWave can help reduce acne, tone, firm the face, de-puff, brighten, and improve the absorption of topical products.

We chose the ZIIP Halo as the best brightening microcurrent device because we noticed significant results after using it during our testing period. After each session, our face looked radiant, smooth, and lifted, and it offered a nice brow lift and a more defined jawline. This pick is also recommended by Dr. Engelman, who says it does a remarkable job of increasing skin brightness and improving texture.

We loved how easy it was to maneuver around our face and reach all the nooks and crannies. This device comes with various ZIIP gels. Dr. Engelman recommends the Silver Gel for glowy skin, the Crystal Gel for repairing and improving texture, and the Golden Gel to firm and contour your face. While it comes programmed with a preset treatment, the ZIIP Halo can also be programmed through an app, which allows you to create a customized treatment based on your needs. We also love that it’s small and slim enough to throw into your purse or carry-on.

To find the best microcurrent devices, we tested 14 microcurrent devices from the most popular brands. We used each microcurrent device at home for eight weeks and evaluated them based on how consistently they scored in the following areas:

We spoke with dermatologists at every stage of researching and reporting this story, including:

Daley Quinn is a freelance journalist, specializing in beauty and health, who has contributed to numerous publications, such as Elle, Real Simple, Allure, The Cut, WWD, and more. She also writes for her blog, The Daley Dose.