Suzanne Somers Face Master facial toning system
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free skin care · Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:23 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

NuFace is this: (millionth of an ampere, no muscle movement)

[/qMicrocurrent (µA): A level of electrical currents that in the millionth of an ampere range. Therapeutic microcurrent stimulation is generally at a level several hundred to a thousand times less intense than conventional milliamp electro-stimulators.

Face Master is this; (thousandth of an ampere, stimulates and moves muscle)Milliamp (mA): A level of electrical currents that in the thousandth of an ampere range. Used in most conventional electro-stimulation devices such as TENS, classic interferential, muscle stimulation and high-volt galvanic.

Microcurrent Therapies
Microcurrent electro-stimulation at low frequency is an ideal stimulus for facial rejuvenation for the
following reasons:
1) All body functions are governed by electrical systems. This includes muscle contractions and
relaxations, nerve function, glandular secretions, brain activity, healing and regeneration, pain perception
and so much more.

2) Because the body’s electrical control systems are based on very subtle electrical signals in the nano
and microamp levels (billionth and millionth of amp ranges, respectively), it is true that vastly overpowering currents in the milliamp (thousandths of amp) range can be counterproductive to the aim of
restoring internal balance. Yet this is the type of current used in most facial rejuvenation devices. While
these “overkill” currents can make the face look temporarily better by artificially relaxing tense muscles,
such treatment will rarely provide satisfactory long-term effects, and may be counterproductive.

So if I'm understanding this correctly, the NuFace, which is the 'millionth of an amp' device is the superior one for facial rejuvination. And the Face Master, which is 'thousandth of an amp' is too strong, and would be counter productive for long term facial rejuvination..

Have I thoroughly confused y'all..

Kassy

free skin care · Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:32 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

Hi mpstat, I had the same thought about the batteries, so I changed it to a brand new alkaline. The result was the same...
Kassy

Another thought: I just looked at the FM and noticed that the cord is not fixed to the case, but rather removable. Is it possible that in your case cord connection is loose? Try to fix it more firmly and try several rotations of the cord into the case... Also for the test: it seems that for the majority of users eye area more responsive to the device, most twitching in this area...

free skin care · Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:40 pm

mamawalnut wrote:

mpstat, I'm not sure why there is so much difference in the price. Maybe the NuFace is more solidly constructed. I remember some Facemaster owners complaining that their machine died after a few months but for the price I felt it was worth a try. I've only had it a short while but it's still working thank goodness.
....
I really don't know as much about the NuFace so I find your input valuable since you have both machines. Thank you. Smile

You might be right about the product quality, NuFace appears to be more solid built then FaceMaster, although it still a big price difference.
Here is my post from NuFace thread http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=18130&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=450:

mpstat wrote:

Most of the time I use NuFace I feel tingling. The degree of the tingling depends on the what I have on my face at the moment, I never use the conductive gel, just skin care products or regular water. Most of the time I feel that the facial muscles are contracting, especially if I move it on my forehead, somehow the scalp muscles contract quite a bit.

Since it is difficult to use NuFace around the eye area, and not recommended for mouth area, I bought FaceMaster specifically for these areas. It does suit the purpose, since the heads are smaller and not set to a pre-defined distance. I used FaceMaster only once, without little foam things, without conductive gel, and on a higher setting…. and I felt as if I was electrocuted… Shock

. In the mirror I could see muscles around the eyes contracting like crazy…. I had to adjust to the lowest setting.

NuFace and FaceMaster can complement each other nicely. NuFace for larger areas of the face and body, and FaceMaster for smaller areas such as around eyes, eyebrows etc.

free skin care · Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:05 pm

mpstat wrote:

Another thought: I just looked at the FM and noticed that the cord is not fixed to the case, but rather removable. Is it possible that in your case cord connection is loose?

I did try that also... Believe me when I tell you, I tried everything before I tossed it.

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:56 pm

Does anyone know if it is better to use the FM in the morning or evening?? Evening works better for me - but i feel that squishing my face in a pillow all night just contradicts the exercises - does that even matter???

thanks

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:29 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

... “overkill” currents can make the face look temporarily better by artificially relaxing tense muscles,
such treatment will rarely provide satisfactory long-term effects, and may be counterproductive....

While we all can share with each other what we feel when using the microcurrent devices, a question to ask would be:
What one should feel or should NOT feel when using a microcurrent device.

What exactly we should look for??? based on the responses there are lots of variations in experiences with even the same device type. Can something be indeed detrimental to the goal we are trying to achieve from the devices themselves?

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:56 pm

By cutting and pasting the 'quote' you left out the important comparison, and it is now taken out of context.

The important part that was omitted was; "Overpowering current in the 'thousandth' of amp range can be counterproductive".

NuFace is in the 'millionth amp' range, (extremely low), and is therefore a superior product in regards to 'micro current'.

Face Master, Tuo Viso, Dermal Tone, Time Machine and more, are in the 'thousandth amp' range, (extremely high) and appear to be the ones that may be counterproductive.

[b]Keep in mind that true micro current should not be felt significantly, or physically move muscles.

Kassy

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:27 pm

Microcurrent (electrical stimulation) is used widely in physical therapy. Whether a muscle moves or not is dependent of the strength of the current and the individual it is being applied to.

The harm from using it would be "overworked" muscle, so I would not be too concerned about it.

Facemaster resembles the professional equipment a lot more ( I had a professional service done at several spas).

That being said I am struggling with mine - when it works it seems to be doing something, most of the time I just can not get it to do a thing.

I am also on a fence about Nuface. I tried it a year ago, it did absolutely nothing for me and went back. This year being a year older I decided to give it another try, but only just started.

I got Facemaster specifically for the eye area (since there is nothing Nuface offers for that area).

FDA approval also does not usually mean much for that type of devices - in most cases that it causes no harm - nobody died from using it, nobody got burned, etc.

Just my 2 cents,
Lucy.

I am by no means an expert, so anyone more knowledgeable, please, feel free to correct me.

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:36 pm

Sorry Kassy for the abridged quote...

This is the thing that NuFace physically moves the muscles for me (not all the time but still) especially on the forehead. Which appears to be in conflict with the quoted description on what it supposed to do. That is why I would be interested to know what exactly we supposed to feel when using microcurrent device.

Also, I strongly suspect that if I put the booties on FaceMaster the feeling would be practically identical to NuFace. Need to test it...

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:44 pm

It's all so damn confusing!

We spend a ton of money on all these skin care gismo's, then we're left to flounder trying to figure them all out.

I also believe that each of us feels the sensations much differently, so who can really say exactly what's right or wrong.

Thank God for this forum though. It has really helped me to weed out a lot of junk. I have the utmost respect for the great folks sharing here.

Kassy

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:03 pm

mb935 wrote:

Does anyone know if it is better to use the FM in the morning or evening?? Evening works better for me - but i feel that squishing my face in a pillow all night just contradicts the exercises - does that even matter???

thanks

I don't find that it matters when I use the FM. The results seem to last two days and I don't notice any difference in my appearance when using it in the a.m. or p.m.

free skin care · Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:46 pm

Okay ladies now that I am totally confused....LOL Are you saying that the dermal tone or derma wand units are too strong and they don't work and are harmful? I ask because I was thinking about trying the dermal tone since it is more in my price range and it seems easy to use. I see them on ebay and was going to pick one up. Do you think this is harmful to the skin or that it just doesn't work? I can't afford the nuface so I have to look for an alternative? Thanks for your help.

free skin care · Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:47 pm

bixa525 wrote:

Okay ladies now that I am totally confused....LOL Are you saying that the dermal tone or derma wand units are too strong and they don't work and are harmful?

I had the Dermal Tonefor many years and used it on and off with good results. It stopped working after some lotion found it's way into the metal probes. I didn't replace it because; 1.) It was very chintzy, and not worth the $160. it cost's on ebay now. 2.) The company went out of business. 3.) The research I have done, suggests that tools that move the muscles in the face should be avoided.

I have and use the Derma Wandnow and think it's awesome. It's great for toning, oxygenating the skin, and also does a little lifting as well. I use it after applying creams, lotions or serums, and find that it helps them to penetrate the skin. It's also fantastic to zap the occasional zit.

I have the NuFace, and although I like it, I'm not getting the results that some other's have achieved. I've kind of lost interest in it, and use it about every other day now.

I just bought and started using the new professional Anti-Aging LightStim. I also have the original and liked the result, but wanted to speed things up a bit. I am not disappointed. I had tremendous results with lines on my neck after the 1st use. You can see these results on the last page of this thread;

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=344227#344227

These are of course my own opinions and personal experiences. Everybody reacts to things so differently, that it's not 'one size fits all'. My suggestion is just to read all you can about all of the devices out there, and whatever one you decide to get, really be committed to it. Most have a cumulative effect, so if your the impatient type, just keep that in mind while researching.

HTH.....Kassy

free skin care · Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:34 pm

So if my facemaster moves my muscles - should I turn it down???

I have i think a week to return it - should I???

THANKS

free skin care · Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:58 pm

mb935 wrote:

So if my facemaster moves my muscles - should I turn it down???

I have i think a week to return it - should I???

THANKS

The Face Master is suppose to move muscles. I think it is more of a high frequency device, than micro current.. This is only my opinion.

free skin care · Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:48 pm

so then the facemaster is ok to use?

I did read the other posts - my ADD kicked in and im just confused.

THANKS for your help!!

free skin care · Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:23 pm

An enormous amount of people love, and get great results from Face Master.

In my own personal experience with it, I had no result, and didn't enjoy using it at all.

But to give it the benefit of the doubt, it is possible that my device might have been defective.

Regardless of all that, in researching micro current, I came upon several articles written by Dermatologist's and such, that seem to be of the opinion, that any device that physically moves the muscles of the face should be avoided.

The consensus seemed to be, that the trauma caused with the manipulation, caused edema, which plumps the skin temporarily, which is then interpreted by 'us' as a wonderful lift.

The problem is it's only temporary. If it isn't used on a daily basis, the magic disappears. And the other problem for me is that, all that plumping and shrinking and plumping again, will cause the skin to stretch and wrinkle more.

This is why I opted for a true micro current device, i.e. NuFace. (In mho, FM is more of a high frequency device). The benefits from NF are also cumulative, but the big difference is it works at the cellular level..

This is only my opinion and interpretation of the literature I've read.

Kassy

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:51 pm

thanks for explaning again - appreciate it!!!

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:31 pm

Kassy is it possible to provide a reference to info that micro current devices cause edema? I know that you might have lost the link, but in case you have it, I would be interested in reading more on the subject. Thanks!

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:37 pm

[quote="mpstat"]Kassy is it possible to provide a reference to info that micro current devices cause edema? I know that you might have lost the link, but in case you have it, I would be interested in reading more on the subject. Thanks![/quote

Sorry if I confused you, but it was the high frequency devices that caused edema..That's why I opted for the micro current. (The NuFace doesn't move my muscles)

I'll see if I can find any of the links again. I've read so much, that it's hard to keep up with it all..

Kassy

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:47 pm

This is a good start on micro current in general, and why the 'higher' the frequency is, the more undesirable it is for the 'face'.

http://www.acu-care4health.com/beauty/incorrect_application.htm

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:08 pm

Thank you Kassy_A for the link regarding facial muscle stimulation. I tried to find out if the Face Master could be harmful before I purchased it, but didn't come across any information. I have had my machine cranked to the highest level all this time, thinking I would see better results. I will continue to use my Face Master, but will settle for lower intensity and only use it 2-3 times a week.

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:26 pm

RGGAL, I'm sure it's okay to use, but a low setting would probably be a good idea.

I'm not familiar with the exact specs on FM, but you could probably find them on any of the websites that sell it.

From what I read, 1 to 3 MG is safe for the face, no higher..

Again, this is only 'my' interpretation of what I read. I'm by no means an expert..

Kassy

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:27 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

RGGAL, I'm sure it's okay to use, but a low setting would probably be a good idea.

I'm not familiar with the exact specs on FM, but you could probably find them on any of the websites that sell it.

From what I read, 1 to 3 MG (MH)is safe for the face, no higher..

Again, this is only 'my' interpretation of what I read. I'm by no means an expert..

Kassy

Sorry, that's MH

free skin care · Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:30 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

RGGAL, I'm sure it's okay to use, but a low setting would probably be a good idea...

This is my inclination as well... Thanks Kassy for the research on the subject!

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