Cosmetic electrotherapy is a range of beauty treatments that uses low

electric current An electric current is a stream of charged particles, such as electrons or ions, moving through an electrical conductor or space. It is measured as the net rate of flow of electric charge through a surface or into a control volume. The movi ...

s passed through the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

to produce several therapeutic effects 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
It is based on

electrotherapy Electrotherapy is the use of electrical energy as a medical treatment. In medicine, the term ''electrotherapy'' can apply to a variety of treatments, including the use of electrical devices such as deep brain stimulators for neurological dis ...

, which has been researched and accepted in the field of rehabilitation, though the "scientific and medical communities have tended to sideline or dismiss the use of electrotherapy for healthy muscles". The use of electricity in cosmetics goes back to the end of the 19th century, almost a hundred years after

Luigi Galvani Luigi Galvani (, also ; ; la, Aloysius Galvanus; 9 September 1737 – 4 December 1798) was an Italian physician, physicist, biologist and philosopher, who studied animal electricity. In 1780, he discovered that the muscles of dead frogs' legs ...

discovered that electricity can make the muscle in a frog's leg twitch (see

galvanism Galvanism is a term invented by the late 18th-century physicist and chemist Alessandro Volta to refer to the generation of electric current by chemical action. The term also came to refer to the discoveries of its namesake, Luigi Galvani, specif ...

). Subsequent research in

electrophysiology Electrophysiology (from Greek , ''ēlektron'', "amber" etymology of "electron"">Electron#Etymology">etymology of "electron" , ''physis'', "nature, origin"; and , ''-logia'') is the branch of physiology that studies the electrical properties of bi ...

has been carried out by people such as

Robert O. Becker Robert Otto Becker (May 31, 1923 − May 14, 2008) was a U.S. orthopedic surgeon and researcher in electrophysiology/electromedicine. He worked mainly as professor at Upstate Medical Center in State University of New York, Syracuse (New York), S ...

, Dr Björn Nordenström, a former chair of the Nobel Selection Committee for Medicine, and Dr Thomas Wing, who invented some of the first micro-current devices.

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) #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 process called ''

iontophoresis Iontophoresis is a process of transdermal drug delivery by use of a voltage gradient on the skin. Molecules are transported across the stratum corneum by electrophoresis and electroosmosis and the electric field can also increase the permeability ...

'' (also called ionisation). This is achieved by the application of a small, constant,

direct current Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or ev ...

. The treatment works on the principle that charged ions in the

are either attracted or repelled from the

electrode An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or air). Electrodes are essential parts of batteries that can consist of a variety of materials ...

s, resulting in certain chemical effects. :"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 The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide away f ...

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 The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane (PM) or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment (th ...

, and allows the trapped fluid and fat to be dispersed and eliminated." Galvanic treatment are often used on the face (facial galvanic treatment) and on the body to treat cellulite (galvanic cellulite treatments).

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. Faradic treatments are generally used on the face and body, and work by contracting muscles with a short pulse of interrupted direct current. The treatment is also called

neuromuscular electrical stimulation Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or electromyostimulation, is the elicitation of muscle contraction using electric impulses. EMS has received an increasing amount of attention in the ...

(NMES), and some of the manufactures who produce the equipment use their own terms, for example,

Slendertone Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or electromyostimulation, is the elicitation of muscle contraction using electric impulses. EMS has received an increasing amount of attention in the ...

calls it electronic muscle stimulation, 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 Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and animals include: red or reddish skin that is h ...

acne Acne, also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term skin condition that occurs when dead skin cells and oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include blackheads or whiteheads, pimples, oily skin, and ...

, stretch marks, cellulite and

scar A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a ...

ring.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" and "facial lifting". Microcurrent treatment works by passing a very small direct current through muscle tissue to stimulate the Golgi tendon organ. Different microcurrent characteristics, particular the frequency and shape of the changing voltage (waveform), have different effects on the tissue. Various waveforms

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
Glass electrodes are often filled with either Neon gas which produces pink, orange, or red light or they are filled with

Argon Argon is a chemical element with the symbol Ar and atomic number 18. It is in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Argon is the third-most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, at 0.934% (9340 ppmv). It is more than twice a ...

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 Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation ...

infra-red Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

, however no UV rays or infra-red rays are produced, just visible light. High frequency does current convert some of the

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements ...

in the air surrounding the electrodes into

ozone Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the l ...

, the treatment has a germicidal action, and is also drying and warming. Consequently, the treatment is used to aid healing and also to help

desquamation Desquamation occurs when the outermost layer of a tissue, such as the skin, is shed. The term is . Physiologic desquamation Keratinocytes are the predominant cells of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Living keratinocytes reside in ...

(the skin's natural exfoliation) and stimulate

sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...

and

sebaceous gland A sebaceous gland is a microscopic exocrine gland in the skin that opens into a hair follicle to secrete an oily or waxy matter, called sebum, which lubricates the hair and skin of mammals. In humans, sebaceous glands occur in the greatest n ...

s. 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 persons hand while another person uses their hands directly on the skin. Because the effect may be pleasurable, similar devices are used in

erotic electrostimulation Erotic electrostimulation (abbreviated erotic e-stim and also known as electrosex) is a sexual practice involving the application of electrical stimulation to the nerves of the body, with particular emphasis on the genitals, using a power sourc ...

Treatment and current

The characteristics of the treatment current include: (a) whether it is (

direct Direct may refer to: Mathematics * Directed set, in order theory * Direct limit of (pre), sheaves * Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces Computing * Direct access (disambiguation), ...

or alternating), (b) current frequency, (c) size of the current (all very small), and (d) the duration and shape of any pulses.

Comparison

Notes *''Desincrustation'' – A skin cleansing process that softens and emulsifies hardened follicle sebum. *1 Amp = 1,000 milliAmps (mA) = 1,000,000 microAmps (μA) *1,000 Hz (cycles per second) = 1 kHz

Terminology

The origins of the terms "galvanic" and "Faradism" are described in the medical journal, ''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles ...

'', in 1851. A note reads: :"We should not omit to state that Dr Duchenne closes a paper (''Archives'', May 1851) on the subject by these words: 'As it will be useful to create a word which should exactly point out electricity by induction, as well as its application, may it not be allowable to use the name of the philosopher who has discovered this kind of electricity? Thus, in the same way as ' Galvani' has given his name to the electricity by contact, so can we like-wise give to the electricity by induction the name of '

Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, ...

.' This electricity would then be called 'Faradism,' and its application 'Faradization.' Such names would establish a clear distinction between the electricity by contact and that by induction, whilst they, at the same time, render due honour to a philosopher to whom medical science owes a discovery far more valuable in a therapeutic point of view than that of Galvani.'" It is noted that: :"Some terms such as galvanic current and faradic stimulation are unique to physiotherapy. Their definitions given in the literature are far from universal. ... The Clinical Electrophysiology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association established a unified terminology for clinical electrical currents—that is, (a) direct current (b) alternating current (c) pulsed current (Kloth and Cummings, 1991) ... However, this terminology does not appear to have been widely adopted and inconsistencies remain in the literature".See also:
Electrotherapeutic Terminology in Physical Therapy
', 2000, American Physical Therapy Association, , 60 pages

References

Bibliography

*Lorraine Nordmann, ''Professional Beauty Therapy: The Official Guide to Level 3'', 4th Edition, Publisher Cengage Learning EMEA, 2010, , 496 pages. Chapter 8: "Electrical treatments" *Dawn Mernagh-Ward, Jennifer Cartwright, ''Health and beauty therapy: a practical approach for NVQ level 3'' Edition 3, Publisher Nelson Thornes, 2004, , , 420 pages. Chapter 5. "Facial and Body Electrotherapy Treatments" *John Low, Ann Reed, Ann Reed (SRP.),
Electrotherapy explained: principles and practice
', 4th Edition, Publisher Elsevier Health Sciences, 2000, . 564 pages. *Basanta Kumar Nanda, ''Electrotherapy Simplified'', Publisher Jaypee Brothers Publishers (2008), , . 548 pages

External links

*BABTAC, British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology website
Galvanic Treatments
,
Galvanic Cellulite Treatments

Electrotherapy Museum
website {{Cosmetics Cosmetics Skin care Electrotherapy