When I wrote about my salon microcurrent treatments a few weeks ago, many of you commented on using at home devices. Now I  have never tried one on grounds that the effects of microcurrent are due to the way the probes are used to massage the muscle. As I don’t really have the experience of a trained esthetician, I’ve always felt that I’d be wasting my money on an at-home device. Well, I’m going to have give them a try, at least in the interests of science. So I did my research and here’s what I found:

The NuFace Facial Toning System was launched by the Carol Cole Company in 2008 with the fanfare that it was the first FDA approved microcurrent facial for use at home. The device itself is not much bigger than a cell phone and is sold as a package with the “conducive” lotions (they stop it tingling unpleasantly) for around $250 to $300. Reviews are mixed and I am concerned that it cannot be used around the eyes or mouth (or so I have read). Still, NuFace crops up all over the place and in the interests of science I am going to have to try it. I just ordered one and will come back with a review in a few weeks.

I must admit that the more that I looked at the Suzanne Somers FaceMaster, the more I took to it. It bears at least some resemblance to the salon versions (which cannot be said for NuFace).  The indefatigable Ms Somers seems to have given FaceMaster a complete overhaul including adding in finger wands for one-handed use. Much to my surprise, the serums that it comes with don’t look too bad either. Both JC and Bev commented that they use and like FaceMaster. OK, so I suppose I am going to have to try that one too.

I also found a microcurrent device called Electrolast by Intelligent Skin Sense. It has the advantage of being significantly cheaper than the others at $150, but it looks very flimsy somehow.  I couldn’t find any reviews of it and so for now will pass.

Same for the Isomers Nutritone, which looks like an electric shaver and not as if it can be manipulated at all. Surprisingly for Isomers, the accompanying serum is also unappealing (vitamin C and not much else). This is the least expensive system at $56.18.

So NuFace and FaceMaster will be put through their paces. Get ready for the microcurrent face off.