Lady's FACE UP !

Especially for the women!

The Magic of Microcurrent

by Dr. Perricone


I am a huge fan of microcurrent treatments, which should be used
regularly as a component of a healthful beauty regimen.
Microcurrent is widely available in spas as well as in a new
handheld machine that delivers wonderful benefits to the skin
(see Resources section). As it is as easy to perform as applying
your daily makeup, microcurrent is the perfect home treatment
that can be done in a few minutes each day. The results are
cumulative-in other words, they get better and better, just as
going to the gym on a regular basis improves your body's muscle
tone. A simple ten-minute daily regimen that alternates among the
chin, cheeks, eyes, and forehead provides each area with optimal
benefits.

Unlike exfoliating machines and other products, which can damage
the skin over time, there are no long-term adverse effects
associated with microcurrent. In fact, microcurrent is extremely
therapeutic.

Once available only in spas, this treatment can be done at home.
There is no difference between the power used in a home care
system and that used in a professional machine. Microcurrent
utilizes a subsensory electric current to reeducate the facial
muscles while improving both the tone and the texture of the
skin. The process diminishes the appearance of lines and wrinkles
and produces a natural lift without the use of surgery or other
invasive methods. When combined with powerful anti-inflammatory
topicals and substances that help reverse the damage caused by
aging, poor diet, stress, and the environment, it is a very
holistic and natural approach to eliminating many of the
unwelcome signs of aging.

Microcurrent facial treatments have been available in spas since
the 1980s. They have been extremely popular in Europe and are now
gaining ground in the United States as spas seek to attract the
Botox consumer. The current catchphrase in the spa world is
"results-oriented treatments." This represents a shift away from
facials that pamper but do little to create meaningful
improvement in a client's appearance, and it is an alternative to
the minimally invasive medical treatments that have come to
dominate the market in the last few years.

Minimally invasive medical treatments have grown dramatically in
popularity since 2000 and have become a socially acceptable
method of addressing the signs of aging. The attractions of these
types of treatments are:

* The immediate and natural results they produce

* Their relative safety

* The fact that they can be done quickly via injection and
without surgery

* Their affordability as compared with surgical procedures


The most popular among these minimally invasive procedures are
Botox and hyaluronic acid fillers. Botox is botulinum toxin, a
neurotoxic protein that works to relax the contraction of muscles
by blocking nerve impulses. The result is muscles that can no
longer contract, so the wrinkles they produce relax and soften.
Hyaluronic acid treatments (marketed under trade names such as
Restylane and Juvederm) consist of injections of a hyaluronic
acid gel into the dermis. Once administered, the gel joins to the
dermal tissue and begins to bind the water molecules, which
softens lines and smoothes out wrinkles. According to the
American Society of Plastic Surgeons, its members performed more
than five million Botox treatments in 2008 at an average price of
$391 and more than one million hyaluronic acid filler injections
at an average price of $578. Botox treatments have increased by
537 percent since 2000, and minimally invasive procedures have
increased by 5 percent as a category over the last year despite
some of the worst economic conditions in recent memory.

A somewhat alarming trend is that both women and men feel driven
to start serious (and often very costly) surgical procedures at a
younger and younger age. New fillers designed to plump up facial
lines are being rushed to market and intensively advertised. The
use of neurotoxins (neuro for "nerve," toxin for "poison") that
paralyze muscles to smooth out wrinkles and expression lines is
counterintuitive. When we lose muscle mass and tone, we lose the
youthful contours of our face and body. The ultimate weak muscle
is one that is paralyzed. That fact should lead one to conclude
that paralyzing the muscles in the face may not be the best
strategy for achieving a youthful look over the years that
follow. Though these products offer a quick fix, what will be the
long-term result?

I believe that there will always be a place for a wide variety of
procedures, both surgical and nonsurgical, but I do not believe
that the future of youthful-looking skin lies in an acceleration
of invasive treatments, injectible fillers, neurotoxins, or
radical surgery. Great breakthroughs are being made in which safe
yet genuinely transformative methodologies not only help restore
damaged, aging skin to youthful suppleness but reinvigorate the
entire body as well. Microcurrent is a key player in this
movement.

The new "Botox standard" of immediate results has challenged
traditional spas as they look to fill the demand for these types
of services while staying nonmedical. The result has been a
movement on the part of spas to a combination of more
cosmeceutical skin care products and the use of more advanced
aesthetic equipment in their treatments. Microcurrent treatments
are uniquely suitable because they are nonmedical and create
improvements in the client's appearance that cannot be achieved
by any of the medical procedures currently being offered.
There are great medical procedures for removing pigmentated spots
by means of laser, addressing wrinkles by filling them in or
freezing the underlying muscle, and taking care of sagging skin
by pulling it tighter through surgery. None of these procedures
improves the underlying facial muscles. These muscles are unique
in that they are attached to the skin, whereas other muscles are
attached to the bones by tendons, so they have a profound impact
on our appearance. As we age, the muscles in our face give in to
the effects of gravity and underuse by drooping and causing a
saggy appearance. Other muscles of the face-those on the forehead
and around the eyes, for examplebecome contracted due to overuse
and cause lines and wrinkles. Improving the underlying facial
musculature has a direct impact on youthful appearance.

Microcurrent is unique in its ability to improve the muscles of
the face to create a more youthful and toned appearance through a
process that has come to be known as a nonsurgical face-lift. The
treatments work on the muscles of the face through a combination
of manual manipulation and biostimulation. Manual manipulation of
the muscle is achieved through the use of two probes that gently
massage the muscle along its origin and insertion points. The
origin point of the muscle is the bone and the insertion point is
where the muscle connects to the skin. Stimulating the muscle
fibers at the origin and insertion points of the muscles involved
gently coaxes them to stretch or shorten with no pain to the
client. An atrophied muscle can be shortened and toned. A muscle
in contraction can be stretched. This process, known as muscle
reeducation, is the cornerstone of microcurrent facial
treatments. The two-hand design allows the user to manipulate the
muscle along these points while stimulating the entire length
with microcurrent. Simply applying microcurrent to the face in a
static manner will have the same biostimulation effects on the
tissue but will lack the muscle reeducation benefits found in the
proper treatments. This is an easy, pain-free treatment with
long-lasting visible results-unlike the so-called quick fixes.
While mechanical stimulation of the muscle can be achieved
through massage, microcurrent generates profound results through
the simultaneous biostimulation of the muscle and surrounding
tissue. One of the most notable benefits of microcurrent is its
ability to improve the production of ATP, the chemical fuel in
muscles that provides the energy they require to hold their
position after being manipulated. As we learned in chapter 3, ATP
is the primary energy currency in the body and powers virtually
every activity of the cell and organism. Studies have shown that
the application of microcurrent can increase the production of
ATP by an astounding 500 percent. Microcurrent also helps correct
the alignment of the muscle by communicating with the Golgi
tendon organ (GTO). The GTO is a type of proprioceptor, a special
nerve ending in the muscles and tendons and other organs that
respond to stimuli regarding the position and movement of the
body, that provides information about changes in muscle tension.
At the same time that microcurrent works on the muscles, it also
stimulates the underlying processes involved in promoting healthy
skin. Specifically, its low levels of electricity have been shown
to increase:

* Membrane active transport, critical to delivering nutrients
intracellularly and exporting metabolic wastes extracellularly

* Protein synthesis, vital for tissue repair and regeneration

* Collagen production and thickness

* Elastin production

* Circulation

Microcurrent treatments are uniquely suited to a home care
regimen because they produce immediate results that continue to
improve with subsequent treatments. The ongoing improvement
experienced with the application of these treatments has to do
with the continued improvements in the underlying processes that
keep the skin healthy, such as circulation and the production of
collagen and elastin, as well as the continued improvements in
ATP production.

It helps to view microcurrent treatments in the same way we view
exercising the body. People who go to the gym and exercise once
may see an improvement in the appearance of their muscles, but in
a short period of time the results will go away if the muscles
are not exercised again. On the other hand, someone who exercises
consistently for a year can take a month off without losing the
benefits achieved. Consistency is key.

This same principle applies to microcurrent treatments. Initially
treatments should be performed in a series, followed by regular
maintenance treatments. The first time a microcurrent treatment
is done, the ATP in the muscles will be increased and then return
to baseline levels shortly afterward. If ATP production is
stimulated by another treatment shortly after the first, the
levels remain high. The more treatments that are performed, the
longer the ATP will remain stored in the muscle. Since ATP can be
stockpiled and stored, treatment results are cumulative and
become more effective as the series progresses. As the baseline
ATP levels increase, the muscles will hold their tone longer.
Microcurrent is an extremely low level of electricity that mimics
the electricity that naturally flows through our body. The
primary function of microcurrent treatments is to stimulate the
body's own healing processes to improve the skin and muscles of
the face. The results are both natural and predictable, because
the treatments work to restore the natural contours of our face
and work within our own facial structure. The benefit of this is
that the treatments will never produce a "bad face-lift" result.
The effects will mimic your younger facial contours naturally,
while increasing skin radiance thanks to increased blood
circulation. Microcurrent, by definition, is one millionth of an
amp of electricity. This extremely low level of electricity
generally causes little to no sensation when applied to the face.
Typical sensations may include a metallic taste in the mouth,
lights flashing in the eyes, small muscle twitches when working
around the eyes, and a tapping sensation felt on the back of the
head when working on the forehead. One benefit of microcurrent
treatments is an increase in blood flow to the area, which can
appear as a slight reddening of the treated areas that typically
goes away within a few minutes.

Most people experience results after a single microcurrent
session, whether it is a softening of fine lines, a raising of
the eyebrows, or even a profound lift to the cheeks. The
treatment is great for any skin type, and recent research has
shown that 100 percent of the people who tried a series of
treatments reported seeing an improvement in their appearance.
The best results are seen after a series of microcurrent
treatments is performed, with treatment frequency averaging four
times per week for a month.

For some people the term "microcurrent muscle stimulation"
conjures up an image of electrodes attached to the face with the
muscles contorting under the stimulation of a strong electrical
current. Microcurrent is actually a very small amount of
electricity applied to the facial muscles through probes that
massage the muscles into a more natural position. The process is
extremely comfortable, and there is no visible muscle
contraction. In fact, the currents generally create little to no
sensation at all.

Microcurrent treatments are ideal for home use because:

* Microcurrent is pain-free and very relaxing.
* The best results are achieved over time with regular
treatments.
* The technique is simple and easy to perform while looking in
the mirror.
* Quick ten-minute treatments may be performed to spottreat
problem areas.
* The treatment presents very few risks, even when compared with
other home care products.
* Immediate results mean you can perform a treatment prior to a
special occasion for a quick lift.
* Treatments can be performed daily. The results are natural and
predictable. Spa treatments can be expensive.

Microcurrent benefits include:

* Production of ATP Production of elastin Production of collagen
* Tissue oxygenation Increased blood circulation Ion exchange
* Absorption of nutrients Elimination of waste products


Types of Microcurrent Treatments

EYES
The eyes are surrounded by a network of fine, narrow muscles that
can become contracted and cause wrinkles from overuse.
Microcurrent treatments stretch the lines at the corners of the
eyes to reduce their appearance while lifting the eyebrow area.
The muscles that cause the lines between the eyes are also
treated in a stretching motion to help them release, while the
muscles directly under the eyes are contracted to reduce sagging
while firming the skin.

FOREHEAD
The vertical muscles that support the skin of the forehead have
the primary function of lifting the eyebrows and are also used
when a view is distant or dim. When these muscles are overused,
they become shorter and create deep wrinkles. Microcurrent
treatment of this area is used to stimulate the blood vessels for
proper irrigation of the epidermis and to release the fontalis
muscles from spasm to soften horizontal lines across the
forehead.

CREASES AROUND THE MOUTH
The muscles that form the area around the mouth generally work in
a downward fashion that can form vertical creases around the
mouth. With microcurrent the muscles can be worked in an upward
direction that lifts the area and progressively reduces wrinkles.

SAGGING CHIN
Chewing works the muscles in the jaw but does not stimulate the
ones that correct sagging in the chin. The muscles tend to become
elongated from underuse, causing the area to droop or sag.
Microcurrent treatments cause these muscles to contract and
tighten up any slackness under the chin. The effects are even
more dramatic when combined with a new treatment called topical
"Sub-D," which helps to rapidly firm the chin and jawline.

COMPLEXION
Regular use of microcurrent improves the underlying processes
that support healthy skin, including collagen and elastin
production, circulation of oxygenated blood, and the exchange of
nutrients and waste products within the cells.

We have discussed rejuvenation from the outside by the use of
Cold Plasma and microcurrent. We will now turn our attention to
special foods and nutrients that are known to heal and restore,
helping you to stay Forever Young.
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NOTE:

* It would be wise to stay away from all the "quick" fixes like
"botox" - "surgery" - too much risk and some women have paid the
penalty.

* Correct diet is very important.

* Rest - sleep and relaxation is important.

* Stress free life, or as little stress as possible is impostant.

* Facial creams have come a long long way today in the space-age
21st century.

* A tip from "Mr. Health and Strength" man - Charles Atlas - in
his old course that is ever good - blow out your cheeks and pull
back the head to strengthen the muscles in your face and neck -
goes a long way to counter "drupy skin."

Keith Hunt
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