I I’m lying in what looks like a dentist’s chair with three giant patches stuck to my face: one on each cheek and one on my forehead. They are attached to a giant machine to my right and are getting hotter and hotter while zapping me intermittently. My facial muscles twitch and contract pretty wildly every second or so. The tension builds over the next 20 minutes as my wonderful therapist, Lyndsay Curnow-Coy, turns on the dial. I ask for the highest possible environment and breathe a French mantra: il faut souffrir pour être belle.
Actually, it doesn’t hurt as such, although it’s not the most comfortable I’ve ever felt. However, I end up coming back to this chair at the Dr Rita Rakus clinic in Knightsbridge, central London, five times in as many weeks because every time I have this treatment – the EmFace – I look a little better: more lifted, subtly sculpted and with a bit of a glow. Observant friends can’t put their finger on what’s changed and ask if I’ve finally succumbed to major corrections – always the best compliment when you’re not frozen or stuffed. Gen Z has a good word for my low-key makeover: my face looks “grabbed.” Just a little bit.
This new, non-invasive treatment comes from the creators of EmSculpt Neo, the muscle body treatment that is said to be the equivalent of 20,000 abs when used on the abs for half an hour.
So how does EmFace work? There are two technologies in play. First, high-intensity electrical facial stimulation, which is designed to improve facial muscle density and tone while maintaining the basic scaffolding that keeps your brows and cheeks up and your jaw taut. Like all muscles, facial muscles wear out with age and unfortunately, unlike your triceps, there’s no way to lift a weight to rebuild the tissue. Over the years, I’ve tried several microcurrent devices at home, and while I like some, they’re not as powerful as the EmFace mega-machine. The second technology at work here is radio frequency (the sense of heating), which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin – their depletion is another casualty of ageing. The increased arrival of these skin-plumping, plumping and toning proteins is designed to continue for months after treatment. This RF and electrical stimulation tweezer motion smoothes lines and improves piercings.
EmFace won’t give the “ten years younger” look of invasive work and won’t erase forehead wrinkles the way Botox does, but it has definitely blurred my lines. It really is the dream treatment for people like me who don’t care for the idea of fillers or even necessarily looking younger, but are tired of looking exhausted when we’re not the least bit tired – a look that no amount of moisturizer can touch. I cycle, do yoga and pilates and lift weights for the rest of me. It’s nice to give my face a chance to keep up.
Dr Suha Kersh, who offers the treatment at her 23MD clinic in Chelsea, west London, says: ‘There is definitely a reduction in wrinkles and sagging with it. I’ve seen some really nice results – lift in the cheeks and the corner of the mouth and brow. My clients just look healthier, whether they’re using it alone or layered with other treatments.”
Most people need about four treatments, about a week apart, to see a difference. Unfortunately, like exercise, the results can’t last forever, so an annual refresher session is recommended.
drritarakus.co.uk; 23md.co.uk; for the nearest clinic, see btlaesthetics.com. From £600 a treatment
Microcurrents for facial tightening for home use
NuFACE
This is probably the best known microcurrent tool on the market. I came across it during a treatment at Elizabeth Arden and was so impressed with its cheek lifting properties that I had to get my hands on it as soon as they became available to the public. It’s great for a quick lift, although you need to use it a few times a week to get long-term results.
From £329 for the Trinity model, currentbody.com
ZIIP Nanocurrent
This facial toning gadget combines the power of microcurrent and nanocurrent, which is said to target muscles at a deeper level. An app takes you to a selection of facial workouts to try. Jennifer Aniston uses it, if you’re interested (which I am).
£425, currentbody.com
TheraFace Pro
From the makers of Theragun—the body massager that flew off the shelves during the pandemic—this multi-tasker comes with attachments for facial massage, microcurrent, and LED light therapy.
£375, johnlewis.com
