Review (2/5): ouch! I felt like the bride of frankenstein
I bought this direct from an advertisement on amazon. Everything about this package was stylish, beautifully presented and arrived quickly in perfect order. The DVD was excellent and there were clear simple instructions on a sturdy pamphlet. The included conductive gel and Serum with peptides were pleasant to use and fragrance free.
On page 12 of the manual "precautions" "headache and other painful sensations have been reported during or following electrical stimulation" was omitted from the website.
It was very unpleasant during use; causes visible twitching and muscle contraction. Even on the lowest setting I found this frankly painful especially in the jaw. My muscles felt tightened alright afterwards but to the point of face ache and a headache. My eyebrows were so lifted on one side it was a bride of frankenstein look. I think this unit needs a redesign to lower the current again by half rather than chasing quick results. Decreasing the time of application by half didn't help much - the overall sensation was still of having been kicked in the head rather than of having had a facial. I didn't want to use it more than twice before asking for the company to honour its 100% satisfaction guarantee and issue a refund number which they did.
If the website upfront about the level discomfort I might have left another star on this for other users who are probably not as sensitive. My advice is don't buy it unless you can try it first. Very disappointed as I wanted this unit to work in tandem with my [[ASIN:B000JIN0OG NuFace Microcurrent Toner for Lifting and Toning the Face]] - which leaves me feeling relaxed and fabulous but can't be used around the mouth or eye area.
here is the response:
"Your FaceMaster passes less power to your skin than a good static discharge might on a dry day after walking on some carpet (less than 20 microamps at intensity level = 1, less than 200microamps at intensity level = 10). There is no possibility of nerve damage.
We recommend that you try a couple of techniques:
1. Use a bit less conductive serum (a perfectly dry foam cap will not conduct any electricity, while a completely soaked foam cap allows almost 100% of the current to pass). Using less conductive serum should be similar to having intensity settings below level 1.
2. Use less pressure on your wands. No current will pass to your skin if the wands are not touching it; likewise the most current would pass if you press hard enough such that 100% of the foam caps were surrounded by skin. Using less pressure to reduce the surface area of contact is also like having intensity settings below level 1.
The sensation caused by the e-stim is something that you will become accustomed to. In fact, it is possible with prolonged use that the sensation will be eliminated completely (we receive comments from people saying their FaceMaster is no longer working because they no longer feel it - it is just that they have become use to it).
Feathering mode has a significantly different output characteristic than Eye or Face mode. The treatment is meant to stimulate collagen and elastin within the skin and will not provide any muscle stimulation."
I don't feel like toughing it out as a professional session is completely painless there is an easy alternative.