After a food-and-drink-heavy Christmas and just weeks from entering the last year in my twenties, I was greeted in the mirror by a face that I didn’t quite recognise. Sluggish skin, a little looser around the jowls, droopier eyes (with bags), and a dull complexion crying out for some winter sunshine.
There’s a lot of products on the beauty market that can help with brightening and feeding the skin, but what about the sagging? I was after something that could tighten the areas that felt looser than usual but wasn’t quite ready for botox. There are professional treatments but these are hard to fit around a busy schedule and costly too. So after hearing about NuFACE Mini, often referred to as the natural facelift, I jumped at the chance to try it out for myself.
With promised results of toned facial muscles, improved skin tone, reduced fine lines and wrinkles, all from the comfort of your sofa while binging Cheer on Netflix, I wouldn’t blame you for being a little sceptical – I was too, even though I’d seen dozens of before and after stories on Instagram. But spoiler alert, I’m almost three weeks in using the Mini and have already seen a vast improvement.
So how does it work? The device gives a non-invasive facelift through advanced microcurrent technology when a low-voltage electrical current mirrors your body’s own natural currents, stimulating collagen and elastin production, and repairs your skin.
The innovative device was the brain-child of mother and daughter duo Carol Cole and Tera Peterson, both experienced anaesthetics. Celebrities around the world have raved about using the device as part of their skincare routine, including Miranda Kerr.
I took some images before starting – remember to take them in an area of natural light, with no makeup on and at the same angle. Get a couple with a neutral expression and some smiling. Make sure your face is clean – using an oil-free cleanser – and dry.
When you turn the Mini on you’ll hear some beeping as it prepares. There are three intensity settings (low, medium and high) – I’ve kept my gadget on the middle setting. You apply the NuFACE gel primer to the area your starting on, for example, the left side of your forehead. I glided the two metal balls from my eyebrow to my hairline, working across that side of my forehead. I repeated this three times.
Next, I moved on to my left cheek, going along the jaw to my ear, then under the cheekbone to my ear, repeating it above the cheekbone. Again, repeat this three times. You can also do your neck and decolletage area.
I’ll say here that there is no pain using the tool with the gel primer. Occasionally when I haven’t used enough gel I’ve felt a slight tingling sensation but nothing noticeable.
I took photos after doing just one side of my face and was amazed by the instant results. My left jaw was more defined, cheekbone more prominent and the eye and brow slightly lifted.
I finished the treatment on the other side of my face and then repeated for the recommended five days a week for the first two months (you then go down to a couple of times a week after that to maintain results). The device is gentle enough to use daily and it only takes about 5-10 minutes to work across my whole face. This ingenious device is now a staple in my skincare routine – plus its mini size means I can take it away.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and my face is lifted and more contoured, maybe not shockingly so but I was never after drastic results. Friends and family have noticed a difference, commenting that I look well and with my skin looking smoother and radiant after each use, I’m now a NuFACE convert.
