Date: March Concepts: Proteins - Microcurrent facial

Skin sagging and facial wrinkles are typically associated with age. This is because as people
age, the ability of the body to produce collagen, as well as other essential protein like elastin,
decreases (Varani et al., 2006). Saniee et al. added that collagen and elastin are degraded as
people age. Therefore, with the degradation of existing collagen and elastin proteins keeping
the skin firm and the decrease of collagen and elastin production over time, the skin eventually
starts to lose its elasticity and firmness. Microcurrent facials, like every other beauty product or
treatment, offer a method to reverse these marks of aging on human skin which is an attractive
idea for most people.

Saniee et al. (2012) referred to electrical microcurrent as a “non-invasive method” of resolving

facial wrinkles which, along with cream products containing antioxidants, vitamin A, hydroxyl
acids, and the like, does not require hospitalization. The results of this facial treatment are
generally perceived as akin to that of Botulinium injections or BOTOX. Still, microcurrent facials
are considered a much safer and more innovative alternative. Kristina Rodulfo (2021) of Elle
Magazine wrote an article detailing the wonderful results of microcurrent facials. The author
prefaced the article by establishing the fact that the method itself has been used medically since
the 1980s and approved by the FDA thereby supplementing the claim regarding its safety.
Patients who had undergone this treatment during the 80s were reported to have a firmer skin
post-treatment. The study of Saniee et al. (2012) also reported positive results regarding this
facial treatment with about 18.37% and 21.18% improvement in the forehead area during the
first step (before and after the treatment) and the second step (after the treatment and one
month after), respectively. With research results showing the effects of microcurrents on sagging
facial muscles, Rodulfo proceeded to lay more claims related to its anti-aging prowess. Among
such claims include the ability of microcurrents to stimulate the production of collagen.

Collagen is a type of structural protein that is found throughout the body. Wu et al. (2022)
introduced collagen in their paper as the most abundant protein in the human body. Saniee et al.
(2012) also recognized this in their paper describing collagen as the most abundant animal
protein existing. This makes sense because collagen is an integral component of the largest
organ of the human body–the skin, and is also distributed in other parts of the body, especially
in the connective tissues. Collagen makes up the majority of the skin matrix as well as the
matrices of other connective tissues such as the tendons and ligaments (Wu et al., 2022). The
firmness of the human skin is attributed to the rigidity of the structure of the collagen protein and
other connective tissue proteins. This structural rigidity is attributed to the structure of the
protein itself, specifically its tertiary structure. Collagen is made up of three chains (helices)
which are wound together to form a triple helix structure with glycine, the smallest amino acid
component of collagen, allowing the chains to form a tight configuration (Wu et al., 2022). This
tightly bound structure can efficiently withstand stress. By advertising that microcurrent facials
can stimulate collagen production, these businesses are promoting the replenishment of loss
‘tightness’ in the skin by producing new structural components in the skin. In some references
that a study about the effects and mechanism of electrical stimulation on skin wound healing
cited, collagen production was reported to have significantly increased due to the increased
number of fibroblast cells (collagen-synthesizing cells) on the wound site due to the exposure to
an electrical field (Yu et al., 2014). With this information, it can therefore be concluded that
microcurrent facials and electrical stimulation does not directly induce collagen production rather
it directs fobroblast migration and proliferation towards the point of application thereby
increasing the number of collagen-producing cells on the site. Nonetheless, this facial treatment
does display a=some sort of correlation with collagen production.

Although the study of Yu et al. (2014) focused mainly on the effects of microcurrents to the
process of wound healing, the results drawn out from the experiment can be implied to the
context of facial lifts since it essentially involves influencing the proliferation of
collagen-producing cells. There is also an important point that Yu et al. raised as they presented
their conclusion and that is the aspect of time which remained as an underlying question at the
end of their study. Questions such as how long the application should last and at which
stimulation can the best results be achieved. In the context of face-lifting, Saniee et al. (2012)
noted that after one microcurrent facial treatment, improvements were still observed even after
one month. This can somehow show the long-term effectiveness of microcurrent facial as a
method in reducing wrinkles and other physical signs of aging on the skin.

This discussion essentially demonstrates how protein synthesis can be manipulated or

influenced through means that are external to the human body. Although microcurrent facial
shows how advanced our technology and our understanding of the human body is in this age,
there are more complex procedures in industries other than the beauty industry that make use
of this principle. This is just one of the good news that this type of advances in science brings to
the world. However, it is necessary to point out that there are cases where manipulation of
protein synthesis through machines and other external methods can be debilitating. For
example, a study in the year 2021 by Guo et al. described both the positive and negative effects
of chemotherapeutic agents of CAs on cancer patients. Though CAs were successful in halting
the progression of tumor cells by targeting cell components necessary for the proliferation of the
cells such as the RNA polymerase I transcription machinery, CAs also induced muscle loss due
to the production of reactive oxygen species or ROS as a side effect of the altered protein
synthesis pathway. In addition to this, ROS alone are already harmful to the human body
outside the context of chemotherapy-induced muscle loss. The innovative principle that this
facial treatment adopts is indeed a marvelous and dangerous feat.

As a member of the current generation, I am very much aware of the rising value that is being
tied to the skin care industry. From social media influencers to the fashion-forward ladies that I
meet during bathroom breaks, pampering the human skin has become a monster topic and a
favorite activity among Gen Zs. With the enthusiasm of this generation seeping through the
scene, the skin care products market size has since been growing. Grand View Research
Incorporated (2022) has been monitoring the trend of sales in this industry since the year 2017
and has recently reported in 2021 that the global skin care products market size was valued at
USD 130.50 billion. The report also added that the market size is expected to compound an
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% from 2022 to 2030. These numbers are proof of the
ongoing pursuit of beauty in the context of the standards that have been set through social
media. Along with the raging interest that is being displayed by the consumer public is the
overwhelming amount of products and treatments that are being advertised throughout the
media. Although it would be too drastic to claim that all of these products are being falsely
advertised, it cannot be denied that there are some; in fact, the majority are. In an article written
by Amy Kraft (2015), capable judges with varying degrees of knowledge about the cosmetics
industry deemed only 18% of all the “scientific” claims made by the sample products used in the
research to be acceptable. This just shows how exploited the name of science is in the name of
profit-making.
All of the facts that have been mentioned so far are in no way intended to attack the industries
mentioned in this entry, although there is no denying that they could and should do so much
better. Nonetheless, this was a good opportunity to showcase the effectiveness of legitimate
science-backed products or treatments in this case. Not only does it save the consumer the
trouble of wasting money on products that offer empty results, but they also shed light on the
applications of scientific research and scientific knowledge in our day-to-day lives.

References

Grand View Research Incorporated. (2022). Skin Care Products Market Size Report, 2022-
2030. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/skin-care-products-
market/toc
Guo, B., Bennet, D., Belcher, D.J., Kim, H.G., & Nader, G.A. (2021). Chemotherapy agents
reduce protein synthesis and ribosomal capacity in myotubes independent of oxidative
stress. American Journal of Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00116.2021
Kraft, A. (2015, July 28). Most "scientific" beauty product claims are bogus, study finds. CBS
News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-beauty-product-claims-are-bogus/
Rodulfo, K. (2021, March 4). Everything you need to know about microcurrent facials. Elle.
https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/a27700335/microcurrent-facial/
Saniee, F., Khademi Kalantari, K., Yazdanpanah, P., & Dabiri, N. (2012). The effect of
microcurrents on facial wrinkles. Journal of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences,
10(2), 9-16.
Varani, J., Dame, M. K., Rittie, L., Fligiel, E. G., Kang, S., Fisher, G. J., & Voorhees, J. J. (2006).
Decreased Collagen Production in Chronologically Aged Skin : Roles of Age-Dependent
Alteration in Fibroblast Function and Defective Mechanical Stimulation. The American
Journal of Pathology, 168(6), 1861-1868. https://doi.org/10.2353/ajpath.2006.051302
Wu M, Cronin K, Crane JS. Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis. [Updated 2022 Sep 12]. In:
StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available
from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507709/
Yu, C., Hu, Q., & Peng, Y. (2014). Effects and mechanisms of a microcurrent dressing on skin
wound healing: A review. Military Medical Research, 1.
https://doi.org/10.1186/2054-9369-1-24