8.5 Electrical Facial Equipment & Skin Care Devices

8.5 Electrical Facial Equipment & Skin Care Devices

The NIC content outline lists four skin-care procedure areas, and the fourth is apply knowledge of electrical equipment. Within a Washington cosmetologist scope this means the basic, non-invasive facial devices — the advanced modalities such as microdermabrasion, medium-depth peels and light-based medical devices belong to the separate master esthetician tier.

Diagnostic Devices

Magnifying lamp (loupe). A lighted lens, commonly 5 to 10 diopters, used to examine the skin closely and to perform extractions accurately. The client’s eyes must be protected with pads because of the light intensity. It is a diagnostic and procedural aid, not a treatment device.

Wood’s lamp. A filtered ultraviolet light used in a darkened room to reveal conditions the naked eye cannot see. Different skin states fluoresce differently:

Eye protection is required for both client and practitioner.

Steamer. Warm, moist vapor softens the corneum, relaxes follicle openings, and increases circulation before extraction. Use distilled water only, keep the nozzle at a safe distance so the vapor is warm rather than hot, and never point the steam directly at the nostrils. Steam is contraindicated over rosacea, sensitized or sunburned skin, and asthma-affected clients may not tolerate it. Steamers must be cleaned and descaled per manufacturer directions.

Galvanic Current

Galvanic current is a constant, direct current that produces chemical rather than mechanical effects. It has two poles, and the two treatments differ only in which pole is active and what is applied.

Desincrustation — negative pole

Purpose: soften and emulsify sebum and hardened debris in the follicle so it can be extracted. Method: a desincrustation solution — typically an alkaline, negatively charged product — is applied and the negative electrode is worked over the area. The alkaline reaction at the negative pole saponifies (emulsifies) the sebum. This is the classic pre-extraction step on oily, congested skin.

Iontophoresis — either pole, matched to the product

Purpose: introduce water-soluble, ionized products into the skin. Method: the polarity of the active electrode is set to match the charge of the product, because like charges repel. A negatively charged product is driven in from the negative electrode; a positively charged product from the positive electrode. Ampoules and serums are labeled with the polarity to use.

Memory hook: Negative = Nourish/soften/open. Positive = pacify/tighten/close. Desincrustation opens, so it uses the negative pole.

High-Frequency (Tesla) Current

Often called the violet ray, high-frequency is an alternating, rapidly oscillating current applied through a glass electrode. Because the oscillation is so fast there is no muscle contraction and no chemical change — the effects are thermal and germicidal.

• Direct application — the electrode is moved over the skin. Produces a stimulating, warming, germicidal effect; used on oily and acne-prone skin and after extraction to aid healing.
• Indirect application — the client holds the electrode while the practitioner massages the skin with their hands. Produces a gentler stimulating effect.

Safety rules that are heavily tested: the practitioner must not touch the client’s skin while the current is on in indirect application; the client must remove jewelry and must not touch or hold metal during treatment; do not use over broken capillaries or with clients who have a pacemaker or implanted electrical device; and high-frequency must never be used in the presence of flammable products such as alcohol-based toners, because the electrode can produce a spark.

Microcurrent and LED

Microcurrent is an extremely low-level current that mirrors the body’s own electrical signalling. It is used to stimulate facial muscles and improve tone and circulation. It is subtle by design — a treatment the client barely feels.

Light-emitting diode (LED) therapy applies specific wavelengths without heat. In common salon use, red light is associated with circulation and collagen stimulation, blue light with acne-causing bacteria, and infrared with deeper warming and circulation. LED is non-ablative and does not tan; eye protection is still standard practice.

Contraindications Common to Electrotherapy

Before any electrical modality, screen for:

• Pacemaker or other implanted electrical device
• Pregnancy
• Epilepsy or seizure disorder
• Metal implants, plates or pins in the treatment area
• Open, broken, inflamed or infected skin, or active herpes simplex lesions
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart condition
• Recent injectables or facial surgery
• Client discomfort or unwillingness — always the deciding factor

Record the screening result on the client card. Where any doubt exists, refer to a physician: diagnosis and medical clearance are outside a cosmetology license, and Washington’s scope boundaries for advanced modalities sit with the master esthetician credential.

Infection Control for Facial Equipment

All of this equipment falls under the same Washington rules covered earlier, applied by category. Electrodes and handpieces are electrical tools: remove foreign matter, then disinfect with an EPA product made for electrical tools, per WAC 308-20-110(8). Glass high-frequency electrodes must be cleaned and disinfected between clients and stored so they cannot chip. Non-electrical implements — tweezers, extractors, spatulas, brushes — follow the four-step remove, clean, rinse, disinfect order in WAC 308-20-110(7), with total immersion for items without sharp edges or points. Treatment tables must be cleaned, disinfected and covered with clean linens or examination paper changed after each client under WAC 308-20-110(11)(c). Cotton, sponges, gauze and applicators contacting the client are discarded immediately after the service, and their presence at the station is prima facie evidence of reuse.