LED vs. microcurrent vs. gua sha: what actually lifts?

First, what "lift" actually means

Nothing on this page lifts like a facelift, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something. What these three tools can do is change how your face looks in different ways and on different timelines:

• Fluid: puffiness that sits under the skin, worst in the morning. Moves in minutes. Comes back tomorrow.
• Tone: the slightly firmer, more awake look some people get after stimulating facial muscles. Lasts hours to a day or so.
• Skin quality: texture, fine lines, how bouncy skin looks. Changes over weeks to months, if at all.

Gua sha works on fluid. Microcurrent works on tone. Red light works on skin quality. Different jobs, which is why "which is best" is a slightly wrong question.

Red light (LED): the slow, steady one

How it works: LED devices shine specific wavelengths of light at your skin. Red light (around 630nm) and near-infrared (around 850nm) are the ones studied for signs of aging. Blue light is the color studied for blemish-prone skin.

What the evidence says: The American Academy of Dermatology says red light LED devices "can produce subtle to noticeable results" on fine lines, redness and loose skin, calls the evidence encouraging but not conclusive, and notes that dermatologists' in-office light is more powerful than at-home devices (AAD). One frequently cited controlled trial of 136 volunteers found red and near-infrared light improved skin roughness and ultrasound-measured collagen density compared with controls (Wunsch & Matuschka, 2014). That study used professional light panels, not a mask, so read it as proof of concept rather than a promise.

The catch: It's the gym, not a facial. The AAD puts it plainly: "This is not a one-and-done treatment." Skip weeks and you lose ground.

Time cost: About 10 minutes, three to five times a week, ongoing. Hands-free, so it stacks with a podcast or doomscrolling.

Skip it if: you have a light-sensitive condition or take light-sensitizing medication (ask your dermatologist first), or you know you won't keep it up past January.

GlowMax is our own mask: eight light modes, including red, near-infrared and blue, in one device, $229. We built it for the 10-minute version of this ritual, not the 45-minute one.

Microcurrent: the event-prep one

How it works: A handheld device sends a low-level electrical current through the skin, usually over a conductive gel, while you glide it along facial muscles in set patterns.

What the evidence says: Thinner than for LED. A 2023 literature review on microcurrent for static facial wrinkles concluded "there is no consensus on the effectiveness" and called for more studies (Research, Society and Development, 2023). Plenty of people swear by the temporary toned look before a big day, and that's a legitimate reason to own one. Just don't expect it to change your skin long term.

The catch: The gel. You need a generous layer every session, and it's an ongoing cost. Results fade, so it's a daily-ish habit if you want them daily-ish.

Time cost: About 5 to 20 minutes depending on the device, most days for the first couple of months, then maintenance.

Skip it if: you have a pacemaker or other implanted electrical device, are pregnant, or have epilepsy. Check the device's own warnings too. And skip it if you hate a hands-on ritual: this one needs your full attention and both hands.

Gua sha: the cheap, nice one

How it works: A smooth, flat stone or steel tool glided over oiled skin with light pressure, usually outward and downward toward the lymph nodes in your neck.

What the evidence says: Modest and specific. The famous "4x circulation" stat comes from a small 2007 study of firm-pressure gua sha on the back, with no control group, which isn't facial gua sha at all (Dermatology Times). The best facial-specific study we found is a 2025 randomized trial of 34 women doing 10-minute sessions, five times a week, for eight weeks. Both gua sha and a facial roller produced measurable but small changes in facial contour, which Dermatology Times calls "a modest, likely fluid- and tone-mediated effect" (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2025, via Dermatology Times).

Translation: it moves fluid. That's genuinely useful on a puffy Monday. It does not sculpt bone, melt fat or "detox" anything.

The catch: Press too hard and you can bruise or break small capillaries, especially with rosacea or thin skin. If you've had recent filler or neuromodulator injections, ask your injector before pressing on those areas.

Time cost: Five minutes, whenever you want. Best in the morning.

Skip it if: you have active breakouts or irritation on the area (you'll just spread it around), or you want a long-term change in skin quality.

Want the fancy one?

Or the $10 version that's surprisingly pleasant:

Side by side

So which one?

Choose red light if you want gradual changes in how your skin looks and you'll realistically do 10 minutes most nights. The hands-free part is what makes it stick for most people.

Choose microcurrent if you have events, love a hands-on ritual, and you're fine with results that need topping up.

Choose gua sha if your main complaint is morning puffiness, you want to spend under $40, or you just like five minutes of quiet with a cold stone.

Choose two if you want. Gua sha in the morning for puffiness, LED at night for the long game is a combo that doesn't fight itself. Just add one at a time so you know what's doing what.

What we'd skip

• Any device that promises results "in one session."
• Paying for "FDA approved" on a beauty device. The AAD notes that "FDA cleared" means low risk, not proven effective, and "FDA approved" or "certified" are not meaningful terms for these devices (AAD).
• Buying all three in one cart on Black Friday. Pick one, live with it for eight weeks, then decide.

We may earn a commission from some links. It never changes our take. GlowMax is our own product, and we've tried to hold it to the same standard as everything else on this page.