How Often Should I Use a High Frequency Device for Acne?

You can use a high frequency device daily — up to 1 minute on any one area, or up to 10 minutes for your whole face. Most people start to see a noticeable difference after about 2 weeks of consistent use. For more stubborn or severe acne, it can take 4–12 weeks to see full results.

How to use it correctly

1. Insert the electrode into the handle and turn the device on.
2. Gradually turn the dial up until you feel a slight tingling — this should never hurt. Low to medium is the ideal range for most people.
3. Move the wand in slow, circular motions over the area.
4. To target an individual blemish, gently tap the tip of the wand against it 2–3 times, then continue circling around it for up to 1 minute.

Use on clean, dry skin. For a deeper treatment, place a thin layer of gauze or tissue between the electrode and your skin — this helps the current penetrate further and can speed healing. When treating your whole face, keep total treatment time to about 10 minutes.

Starting out vs. ongoing use

If you're new to the device, there's no need to ease in slowly the way you might with a chemical peel — it's designed for daily use from day one. That said, if your skin feels sensitive or reactive, it's fine to start every other day and build up to daily as you get a feel for your ideal setting.

Once your skin is clear and you're in maintenance mode, several times a week is usually enough to keep new breakouts from taking hold.

Is redness or tingling normal?

Yes. A mild tingling or warming sensation is exactly what you want to feel — it means the device is working at the right strength. Some temporary redness right after use is normal too, and typically fades within minutes to an hour.

What's not normal: pain, or redness and stinging that doesn't ease up. If that happens, turn the dial down — you're likely using too high a setting for your skin.

What about purging?

Purging usually happens because of EGF Activating Serum or a chemical peel speeding up cell turnover — not because of the high frequency device itself. As skin cells turn over faster, congestion that was sitting under the surface gets pushed up, which can look like a temporary increase in breakouts.

The high frequency device can actually help during this phase: using it consistently helps keep those breakouts under control while your skin works through the purge, by killing acne-causing bacteria and reducing inflammation as congestion surfaces. Stay consistent with your routine — this is your skin clearing out, not getting worse.

When to wait or hold off

• Stay off broken capillaries, spider veins, or active rosacea.
• Avoid use if you have a pacemaker, metal plates/pins, certain dental metal, or are pregnant — check full safety details on the product page.

Pairing it with the rest of your routine

• Use the device on clean, dry skin
• Apply EGF Activating Serum after treatment to support healing
• If you have a scab from a healing blemish, place a layer of gauze over it and use the device on the lowest setting, avoiding direct pressure
• Use a chemical peel or retinol after the high frequency device, not before
• It can also be used on the scalp with the comb electrode (15–20 minutes on dry hair) to support circulation and scalp health