Microcurrent For Lips? A Golden Ticket For Needle-Free Plumping

Believe it or not, burning lip gloss isn't the only noninvasive path to plumper lips. In fact, there's an abundance of options to try, from nourishing lip balms to overnight masks to contouring liners and beyond. Most recently, I learned about a unique, device-driven hack that might just take the cake for the most effective method. 

If you're new to microcurrent devices, let me give you a brief introduction before diving into the lip-related perks. 

To be concise, microcurrent tools work to support a lifted, contoured appearance by sending low (micro) currents to the muscles under the skin. You can think of it like a workout for your face. 

As a reminder, yes, you have muscles around the lips too. The orbicularis oris, as it's formally called, is an oval-shaped muscle outlining the lips themselves, which helps support movements like puckering, smiling, and frowning. As this muscle (plus those surrounding it) begins to droop with age naturally, you may notice more lines on and around the lips and less volume overall. 

For this reason, strengthening that muscle via microcurrent is an approach worth considering. 

Esthetician and founder of microcurrent brand ZIIP Melanie Simon gave me the breakdown as she rolled out the new ZIIP Lips treatment housed on the device's app. What's unique about this device, and especially the app-guided routines, is that it offers nanocurrents that are gentle enough to use on the lips, even though the skin is quite sensitive. 

"​​The waveform is a vasodilator," Simon says about the ZIIP Lips nanocurrent. "It's a sine wave, which is really good at bringing in volume, but it also brings a ton of blood flow… You can actually feel the blood flowing into your lips and your skin, especially if you hold it still."

In fact, some brands have created separate devices designed for this delicate area, like the NuFace Lip Flick or the FOREO Bear 2 for eyes and lips. 

But if you'd rather use one device for your full microcurrent routine, you'll find success with the ZIIP HALO's versatility. With this single item, you gain access to a plethora of facial treatments, including the lip routine, all conveniently available in the app. If you're contemplating investing in a microcurrent tool, this one proves to be a worthy choice.

The entire ZIIP Lips treatment lasts two minutes and can be done twice a day. As you'll see in the app, you'll need to apply conductive gel to the skin around the lips (focusing on that oval-shaped muscle we touched on earlier) and on the lips themselves. 

By gliding the ZIIP Halo around the lips, you'll notice them begin to plump with your natural flushed lip tone—an underrated perk for those with paler lips. While the immediate plumping is great, much of the magic here lies in prevention. Continuously using the microcurrent device to support these lip-adjacent muscles may result in fuller, perkier lips for the long haul. Plus, regular microcurrent treatment can help address smile lines, should that be an area of concern for you.