Galvanic Skin Treatment:
The Galvanic machine produces a direct current which travels through the skin across two electrodes.
It is used on the face to introduce cosmetic products into the intact skin during iontophoresis, and for deep skin cleansing during desincrustation.
The galvanic current produces a chemical effect within the skin. Around the negative electrode (cathode) there is increased alkalinity, which is used to reduce the oiliness of the skin, and to break down the keratin of the dead skin cells. These effects are used in deincrustation.
Ionphotoresis means "ions delivery" into the skin. This "electrotherapeutic technique uses a Galvanic Current to "push" a drug (active substance) into the patient's skin. The active substance (negatively or positively charged) is applied all over the electrode that has the same polarity (cathode or anode). The ions will migrate into the skin as a result of the repulsion of the similar electrical charges.
Safety precautions
• The electrode pad should be strapped securely, and evenly soaked
with the electrolyte solution to prevent local galvanic burns
• The size of the current should be changed gradually, and electrodes must stay in contact
with the skin while the machine is operating.
• The intensity of the current should be reduced where bony regions of the face are being
treated - the absence of softer tissues causes reduced resistance to the current and local
galvanic burns may occur
• Sudden changes in current may cause muscles to contract violently
• If the current is too strong, a galvanic burn may be produced in the skin due to high
alkalinity
• If the two electrodes are allowed to touch while the machine is operating, short circuiting
may occur.
Note: Clients’ skin should be washed immediately after the treatment to remove the alkaline solution produced by the treatment, which will soften the skin and cause redness in the vicinity of the electrode
