High-Frequency Therapy
Written by Eva Taub
This is an old-school tool I’ve never stopped using, because it does something harsher modern treatments often can’t: calm skin down without punishing it.
A Real High-Frequency Treatment
A technology older than antibiotics for acne, and it still earns its place in my treatment room.
What It Is, and How It Works
High-frequency treatment uses a low-level alternating electrical current, passed through a sealed glass electrode filled with an inert gas — typically argon or neon. As the current passes through the gas, it becomes ionized, producing a gentle violet or orange glow along with small amounts of ozone and mild thermal energy at the skin’s surface. That ozone has a genuine germicidal effect on the bacteria involved in acne, while the mild warming and micro-circulation boost help calm existing inflammation. None of this involves breaking the skin, applying chemicals, or generating the kind of heat a laser uses to target melanin — which is exactly why it’s tolerated so well even on reactive, easily-irritated melanin-rich skin.
Why This Technology, Well Over a Century Old, Has Never Actually Been Replaced
High-frequency devices have been used in skincare since the early 1900s, and the honest reason they’re still in my treatment room isn’t nostalgia — it’s that nothing newer does this specific job, calming active inflammation without any chemical or thermal aggression, better. Modern acne treatments tend to fall into two categories: chemical (peels, topical acids) or energy-based with real heat involved (lasers, RF devices). High-frequency sits in a genuine gap between those two, which is precisely why I reach for it on clients whose skin can’t tolerate either category well — post-extraction, post-laser, or simply reactive skin that flares from most other active treatment.
What I correct most often:
“It dries out skin like harsher treatments.” It doesn’t — it controls oil and bacteria through the ozone mechanism above, without stripping your skin’s barrier the way harsher chemical options do.
“It’s outdated technology.” Not in my experience — it remains genuinely effective, and gentle enough for reactive melanin-rich skin that can’t tolerate more aggressive tools, which is exactly why it hasn’t been replaced in over a century of newer alternatives.
“It works the same as blue LED light for acne.” Different mechanism entirely — LED works through light absorption changing cell behavior (see the LED and Oxygen Therapy page), while high-frequency works through ozone generation and mild thermal effect from an electrical current.
Who It’s For, and Who It Isn’t
Clients with active acne or oily, congested skin, particularly those whose skin reacts poorly to harsher chemical treatments, and clients wanting gentle post-extraction or post-laser calming care. I don’t use this on clients with pacemakers or other electrical implants, epilepsy, pregnancy, or active severe rosacea, and any metal piercings near the area need to come out first — metal conducts electricity far more readily than skin does, so a piercing left in can concentrate the current at a single point instead of letting it distribute gently the way the glass electrode is designed for, which is exactly the kind of unpredictable hot spot that causes a burn.
What Getting Results Actually Looks Like
Calming and improvement in active breakouts is often noticeable within a few sessions, with the best results coming from a consistent short series rather than a single visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the electrical current hurt? No — most clients describe a mild tingling or warm sensation, well tolerated even on sensitive skin, since the current level used is low and the glass electrode distributes it gently rather than concentrating it at one point.
Can this be combined with my HS treatment? It’s part of how I approach calming inflammation in Hidradenitis Suppurativa care, alongside the broader treatment ladder described on that page — but it doesn’t treat the underlying inflammatory disease itself. I’ll also be honest that treating actively HS-affected skin with this device is noticeably more uncomfortable than a typical high-frequency session elsewhere, since that tissue is already inflamed and often tender; I adjust accordingly rather than treating it exactly like unaffected skin.
Safety and Aftercare
Very minimal aftercare — avoid touching or picking at treated skin, and follow with your normal moisturizer and a zinc oxide mineral sunblock.
Related Conditions and Treatments
Used as part of ongoing care for Hormonal Acne and as calming support alongside HS management.