This Cute New Microcurrent Acne Device Shrank My Giant Cheek Zit in Just a Few Days (2025)

A few years ago, I woke up with a zit that still haunts me to this day. It popped up right before an important event, and it was enormous. Nothing would make it shrink down to size, not even my strongest, most potent topical zit zappers. Even a shot from the dermatologist didn’t help. But you know what might have done the job? Ziip’s new acne-fighting device, the Ziip Dot.

Ziip, best known for its sculpting device the Halo, uses microcurrent and nanocurrent power to stimulate muscles in the skin and reduce signs of aging. While the Halo is best known for its sculpting properties, the Dot is all about acne; it claims to treat acne in just 90 seconds, reduce redness, and clear breakouts faster.

But does it work? Read on for my honest review.

How it Works

Like me, Ziip co-founder Melanie Simon also struggled with acne, including cystic and hormonal. “After discovering certain electrical waveforms that completely cleared my skin without any side effects, I knew I had to share this with other people going through the same thing,” she tells Byrdie.

The Ziip Dot has two cycles: microcurrent and nanocurrent. According to Simon, the microcurrent cycle is one minute long and neutralizes the bacteria that causes breakouts by targeting the positive electrical charge it carries. “Microcurrent also boosts circulation, brings in oxygen and nutrients, and helps flush out toxins,” she explains. “This makes the skin less prone to inflammation and future breakouts.”

The second cycle is nanocurrent, which takes just 30 seconds and helps promote healing. “Acne doesn’t just affect the surface,” says Simon. “It starts below the skin and can damage the surrounding tissue, which leads to redness, irritation, and scarring. Nanocurrent supports repair and regeneration so your skin can recover faster and more completely."

How to Use It

Ziip Dot is shaped like a donut on purpose, says Simon, as it’s meant to treat one area at a time versus your whole face. First, you place the probe, which sits behind the logo on the device, directly on top of a blemish or breakout and gently move it back and forth, feeling little microcurrents as it works. After the device beeps, it switches to nanocurrent; Simon advises making sure the breakout is right in the center of the donut so the healing process can begin. “It’s simple, effective, and super targeted.” You can also use it on your whole face if you’re dealing with multiple breakouts; simply hold the power button down to activate a four-minute microcurrent cycle with two minutes of nanocurrent.

“Follow the tingling sensation. That means the Dot is finding bacteria,” advises Simon. “Once you hear the beep and it switches to nanocurrent, you can pause over the most congested areas.”

My Review

As someone with consistent, persistent acne—not an occasional spot or breakout, but rather active acne patches on either my chin or my forehead—I’m always looking for new ways to shrink zits without stressing my skin. I’ve tried red light masks, laser, dermatologist medications (I’m currently on tretinoin and azelaic acid), topical serums, spot treatments… basically, you name it, I’ve tried it. So of course I was game to try the Ziip Dot.

Number one: It’s so cute! The Ziip Dot is tiny enough to hold in your palm, which is key since you need to place it on specific parts of your face. I chose the yellow shade since that’s my favorite color, not to mention the trendiest spring hue. I loved how small the device was; it’s portable and not a whole process to set up, making it more conducive to a regular routine.

I used the Ziip Dot every two to three days, first applying the included serum all over my face and positioning the dot over my most stubborn acne, specifically on my forehead and a large bump on my cheek. It was so easy to glide around my face while I watched The Pitt and made a noticeable difference in the size and stubbornness of some big, under-the-skin cysts, as well as the aforementioned cheek zit. (I don’t get those often, but when I do, they really want to stick around.) I often get small breakouts around my nose, and the Ziip Dot shape wasn’t as conducive to that area as it was for the forehead and chin. Plus, if you’ve ever gotten laser or microcurrent near your nose, you know it can be more sensitive than other areas of the face, and when I was able to maneuver the Dot around my nose, it was more of a shock than I expected. But the microcurrent doesn’t actually hurt.

For the purpose of this review, I focused on the cheek zit, using the Dot every other day. After the first cycle, it felt smaller almost instantly; you could see the reddish color, but the blemish itself was definitely shrinking. After the second, it was nearly flat. After the third cycle, I considered it all but gone, save for the pigment; it was so easy to cover up with makeup. I noticed similar accelerated shrinkage with other zits and was genuinely impressed at how quickly it turned things around. I will absolutely be keeping the Dot in my rotation—and because it’s so small, it’ll fit right in on my top shelf.