Iontophoresis: The IontoFactor

A way to short treatment times with iontophoresis

About Iontophoresis

With Hidrex and Idromed, we have powerful iontophoresis machines that need distance grids, towels and pads. This differs from other iontophoresis systems that have no required distance between the electrodes. This is not a technical issue with Hidrex though. This is because those other machines (like most homemade units you can see on the internet or on youtube), have a very tiny current! On the other hand, even if an iontophoresis machine requires distance grids, it does not necessary mean that it is a quality machine!!!

On this page, we also want to explain how one can get success with iontophoresis or have only 1 or 2 10-minute treatments a week while others need to have 1-hour treatments everyday.

Iontophoresis success can be described like this:

You have to drive a certain level of current before you get a sweat reduction. Is the current driven too low, you will not get any success with iontophoresis no matter how long you treat. Find your personal "sweating relief breakpoint" - this is a individual border and this must be figured out by trial.

This "sweating relief breakpoint" can be described like the personal IontoFactor - needed to stop the sweat**

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First, we have to take into consideration about the IontoFactor itself

In short, the IontoFactor is simply: Volt x Current
Volt x Current = The personal Body Resistance (according to Ohms Law U=RxI) 

**There is a certain border which you have to break before you can a achieve sweat reduction. This is highly individualized and can range from a tiny currentshould be before parentheses (IontoFactor of 1) to a heavy currents (IontoFactor of 1800). Current strength itself is limited to a maximum of 1800 units of iontophoresis power (IontoFactor) through the regulations of medical law. This is what our Hidrex and Idromed iontophoresis units can deliver. A stronger machine would only be allowed for usage under complete medical supervision of a nurse or doctor on your side for the complete iontophoresis treatment circle. If anyone says their machine has more power, they should leave their hand off.

If you need more than 1800, you will have a problem to get iontophoresis to work in this case. If you don’t break this threshold, and success is prevented by a current limitation of a weak machine, you can continue the treatment for the rest of your life without having sweat relief, or change to a professional iontophoresis machine.

If you need less than 1800,  you will have success in your iontophoresis treatment. Please keep in mind that there are several factors that can prevent success with iontophoresis. For example, in order of most important to least important: 

• Skin condition (is the skin healthy and has no cracks, cuts or is inflamed)
• How much current the iontophoresis unit is able to deliver in conjunction with the bodies resistance, the ICF - the IontophoresisCompareFactor
• Skin care
• The right water quality for iontophoresis
• Nutrition
• Medication
• Therapy setup (water levels, actual IontoFactor level)
• Other factors like bio-rhythm, state of mind, physics

Once you discover your "sweating relief breakpoint", you can determine your level of dryness for most users like this:

Current x Time x Frequency = level of dryness

Once you take a good look at these factors that have an effect on your treatment, you will be able to clearly see why treatment can fail even with a good machine.

The factors Current, Time and Frequency can only be varied limitedly:

CURRENT: Current intensity: You can only turn up the current to a given strength or what you can handle* (It should be what makes sense, does not hurt, does not lead to skin irritaions, and does not cause bad feelings This is where our pulsed current machines can play a big part in your success with iontophoresis)  or what the machine can deliver. If you can stand more than your current machine can deliver it is worth a trial with one of our professional iontophoresis machines in order to reduce the other both factors. Remember the benefit of pulsating current: It maybe false to quote the change in the feeling in regards to the common direct current used in a lot of iontophoresis machines out there cause this is very individual, but we would say that you will have the same feeling of the current strentgh with a approximate 80% higher pulsating current.

Example: 10 mA feel like 18mA , 20 Volt like 36V

TIME: Treatment time: If you exceed a certain time, it does not make sense for you or iontophoresis itself (being in the treatment trays for 24 hours is not funny)

FREQUENCY: Treatment frequency:  If you exceed a certain treatment frequency in a week, it also does not make sense for you or iontophoresis itself (to treat yourself 20 times a week is also not funny)

* This is highly influenced by the iontophoresis machine that you use because how strong the current feels, how the strong the current is, and how much current an iontophoresis apparatus is able to deliver is very important.

Conlusion: We would say it is a much better idea to increase the factor current than the others (time is also money or more prime time for yourself!). Increasing the factor current the right way is to buy the iontophoresis aparatus with the smoothest and stronges current!

How to Compare Iontophoresis Machines from different manufacturers

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