If you're not giving yourself face massages, it's time to start
If you’ve ever zonked out in the middle of a facial, then you already know the magic of facial massage. And while it definitely feels nice, it can also improve your skin's appearance, release tension in your face, and maximise the effectiveness of your beauty products, says dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo, MD. After all, you have almost 30 facial muscles that could use a little TLC!
It's also something you can perform at home and see similar benefits, says dermatologist Courtney Rubin, MD. In fact, you don’t even need fancy tools because your (clean!) hands can do the job. That said, there are a few pointers worth learning before you massage all your problems away.
Read on for everything you need to know about the various types of facial massages and how to perform them, according to dermatologists and skin therapists.
Meet the experts: Loretta Ciraldo, MD, is a dermatologist and the founder of Dr. Loretta skincare. Courtney Rubin, MD, is a dermatologist and the co-founder and chief medical officer at Fig.1. Liz Anguiano is a skin therapist and shop educator at Heyday Lincoln Park. Edyta Jarosz is a master esthetician at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue. Laura Conroy is a licensed massage therapist, aesthetician, and director of education at The Well. Lauren Roxburgh is a personal trainer, bodywork practitioner, and fascia expert.
What is a face massage, exactly?
The name may give it away, but a facial massage refers to sweeping motions across the face and neck, either with hands or with a facial massage tool such as a roller or gua-sha (a traditional Chinese medicine practice that is used to stroke the surface of your skin), says Dr. Rubin. 'Oils are often used for lubrication to allow the hands or massage tools to glide across the skin without pulling, and these motions can be used to relax and smooth muscles, along with encouraging lymphatic drainage and circulation.'
What are the benefits of a face massage?
Besides feeling great and offering a little relaxation, a face massage offers mega benefits when it comes to your skin and overall appearance. Simply put, a facial massage aids in the removal of toxins by stimulating lymphatic drainage, says Liz Anguiano, a skin therapist and shop educator at Heyday Lincoln Park. And by encouraging lymphatic flow, this helps reduce excess swelling or puffiness in the face, which leads to a more sculpted and defined look, adds Dr. Rubin.
Lymphatic drainage and increasing circulation to the skin also helps with the stimulation of collagen and elasticity, explains Anguiano. In other words, don’t be surprised if your skin looks a little plumper and more youthful, because the massage releases muscle tension in the face and jaw which improves skin suppleness and offers a lifting and sculpting effect, adds Dr. Rubin. And, since the massage soothes tension in the face, this could even help smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while boosting the overall firmness of the skin, she adds.
Last but not least, a facial massage will increase blood flow and give the skin a glowy look, since it increases the penetration of beneficial oils during massage, says Dr. Ciraldo. Whether you use a serum, face toner, or face oil, a message essentially helps press the product into your skin to promote the intended results.
What types of facial massage exist?
Face slapping
Sounds…not relaxing at all, but face slapping can be a game-changer when done right. For the uninitiated: 'Face slapping is an intense facial massage, which involves getting your face slapped, pinched, and stroked,' says Edyta Jarosz, master esthetician at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue. 'It is designed to activate the muscles and increase circulation and oxygenation.' Translation: It’s intended to deliver a more radiant complexion and ease tension.
On top of that, face slapping can stimulate collagen production. 'The face-slapping technique will benefit you if you hold too much tension in your jawline,' Jarosz says. However, it’s not a good idea if you have rosacea, acne, or sensitive skin, since the impact of the slaps can exacerbate those.
Jarosz recommends face-slapping with a face lotion or oil for some lubrication, although you can also use a cleansing balm. Ultimately, 'it’s all about the pressure and precision of the movements,' she says. 'The correct movements of the slapping technique can actually nicely sculpt the face.'
How to DIY it
After cleansing and exfoliating, dispense moisturizer or face oil onto your fingers.
Using firm but not painful pressure, 'slap' your hands in an upward motion, keeping your fingers loose. 'Using movements that are too intense can cause bruising, and this is obviously something we want to avoid,' Edyta says. Start near the jawline and work your way up to the cheeks.
Repeat until the product is absorbed.
Facial acupuncture
While you might already be familiar with—or even a fan of—traditional acupuncture, which involves needles inserted at shallow, strategic points of the body, its lesser-known counterpart is an acupuncture facial. That’s right: We’re talking needles in your face.
'Acupuncture works with lines of energy that run through your body, and all of those lines either start or end on the face—so it can be beneficial for overall balance and well-being,' says licensed massage therapist and esthetician Laura Conroy, who’s the director of education at The Well. When applied to the face, it can deliver skincare benefits, too. 'Needling certain points on the face can help address fine lines and wrinkles, help increase elasticity, and improve overall skin health over time,' she says.
After skin has been cleansed, lightly exfoliated, and massaged, says Conroy, the facial acupuncture begins; it usually involves needles in both the body and face to 'balance your energy,' she explains. You'll then wait 30 minutes for the acupuncture to do its thing.
How to DIY it
On either clean or moisturized skin, use the pads of your fingertips, and press on the center of the chin, halfway between your lips and the bottom of your chin.
Using your index fingers, repeat at the corners of the lips, at either side of the nose (where it meets your laugh lines), and on your third eye, which is directly between the brows.
Use your fingers to apply upward pressure along the cheekbones and at the inner edge, middle, and ends of the brows. Do all the above for several seconds each.
Fascial facework
A fascial facial is kind of like foam-rolling but for your face. First, let’s talk fascia itself, which is comprised of collagen and elastin. 'It’s the scaffolding that weaves throughout the body,' says Lauren Roxburgh, a personal trainer, bodywork practitioner, and fascia expert. 'Think of it as this cotton web that sits right under the skin and also wraps around the muscles.' Sandwiched between the dermis (the lower layer of skin) and the muscles, this matrix is closely intertwined with the lymph system, the nervous system, and the endocrine system, she says.
From a beauty perspective, 'if you have knots or build-up, it decreases the blood circulation and lymph flow—and your ability to produce collagen,' says Roxburgh. Massaging the fascia involves putting pressure on it, which is a super-important step. Unlike acupressure, which applies pressure to individual points of the face, fascial massage is all about the lifting and smoothing strokes—think gua sha, but without the tool.
'When you release the pressure, the fresh, oxygenated blood is going to come back into the area,' says Roxburgh, who notes that this blood can help supply fresh nutrients to keep your collagen-producing cells chugging.
Roxburgh recommends doing it first thing in the morning, after applying serums and using a face oil.
How to DIY it
Starting in the center of your face, use your fingers to apply pressure as you move them across your face, holding them at the outer points for several seconds. 'It’s going to help feed it to the lymph nodes,' she says. With each movement, you should flush it out from the ears to the jawline.
Beginning from the outer corners of the nostrils, move your fingers around the eyes and up under the eyebrows, and out to the ears.
Repeat from the centre of your forehead to the temples.
Repeat from the outer corners of the nostrils directly out over your cheekbones and towards your ears. Then, from the outer corners of the mouth, moving over the cheeks and towards the ears.
What not do when performing a facial massage:
Avoid tugging or pulling at the skin, and always use a serum, oil, or hydrating and balancing toner to allow for a smooth glide, says Dr. Rubin.
If you have any broken skin, including a pimple or open sore, do not massage over it. Instead, Dr. Ciraldo recommends applying Aquaphor Healing Ointment to the affected area.
Do not apply excessive pressure, says Dr. Ciraldo. Pressing harder on your face will *not* speed up results and may even cause sensitivity or bruising.
How often should you get a facial massage?
There’s no hard and fast rule, but Dr. Ciraldo suggests a few times per week. 'If you see benefits from facial massage, and I find this is most commonly seen in younger women up to late forties, you can do it once or twice a week,' she explains. That said, if you find your face is particularly puffy in the morning, you can do a gentle face massage daily to improve the lymphatic flow and circulation to reduce puffiness, adds Dr. Rubin.
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