Aging Gracefully with Facial Massage
Recently, one of my new facial clients asked me what my favorite treatments for anti-aging were and what I would suggest for her skin. I started talking to her about how I like to use gua sha and other facial massage for anti-aging and skin improvements. She was surprised that my initial inclination wasn’t to suggest treatments such as chemical peels, injectables, laser, or microneedling for best anti-aging results. I explained that facial massage treatments are my go-to treatments for lifting our face/neck, creating natural collagen and elastin production, ironing out fine lines, and smoothing wrinkles because I love how the treatments give us natural, visible results that also contribute to the overall health of our skin and body.
scrub me secret: Now don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of treatments I like for helping my skin stay firm and youthful looking and age in a graceful way. I love red LED and infrared light therapy as well as nano-needling and microneedling. But I would say when it comes to treating my skin 80% of it is facial massage and the other 20% is the other treatments.
Face massage [anti-aging] facts ⤵️
The lymphatic brushes
Massaging the skin boosts circulation, giving the skin the nutrients it needs to stay healthy, firm, and radiant.
Facial massage can be performed using your hands, a gua sha tool, or other tools like facial cups, rollers, or a lymphatic drainage brush.
scrub me secret: The lymphatic brush is a newer massage tool that an educator of mine (cecily braden) created. this is a super soft brush with densely packed bristles that is used to perform massage that focuses on moving, manipulating, and draining lymphatic fluid. its a great massage for overall health and esthetic benefits.
Great circulation boosts oxygen flow in the skin which helps it heal faster and better maintain the health of collagen and elastin proteins.
Face massage has the ability to create lymphatic movement and drainage, helping to detox the skin. This results in a clearer complexion and less puffiness.
We can release tight facial muscles using facial massage. Tight facial muscles can result in discomfort, TMJ, and facial sagging. Releasing these gives us the ability to lift the lower face and around the mouth.
Face massage has been practiced for thousands of years. To me, that’s proof it’s working!
Left: Me when I was 25 and using skincare but NO face massage. Right: Me at 32 years old. I’ve been utilizing face massage consistently for about 4 years.
Why I incorporate face massage into my skincare routine:
Since the beginning of my career as an esthetician, I have always been drawn to more holistically based skin care treatments. My dry skin tends to look dull so the idea of massaging my skin to boost circulation/oxygen flow to create radiance really appealed to me.
As I learned more about face massage I loved how I was able to contour and lift my face and neck using just my hands, facial oil, and a few gua sha tools. As I age I ideally would like to keep my skin wrinkle-free and lifted-looking for as long as possible, but I want to do this in a way that feels right for me. I want to always look like myself and I understand that over time my face will change with age, I’m okay with that. As long as my skin looks healthy and my collagen and elastin are there I think I’ll feel good! Botox, fillers, other injectables, and invasive treatments don’t feel like something I want to use personally. I have found that face massage allows me to focus on the health of my skin while helping me look and feel naturally beautiful. That’s what aging gracefully is all about to me.
scrub me secret: my main area of concern that I focus on is lifting my lower face, neck, and around my mouth area. everyone has their specific places they want to see improvement 😊
Types of facial massage treatments that give your skin visible results:
Let’s age gracefully together! These facial massage treatments yield excellent results and are some of my favorite to perform ✨
Gua sha facial massage - A type of massage using various shaped stones. These stones are used with precision and with great technique to create a firmer, more contoured, lifted, youthful face.
Herbal poultice facial massage - Facial massage using a small ball that is packed with herbs, then soaked in water and steamed. This warm ball of herbs is massaged over the face and neck in different sequences to create nutrient flow and release that results in really luminous, clear skin.
Buccal facial massage - This is a special type of facial massage where the inner and outer parts of your mouth are massaged to release tight jaw muscles and other facial tension. This type of facial massage is also really helpful for sculpting the lower face.
Myofascial facial massage - This facial massage is usually performed using hands and a technique that applies pressure to release tension in the fascia - the connective tissue that surrounds your facial muscles. This massage aims to improve circulation, reduce puffiness, and potentially soften the appearance of wrinkles.
Lymphatic drainage facial massage - Lymphatic massage works to manipulate the lymphatic fluids in our face, neck, and body. When done correctly, lymphatic drainage can clear away lymph fluid that carries toxins and help your lymphatic system function more efficiently. Results from lymphatic drainage are less puffiness, less redness, and a more even-looking complexion.
Or a combo of all of the above! - I love combining different facial massage techniques. For a lot of my clients, I do a combo of gua sha, herbal poultice, and lymphatic drainage.