I love nothing more than skincare treatments that reduce wrinkles, keep us looking lifted, AND benefit the overall health of our skin and body. Utilizing specialty kinesiology tape made for facial application is one of the ways that we can treat the overall health of our skin and receive anti-aging benefits. Face tape application can also be helpful for opening nasal passageways and the release of jaw/neck tension.

So what is face tape and why are we all of a sudden hearing about it more and more?

scrub me secret: A rising topic in the beauty and wellness community is the side effects some are having from getting Botox often, or for a number of years. While it is not common to have intense side effects from Botox injections, some experience muscle weakness, allergic reactions, difficulty swallowing, and overall fatigue.

Face taping: a natural alternative to Botox

There are a few different ways to prevent and reduce wrinkles without using Botox or other injectables. Using special kinesiology tapes or Japanese Kinesio tapes is one way you can get rid of lines and wrinkles you already have or keep your skin wrinkle-free for longer.

As long as you choose the correct kind of tape this is a safe for your skin and safe for your body beauty treatment

(I like Japanese Tape from The Natural Faces and Kinesiology Face Tape from Wild Ice but there are other good ones)

How do face tapes work for anti-aging?

It’s easy to think that we are using these face tapes to physically tape back, and lift away our wrinkles. But that’s not what we want to do! Face tapes work by adhering to our skin’s outer layers of tissue and lifting it away from the muscles etc on the inside. This lifting of tissues allows for better oxygen flow, lymphatic flow, and circulation. That’s how applying facial tapes to your skin can provide anti-aging benefits that result in firmer, plump, healthy-looking skin. Facial tapes also help with superficial expression lines by helping your skin rest in a smooth state; this is especially helpful if you apply your facial tapes for everyday house chores or a work-from-home day (times when you would normally express with your forehead or eyes without thinking about it).

scrub me secret: You can use facial tape for health-related purposes like to ease jaw pain by lessening muscle tension, boosting blood circulation, and supporting the joint in your jaw to help reduce discomfort. You can also improve sinus drainage by taping around the sinuses

How to use face tapes for wrinkles

So now that we know the science behind why facial tapes work for anti-aging and skin health we can talk about how exactly to use them to reduce and/or prevent wrinkles.

1. Choose an area that you would like to treat. Forehead, eyes, around the mouth, neck, jawline, or just for an overall small lift are all options.

2. You will need to cut your facial tape into certain strips and using scissors. Different parts of the face will require you to cut strips in various sizes. You will learn this while watching a video tutorial.

   scrub me secret: you will always be instructed to round the corners of your tape, using your scissors. Don’t skip this step because this is what makes the face tape stay on.

3. Once you have chosen the areas you would like to treat use a trusted resource to follow a tutorial on the correct application. Each area will require a specific way to apply your facial tapes. I have linked 2 resources below.

4. When you apply your facial tape you will apply it to the specific area and then rub over the tape with your fingertips to make sure it is fully applied

5. Remember, you are not using the face tape to “stretch” or “pull back” your skin. Simply hold your skin taught and then apply the face tape to the area you would like.

6. Let the facial tapes sit on your face for 4-10 hours or overnight. I like to apply facial tapes for a long road trip or overnight.

7. Remove the facial tapes correctly to support the health of your skin. (see details below)

Best Practices for incorporating face taping into your skincare routine:

Here are 2 resources I have learned a lot about face-taping from:

• NOY Face Aesthetic Taping Class: In this class, I learned the science behind the function of face tapes plus various applications for anti-aging.

• The Natural Face Bible has an Instagram page with so many helpful face tape tutorials and information as well as a website with tutorials and a place to shop for the Japanese Kinesio tape.

Below are a few charts I made to show some of my favorite easy face-tape applications that I find to help reduce and prevent wrinkles and sagging.

If you are comfortable with facial tapes or have followed a taping tutorial before, feel free to use these charts. If not, I suggest first checking out one or both of the links above.

Safe methods for applying and removing facial tape

scrub me secret: not all kinesiology tape is for facial use. Actually, most of it is not. Make sure you are getting a tape that is made for your face. Body tape adheres too much to your skin and it's difficult to remove without damaging your skin.

Removing face tape takes special care. Pulling facial tapes off incorrectly can result in skin damage, which is the opposite of your goal.

Here is the best way to remove your facial tapes ⤵️

• Get your fingertips or a clean cloth wet with warm water and wet your facial tapes. Saturate them fully with warm water before removal

• Use one hand to keep your skin taught while you peel the tape off

• Never pull the tape upwards or outwards while peeling it off, keep it close to your skin as you peel. Or you can roll it off.

• You can apply facial oil to make your face tape removal easier

What to remember before applying your facial tapes ⤵️

• Always apply tape to a clean face

• If your skin is sensitive, do a patch test of face tape somewhere on your neck or jawline before applying it all over your face

• Don’t use your face tapes to “pull” or “stretch” your skin. Use them correctly to create enriched circulation and oxygen flow in your skin’s tissues

Potential side effects of using face tape

Most side effects happen when you use your facial tapes incorrectly. There is the possibility that you can be allergic to any of the ingredients in the facial tape, which is why I suggest doing a patch test first. The facial tapes I linked earlier in this blog are made using hypoallergenic adhesive.

Damage like inflammation, sensitivity, broken capillaries, or bruising can happen if you peel your face tapes off at an incorrect angle or without using water or oil to assist. That’s why it is important to follow the proper protocol of removing your tapes.

scrub me secret: we don’t want to use facial tapes over open wounds or active acne. As we don’t want to cause further injury to the skin or spread bacteria.

I feel a face-taping video tutorial coming soon! There is a specific application that I love for overall regeneration and a little bit of a lift. I’ll make a tutorial video for that face tape application plus more.