Skin deep
Workouts: not just for your body. Like most 2022 skincare trends, this one took off during the lockdowns, when limited access to salons left us taking spa treatments and massages into our own hands. Some influencers documented their facial massage techniques on TikTok (if you’re a member of Gen Z) and Instagram (if you aren’t), with swipe-ups to buy their at-home tools.
The theory behind it? If you work out the muscles in your body, why wouldn’t you do the same for the ones that support your face? It’s thought that consistent ‘exercise’ of the (more than 40) muscles in your face can result in everything from more defined facial contours to a sculpted and lifted effect (specifically in the lower half of your face).
Meanwhile, increasing blood flow to the area is believed to boost the skin’s radiance. Small surprise, then, that the first thing on the to-do list for many salons upon reopening was adding facial yoga massage to their menus. And, never one to miss a trick, the beauty tech industry wasn’t far behind; you can now buy products designed to lift and sculpt the face, at price points from affordable to... less so. But does any of it actually work?
As yet, there’s no scientific evidence to say that facial fitness can offer anything beyond a temporary lifting effect. That said, we do know that massage promotes blood flow by stimulating and improving circulation. We also know that massage is an extremely effective cortisol calmer. This is key because anything that can make someone feel like they’re taking some time out for themselves is a good thing. Beyond relaxation, facial massage can provide temporary relief from temporomandibular joint dysfunction (also known as TMJ), whereby problems occur between the jaw joints and surrounding facial muscles; this can alleviate tension around the jaw.
My take? While facial fitness can offer a temporary ‘toning’ effect – by which I mean the skin appears lifted – I’d take claims of long-term ‘lifting’ benefits with a pinch of salt. If a permanent lifting and contouring of the facial muscles is your goal, the only route is surgery – although anti-wrinkle injections and hyaluronic acid fillers can also help to define and sculpt the face. The results from these are immediate and have a much longer lasting effect than massage (typical
