'Toning' (= strengthening) your face with massage and lymphatic drainage: what is it, what are the benefits and how do you do it. Some people tout this technique as their holy grail for fighting aging. You often read tempting claims about the massage technique such as shaping , sharpening ,rejuvenating . It sounds like music to the ears of a skin fanatic.
Including a facial massage in your daily beauty routine is supposed to give you a moment of well-being and reduce the sagging and swelling of the skin . Some like to use skin care while massaging, while others prefer a clean face. Some prefer to use additional tools (e.g. Gua Sha , Jade Roller ), but some also simply use their hands.
For our Nomige blog readers, we did some research to answer these questions in today's blog about facial massage.
WHY SHOULD I DO A FACIAL MASSAGE?
In 2014, Van Borsel et al. in Ghent, Belgium, reviewed several studies on the effectiveness of facial massage. Some of the observed effects in these studies were:
Reduction of wrinkles
Reduction of expression lines
Reduction of sagging facial skin
Improved facial symmetry
Improved sense of well-being
Improved sense of relief and relaxation
In general, it was found to reduce the signs of aging and provide a relaxing feeling. But the quality and amount of evidence was n't great at the time. It is still not the most studied field in the world of dermatology and cosmetics. For the critics among us, there are some new studies that give more confirmation to these claimed effects.
INCREASED BLOOD Circulation
Some of the benefits of facial massages are usually attributed to the increased blood flow that improves the supply of oxygen and nutrients to our cells. In 2018, a Japanese study showed that a 5-minute roller facial massage did indeed dilate blood vessels, which facilitates blood flow. That effect even lasted 10 minutes after the end of the massage.
They also stated that it didn't really matter how much pressure was applied to the skin or how often they went over the skin with the roller as long as the minimum of 5 min facial massage activity was respected. They also noted that the longer the massage was performed, the more this increased blood flow was stimulated.
LYMPH DRAINAGE
Lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage that targets the lymph node and is commonly known for 'detoxing' (removing junk from the body). These lymph nodes are crucial for the control of our body's immune system to eliminate pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
Lymphatic drainage massage can be done on both the face and body and aims to:
Improving lymph flow and increasing tissue detoxification .
Help with poor lymph circulation
Reduces swelling
Relieves allergies and sinus problems
Improving sleep
There are two types of lymphatic drainage massage, namely manual lymphatic drainage (requires professional personnel) and simple lymphatic drainage massage (can be performed at home) . These are different from the classic therapeutic massages because other types of movements are used. Harper's Bazaar mentions in an article that certain massage movements are used to achieve the previously listed results.
But in this modern age, we are not surprised that there is a more modern version on the market to let technology do the work, such as Lymphatic Enhancement Technology or LET which is performed by trained personnel in a beauty salon .
Scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of lymphatic drainage massage is still very scarce . Surely there is some information on the benefits of lymphatic drainage massage for the treatment of lymphedema and its ability to reduce fat mass in women dealing with cellulite .
LIFTING EFFECT
In 2017 , L'Oréal's Research and Innovation department conducted research into the effect of a vibration device and the anti-aging effect . They made the interesting observation that the use of this device in combination with anti-ageing creams (1) not only enhanced the anti-ageing results , but (2) also observed a significant reduction in skin sagging . This latter effect was not observed when the creams were used alone. Consumers also noticed a healthier, smoother and more lifting effect on the skin compared to using the cream alone.
REDUCE STRESS & ANXIETY
A remarkable observation was made in another Japanese study , where they found that a 45-minute facial massage can relieve feelings of psychological stress and anxiety .
CONCLUSION
This popular technique has sparked a lot of creativity in the beauty industry. Nowadays there are massage tools in all shapes and sizes. We have seen that scientific evidence to prove their effectiveness is still very sparse, but there is some confirmation of the benefits and more research to come in the future.
If you love experimenting with beauty and enjoy a moment of self-care, don't let it stop you from trying it out! Below we have listed our favorite & easy to use massage tools.
Gua Sha stone : The meaning behind the name is "Gua" means scrape and "Sha" means sand. You can get this item for 25€.
Jade roller : This very popular roller is made of a jade stone and is available for 35€.
NEWA : With the 3DEEP technology, this device will stimulate collagen production to increase the firmness of the skin. The NEWA package now has a price tag of 299€.
Stay tuned for our upcoming blogs where we will give you some easy steps to do a facial massage at home .
Do you want to know more about skin aging?
Skin aging is a very complex process that is influenced by both internal (your DNA) and external factors (such as sun, pollution, weather conditions, smoking, etc.). Every skin is unique and the same can be said of the skin aging process.
