The Science behind the 'Natural Face Lift'

A Natural Facelift?

The popularity of fascia massage techniques has steadily flourished in social media outlets as a noninvasive and natural method to achieve a temporary face lift. 

myfascial facial massage to relieve tension and promote natural face lifting

While myofascial massage techniques have been in practice for decades to release muscle tension, relieve pain, increase blood flow and provide lymphatic drainage,  the antiaging, cosmetic benefits of cheek lifting and reduced facial sagging induced by facial massage procedures were more recently investigated in a series of studies led by Japanese skin research teams to answer the question: 

Does routine facial massage yield face lifting benefits?

These studies provide scientific support for the facial sculpting benefits following massage using a combination of techniques such as photographic evaluation and computed tomography (CT). 

Nishimura and colleagues (2017) demonstrated changes in the shape and coordinates of the nasolabial folds, the lower and upper lateral cheeks, the lower eyelid and the jaws. CT scans also confirmed changes in the underlying facial skin architecture, including the fat tissues and the facial expression muscles.

Malar fat pads, CT scan

Zhang and colleagues (2019) examined the facial reshaping outcomes for a group of eight women in their forties. Following one hour of facial massage, the authors concluded that facial swelling was eliminated to produce a ‘lift up’ of the facial coordinates.

Okuda and colleagues (2022) quantitatively measured the facial sculpting benefits resulting from a twice daily facial massage procedure using CT as an endpoint measure. Their findings included the following measurable results:

  1. Malar tops of nine cheeks  were shifted cranially by 2.7+/- 1.44 mm
  2. Significant height increase of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system 37.8 +/- 13.57mm to 38.7 +/- 13.75 mm.

These scientific studies utilizing precision instrumentation to quantitatively substantiate the massage-induced face lifting result offer a glimpse of the benefits offered by integrating routine facial massage into one’s self care routine.

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