CHARLOTTE – My interest was piqued when I read a recent article proclaiming facial massage has all sorts of benefits. I looked for studies, which sadly are few and far between, but I am breaking down the claims to see if they’re true.
- Improved circulation – yes, this is being studied and rings true. Touch that manipulates the skin will help increase blood flow to the face. Look at the redness sparked when you start to rub your skin.
- Reduction of wrinkles – hmmm. I can’t find any solid evidence of this but I suppose if you start to relax and destress the face BEFORE you get wrinkles then that may be where this claim is coming from. I do notice that when I get regular massage on my face, the fine lines do seem to diminish. That could be because I am working on the fascia, which in turn helps with wrinkles and helps with getting lymph and fresh blood to all parts of the face.
- Increased collagen production – this was the most interesting claim and appealed the most to me. Collagen production tends to surprisingly, in your twenties. Ultimately this causes thinner, drier skin with loss of elasticity. I did find proclamations where collagen can be increased by manual massage in the face and one study in the United Kingdom supports this claim.
- What does this mean for you? I’d say, try it. If you notice improvement in your skin then you are the study and your results are what matter.
