Massaging the face is essential for youthful looking skin especially for the 40 and above. An effective way to counter wrinkles, massaging is a slow process and its results are obvious only if it is continued for a period of time.
It is not a magic potion which can bring a change overnight and one has to be patient with it.
However, there is no doubt that massage reduces unattractive fleshiness, tightens facial tissues and muscles and increases blood circulation.
Once you have lines and wrinkles, you can only get rid of them by plastic surgery. Massage and facial exercises can help prevent new lines from forming but cannot remove the old ones already on the face.
By toning up the muscles and nourishing them, you can prevent new lines and wrinkles from forming.
Remember, whether you have a lumpy, flabby, withered or sallow skin, your face can regain the appearance of youth under the action of your own fingers.
Lines and wrinkles usually appear on the forehead, temples, eyes, nose, cheeks, chin and mouth.
Facial exercise protects facial muscles from slacking. Even if you are very good looking and young, as time passes your facial muscles will become loose, slack and creepy.
If you are young and smart and beautiful, doing facial exercise will prevent you from the slackness of face muscles when you grow old and if you are an old aged person then this will minimize the plasticity of you face muscles.
Facial exercise will make your face skin wrinkle free and shiny. This will tone your facial skin and give you a youthful look. At the same time, after performing the exercise, you will feel calm and relaxed
Massage is effective only if the skin is clear. Do not forget to remove all traces of make-up otherwise skin pores will be blocked by particles of dirt. All blackheads should be removed.
If the skin is oily, then remove oiliness by applying cleansing milk. Fresh lemon juice is also very effective in removing excess oiliness. If skin is dry, use a good moisturizer before massaging it.
If the skin is oily, it is advisable to use some astringent lotion. Apply Vitamin E cream before a massage, but the quantity of this cream should be enough only to give sufficient greasiness to the skin so that the hands and fingers move smoothly on the face.
After having cleaned the skin, press it with light but firm fingers, putting a little pressure while applying a good cream. Trained fingers can hold the skin firmly and apply even pressure.
With the passage of time, visible defects like wrinkles, flabbiness and dead cells are greatly reduced and a fresh and young look is restored.
Massage should start from the neck upwards and end at the forehead or temples because all veins and tissues get an increased blood supply by this process.
The skin around the eyes is delicate. So it is advisable to apply cream on this part without pressing it. Cream takes 15 to 20 minutes to get absorbed by the skin, so massage should continue that long.
Wipe off extra cream with a cotton wool swab soaked in water, preferably rose water.
The best time to massage the face is before going to bed.
Art of Massaging
- Slow Massage – This is the most common method of massage. The secret is to massage slowly and patting/vibrating the skin. Using the fleshy part of your fingertips, press the skin lightly but firmly. The process starts at the base of the neck at a slow speed. The speed increases as the fingers move upwards. Stroking gives rest to the nerves and the vibration is useful in subduing pain that might be caused by massaging.
- Fast Massage – The front half of both the palms are used to massage at speed, taking care to make a circular motion upwards.
- Pressure Massage – This is a method when pressure is applied by finger-tips. This is effective for removing pouches beneath eyes.
- Stroking Massage – Chubby cheeks are stroked with the tips of fingers. If the nose is broad, strokes are applied from the nose to the temples on both sides.
- Pinching Massage – the skin is held, as in pincers, between the thumb and fingers. Such a massage is effective for a double chin and wrinkles on the jaw.
- Friction Massage – The movement requires pressure on the skin while it is being moved over the underlying structures. Fingers or palms are employed in this movement. Hard movements are usually employed on the scalp while light movements are used on the face especially on the neck.
- Piano Playing Movements – This exercise develops facial muscles and makes them firm. It should be done on the entire face, especially the cheek area, with your fingers. The movements must be supple yet brisk.
Facial Massage for Acne Treatment
Facial Massaging combined with proper diet and common-sense tips, there will be a drastic improvement in your skin condition.
Facial Massaging Steps:
- Wash your hands, especially your fingertips, thoroughly.
- Now with your thumbs firmly gripping your jaw-line, proceed to pressing with the free four fingers the upper jaw line working from the center outwards. Do 2-3 sets pressing firmly.
- Now press the areas directly above the jaw line in the same center-going- outwards-direction firmly 2-3 times.
- Do this working upwards till you reach the forehead line. If done correctly you should see little specks of dead skin on your face.
- In a feathery motion, pinch at the entire face for as long as you desire (1-2 minutes) using all the free fingers in firm actions grasping the skin.
- Now, in a downward-scraping motion using the finger tips, rub the jugular veins located at the sides of the neck (6-8) times, and then massage the outer part of the chest right next to the armpits in a firm circular motion ensuring you breathe deeply as well. According to the Egyptians this simple procedure has a marked effect on alleviating bags and crow’s feet from the eyes and directing the flow of toxins away from the face.
- Wash your hands with soap and rinse the face with cool water only-gently but firmly.
- Wipe your face dry with a paper towel or a towel you use only for your face and nothing else. Keep this towel in an exclusive location and wash it every other day.
Now, for an external acne treatment regimen, this procedure is quite effective.
Combined with such internal acne treatment procedures based on a proper diet of your Juicy fruits, some roots and leafy vegetables and if desired but highly recommended, occasional juice fasts or exclusive mono-meals of seasonal fruits.
Facial massaging will be very useful as a means of controlling acne and delaying facial aging as apparent in crow’s feet and wrinkles from the outside.
When performed correctly, it does enhance facial tone and structure not unlike costly plastic surgery. So, put your fingers to work and lovingly massage and sculpt your face with facial massaging while all the while becoming acne free starting today.
