A facial massage is the best way to give some much-needed 'tender loving care' to your face. This is gaining more popularity, and there are several facial massage techniques that are used in the beauty world. Use facial massage techniques to provide much-needed relief to your face and feel the energy coursing through you.
Have you ever looked in the mirror and been greeted with a very pale and sallow reflection? Have you felt that your skin has lost its sheen and luminance? There is a high possibility that sometime or the other you have experienced this situation.
This effect can be brought about by age and tension. So, what then? How do you correct it? Simple. Go for a facial massage therapy.
This therapy will help in effective blood circulation, such that the blood starts flowing back to the face. This will help regain the lost color and bring about a visible change in the appearance. To achieve this, there are several facial massage techniques that you can choose from. Some are given here.
Step-by-step Guide for a Facial Massage
Let us review some of the easiest and most effective massage techniques:
◐ Use the index finger and middle finger for this technique. Place the middle finger under the jawline while the index finger rests on top of the jawline. Then slide the finger from the jawline till the ears, using a very firm grip.
◐ Take some oil (vegetable or nut) onto your palms. Apply this to your neck and face using long, outward, and upward sweeping movements. Apply very little around the eyes, and massage using only the ring fingers of both hands.
◐ Massage your neck by using both hands alternately. Slide them upwards from the base of the neck to the jaw line. Turn the hands lightly over the neck and windpipe. This should be done from ear to ear.
◐ Hold your hands in together, with the fingers clasped and pointing towards the forehead over your nose. Then press for 4-5 seconds and release. Repeat 7- 8 times.
◐ Put your fingers together and using your whole hand start applying pressure on the left side of the neck with the right hand. Start from the base of the neck and go till the jawline. Then repeat on the other side switching hands.
▶ Different Massage Techniques
Head Tap
Tap the scalp and forehead with your fingers (as if drumming the table). This will increase blood flow and help you relax.
Forehead Massage
Clasp the fingers together over your forehead with the index finger right on top of the others. Then in a smooth movement, take the hands up to the hairline in a firm lifting movement. Repeat this 5-8 times.
Eye Massage
Fold both hands into a fist at the eye level. Then place the thumb on the cheekbones. Start at the nose bridge and draw the knuckles of the index finger over the eyebrows in an arc. Then get them down from the outer portion of the eye. Repeat this same action but this time under the eye. Do this 8-10 times.
Cheek Palming
Place both hands over the cheekbones. From cheekbones till the mouth, draw the palms down and continue till bottom of the jawbone. Then draw along the same jawline till the ears and down to the cheekbones again. Repeat this cycle 8-10 times.
Mouth Exercises
You can do some mouth exercises to tighten the area. Smile widely 5-6 times. This stretches the muscles. Then look up towards the ceiling and just open and close your mouth several times. This helps in relaxing the jawline and tightening the neck.
You can also puff your mouth with air, this will help increase the blood circulation.
Throat Strokes
Gently pinch the area over the throat and collarbone. Make sure you don't do it too hard.
Ear Swipes
Simply massage the entire ear using your thumb and two fingers. Start at the top and continue till the lobe. Use as much pressure as you are comfortable with. Do this 5-6 times and end by giving the lobe a gentle pull. You can even use oil for this.
Japanese Massage Techniques
◐ It is the most effective Japanese facial massage technique. It does not just focus on the face alone, but includes the entire body.
◐ The most important thing in this technique is the pressure that is applied. This massage is administered by a professional who has trained in it. It is not possible to give this massage to yourself. The therapist will not only massage you but also transfer his positive energy to the patient.
◐ Shiatsu massage focuses on the neck and shoulders because these are the areas that harbor most of the body's tension and stiffness.
The therapist will start off at the shoulders and neck and then move on to the back, hands and legs. The methods used in this technique are pounding, kneading, stretching, and manipulation.