Every client who walks through the doors of your spa wants to leave with healthy, glowing skin. As a skincare professional, it’s your job to complete a skin analysis and determine which products and techniques are best suited to the client’s skin. Through a visual analysis and by asking questions, you’ll gain an understanding of your client’s primary skin concerns and can work with them to reach their skin goals.
Though professional products are the workhorses of any facial, they must be administered with proper technique to achieve the maximum benefit. If you don’t already incorporate facial massage into your treatments, you should start thinking about it.
Here’s what you need to know about facial massage and how it can help your clients achieve youthful, radiant skin.
What is Facial Massage?
A facial massage is simply a massage administered to the skin and tissues of the face. It can be performed by hand or with a tool like a jade roller or massage crystal. Facial massage typically involves gentle strokes, tapping, pinching, and kneading to boost blood flow and ease tension in the face.
Below is a great example of a facial massage being incorporated into a professional facial.
Benefits of Facial Massage
Facial massage is simple to perform and even easier to incorporate into professional facial treatments.
It’s best to perform a facial massage with some kind of facial oil or moisturizer to reduce friction. When administered two to three times a week, facial massages have the potential to help tone the facial muscles and improve overall skin health—giving the recipient a youthful glow.
Additional benefits of facial massage include the following:
- Relieves tension from the face. Many people don’t realize how much tension they hold in their face. Stress, exhaustion, and mental focus creates tension in the forehead and eye area which can contribute to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. Facial massage can help release that tension and tone the facial muscles.
- Creates a glowing complexion. When the skin receives enough oxygen, it helps support collagen production and skin cell growth. The result is smoother, more radiant skin.
- Increases lymphatic drainage. Toxins can accumulate within the skin from environmental factors and everyday life. Those toxins contribute to common skin issues like breakouts, puffiness, and fine lines. Facial massage helps boost blood flow and stimulate lymphatic drainage, helping to flush toxins to keep your skin healthy.
- Reduces puffiness through increased circulation. There’s nothing better than a massage to get the blood flowing. Increased circulation means more oxygen and nutrients are being delivered to your skin which can deflate puffiness and help even skin tone.
- Improves product absorption. Facial massage is a wonderful technique to use when applying skin products like serum or moisturizer. Massage increases absorption by the skin and it adds a relaxing element to a daily skincare routine or professional facial.
- May improve acne scars. Clients struggling with acne scars may also find that facial massage delivers some improvement. Massaging the face helps increase blood flow and loosen the tissue to speed the healing process.
Though there are certainly benefits to incorporating facial massage into professional treatments (and even everyday life) it’s highly important to perform it correctly.
Facial Massage Techniques
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There are plenty of ways to administer facial massage and it’s easy to customize the treatment to the client’s needs. For optimal benefits, spend at least 5 minutes on facial massage, though you could easily make it the focus of a targeted treatment for 30 or even 60 minutes. The specifics will depend on the treatment being performed as well as the individual needs on your client.
Try these facial massage techniques:
- Starting at the chin and moving toward the forehead, use the palms and fingertips to massage the sides of the face.
- Rub the fingers over the temples in a circular motion – you can also administer this technique to the skin under the earlobes.
- Use the thumb and forefinger to gently pinch the eyebrows, starting at the outer corner of the eyes and working your way in.
- Press the fingertips into the skin between the brows then glide them up toward the hairline and out to the temples.
- Press the knuckles into the skin, moving from the sides of the nose, across the cheeks to the ears.
- Press the outside of the pinky fingers into the neck, moving from top to bottom in a smooth motion.
- Use the fingertips to gently tap the skin of the face then gently pinch the fleshy areas of tissue.
Facial massage is an incredibly beneficial technique to have in your arsenal and it deserves a place of honor on your spa menu. Incorporate this technique into classic facials or offer it as an add-on for other treatments. Your clients will find it very relaxing and they’re sure to be pleased with the results.