Are you one of those people who think that facial massage is for other people and not you? Lets face it, when you look in the mirror in the morning, do you recognise yourself? Can that pale, creased, puffy person looking back, really be yourself? How did you end up looking like this? Well don’t worry, the creases will have come from the folds in your pillow but the rest is down to the natural circulation slow down that occurs during sleep. During the night, the body slows down, the heart rate decreases which means that the blood flow decreases. The lymph glands are responsible for getting rid of the toxins in the body and they rely on the blood circulation to transport it. As the blood flow has diminished, so the toxins have built up, which accounts for the bad looks. It is not only sleep that can slow down your circulation, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, pollution and shallow breathing can affect it, thus also interrupting the draining of toxins.
You need to get that blood flowing so you should commence your facial exercises straight away. As you start bringing the new blood to the skin, so it will start to flush away the toxins. Waking up the lymph nodes, half of which are situated in the neck, which also is a boost for your immune system. You will be surprised at the difference it will make, not only will you start looking good but you will be feeling good as well.
To understand the ageing process you need to know a little about the skin. It is built from three layers which are called the epidermis, dermis and hyhypodermis. The dermis is the layer we all see, its role is to protect and allow water evaporation to cool us down. Under this lies the dermis, the work horse of the skin. It is packed with collagen and elastin to give the skin its structure and stretch and it houses the tiny blood vessels and nerve endings. It also has the tops of the sweat and sebaceous glands and it is this layer that regulates the bodys’ temperature. The final layer is the hypodermis which consists of fatty tissue and water and has the bottom of the sweat and sebaceous glands in it. It is from this layer that the fatty deposits leave as you get older, giving the skin its flattish look. Even though the skin is the same construction all over the body, it has different variations in specific parts. The finger tips, for instance have a higher number of nerve endings to assist the sense of touch. Facial skin is connected to a larger number of muscles than anywhere else in the body to facilitate non verbal communication. It is also quite sensitive and is important for monitoring the ambient temperature and humidity.
As the skin ages, it is affected in many different ways. Firstly, at the cell level, the life span shortens, from around 100 days when you are a child to only 48 days as an adult. The different layers start to change with the elastin in the dermis gradually disappearing, disrupting the collagen and flattening the skin Slowly the hypodermis loses a lot of its water content and the fatty tissue reduces. This gives a lack of tone and elasticity to the skin. The action of the facial muscles begin to crease the skin, how we smile, scowl, frown and all our other facial expressions that we use every day will create the face map. On top of that smoking. diet, stress, pollution and sunbathing will add to the aging process.
You will get a good idea of what is happening when you give yourself a facial massage if you just squeeze or press an area of skin. Notice how it gets red? This is the increased blood flow surging into the area, bringing life giving oxygen to the skin and then removing the harmful toxins. Of course your facial massage will be gentler, but the effects will be the same. It will promote blood flow and stimulate the lymph glands to give your skin that healthy glow.
When giving yourself a facial massage, it is important that you do not press too hard, as this can have a detrimental effect on the skin, so a gentle touch is needed. To get the most out of your facial massage, concentrate on the acupoint areas of the face. These are the areas corresponding to the acupuncture points. Acupuncture, as everyone knows is the ancient form of healing, where needles are inserted into the skin. These points are situated along the meridians of the body where the energy, known as Qi flows. Stimulating these points in your massage will have the added effect of unblocking the negative energy as well as promoting blood flow.
The effectiveness of your acupoint facial massage can be enhanced by the use of essential oils which can assist in nourishing and repairing your skin. Never use these potent oils neat, they should always be mixed with a carrier oil which is normally plant based. Some are quite common, others more exotic but examples that you can used are wheat germ oil, almond oil, grape seed or even a cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Oils that are cold pressed retain a lot more of their goodness. It is possible to mix different essential oils but not more than four together, with the total number of drops not exceeding ten. People who suffer a lot with allergies should test a spot on the skin before using for the full massage, whilst women in the first half of their pregnancy should refrain from using them without consulting a doctor.
In order to be able to massage the correct areas, you will need a diagram of the face explaining the different points. A good example is Facelift At Your Fingertips by Pierre Jean Cousin which not only has excellent illustrations but also has a lot of information in the use of essential oils. Incorporating a good acupoint facial massage into your usual beauty routine will repay your effort tenfold. Now all you have to worry about is the jealous looks of your girl friends.