Why You Should Use Facial Massage

by: IanRichards
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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.

Implementing a good facial massage routine will really help the blood circulation to the face, bringing it oxygenated blood and taking away the nasty toxins which will then give you the glow of healthy looking skin. Did you know that around half of the lymph glands are situated in the neck area? Getting all that great blood surging around the face will help your lymph glands to wash away the toxins and improve your immune system at the same time.

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.

When it comes to the ageing process, there are different process that affect it. The older we get, the quicker we loose skin cells. A child's may a hundred days but that will drop to around 50 in later life. The elastin goes, affecting the collagen and in the hypodermis the fatty tissue goes and the water content is reduced with the overall effect of giving flattened, ageing and dry skin. Our face with its repertoire of scowling, frowning, smiling and laughing will develop the lines we know as wrinkles. These are further enhanced by exposure to the sun, air pollution, smoking and even a poor diet, so it really makes sense to start your facial massage as soon as possible.

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.

Although massaging your face will have some effect, if you do it too hard it will be a detrimental one, a more systematic approach will give the skin a real boost. We have all heard about acupuncture, that Eastern traditional medical practice of inserting needles to restore ones health. Well a facial massage that incorporates these points will give a real boost to the effects on your skin. It is called Acupoint facial massage and you only need to gently rub on these points to get the effect needed. These points are connected to the meridians of the body where the energy or Qi flows. Massaging will stimulate these points and, as well as improving the blood flow, will unblock and stimulate the Qi as well.

To further increase the effectiveness of your acupoint facial massage, try essential oils which can assist in repairing and nourishing the skin. Essentials oils should always be added to what is known as a carrier oil, these are vegetable based oils such as olive, almond, grape seed and wheat germ and will also have a healing effect on the skin. You can add up to four different essential oils to the carrier but do not exceed ten drops in total as they are quite strong. Always apply just a little drop to the skin first, especially if you suffer a lot from allergies. It is not advisable to use essential oils in the first few months of pregnancy so consult your doctor before using them.

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.

About the Author

The Author, Ian Richards would like to invite you to discover more articles on women's issues. The above resources will help you make your mind up regarding facial massage and its usefulness.  

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