Why 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.

Doing facial exercises will be able to kick start your circulation, and bring a glow to your face which indicates that the blood is now flowing at a good rate, which in turn allows your lymphatic system to start getting rid of those nasty toxins. This will improve your immune system giving you a much healthier complexion. As approximately half of all lymph glands are sited in your neck area, it is really important to get the facial tissues' blood flow working properly.

Skin is made up of three layers, the epidermis at the top, the dermis and hypodermis and its main functions, apart from keeping all your blood and organs in are protection against infection by micro-organisms and injury, regulating the body's temperature and the nicest, receiving sensations. The epidermis is our protector, its only other function is to allow water evaporation. They cells are constantly being renewed as the old ones fall off. The dermis is the really active part, it contains collagen, elastin, capillaries (small blood vessels), nerve endings and the tops of the sweat and sebaceous glands. This layer secretes, circulates, feels and helps to regulate the bodys' temperature. The final layer is made up of fatty tissue where the bases of the hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous glands live. The water content is also quite high in this layer. Although the structure is the same all over the body, it has variations depending on the location and its function there. Think of the soles of your feet, no hair or sweat glands and much thicker. The face has a number of important functions; it monitors temperature and atmospheric conditions, is connected to a lot of different muscles for non-verbal communications and is quite sensitive to the touch for pleasure.

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.

The bodys' reaction to squeezing and pressing is to get red which means that the blood is flowing into the area. When this happens, it starts to bring more oxygenated blood which is really beneficial to your skin. This, in a more gentler way, is what happens when you have a facial massage. The act of massage will promote the blood flow with the added bonus of stimulating the lymphatic system to drain away the toxins which leads to a healthier looking skin.

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.

Providing you are hitting the right places, a gentle pressure will be all that is needed. There are many fine books around that will give diagrams, one of the best is Pierre, Jean Cousins' Facelift At Your Fingertips. Not only will you will you find great diagrams but he has a lot of information on using essential oils as well. The combination of a regular acupoint facial massage and your usual beauty routine will certainly start to give you younger looking skin. Maybe your mirror will become your best friend again.

About the Author

The Author, Ian Richards would like to invite you to discover further information on women's issues. The above resources will help you make your opinion regarding facial massage and its benefits.  

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