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By: @drmelissacugliari
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Buccal Massage is a massage technique that helps to release tension within the muscles of the face. It can promote relaxation, facilitate lymphatic drainage, decrease puffiness, sculpt the face, stimulate circulation and cellular healing, reduce pain in conditions like temporomandibular joint disorder (often referred to as TMJ), and ultimately promote a more youthful, radiant, and plump appearance.Â
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This treatment involves strategically massaging the muscles of the face, specifically the tissues on the surface of the face and from within the mouth. A trained professional will have a gloved hand with one to two fingers inside the mouth while the rest of the hand is massaging the face from the outside.Â
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Buccal massage is a wonderful addition to any skincare routine to promote healthy skin and graceful aging. The muscles that underlie the skin influence how one’s face appears and how well the blood and lymph can circulate to the tissues. The better the circulation, the healthier the cells, and the more radiant and youthful the skin. The tighter the muscles, the more dull, wrinkled, or imbalanced the skin may appear. By releasing and toning the facial muscles, buccal massage can improve the health of your skin as an organ overall.Â
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It is important to note that these facial muscles are used to express emotions - emotions are literally worn on the face. Over a lifetime, different emotional patterns can be noted on the face based on the way it ages. A face can show us not only how someone currently feels, but which emotions have dominated throughout his or her lifetime.Â
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The beauty of buccal massage, especially when combined with full face massage, is that it can help to release these emotions alongside relieving tight muscles. When I perform this type of treatment on a patient, the patient not only feels that the muscles of the face are physically less tense, but that there is also a sense of emotional relief. Patients leave the office feeling uplifted and report feeling emotionally and physically lighter. Some patients even experience an emotional release while having the massage done. Ultimately, this translates to one’s appearance as the release of stored muscular and emotional patterns in the face can, in turn, improve the overall brightness, symmetry and tightness of the skin.
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As always, talk to your doctor or health care provider before trying out this type of massage. Ensure the practitioner you are seeing is well trained and has a solid understanding of facial anatomy as well as the contraindications of this treatment. This massage should not be done while pregnant and must be avoided for a certain number of weeks following cosmetic procedures, including surgeries and injections.Â
