DIY Massage Therapy: The Face

Anyone who has experienced a professional massage knows just how exquisitely relaxing and relieving it can be. And wouldn't it be amazing to receive one as often as you would like? That is not feasible for most of us, of course, but we all still find ourselves at the end of a long day (or week or month) wishing that we could "just have a massage!" Or maybe we hear that phrase from someone we care about and wish that we could do more to help relieve their tension and stress to make them feel more relaxed and at ease. Wouldn't it be fantastic to have some simple, at-home massage techniques that virtually anyone can do?

Enter our "DIY Massage" series!

Over the course of four blog posts, we will be introducing you to some easy massage therapy techniques for the face, scalp, hands, and feet. Photos and descriptions will help you perform the movements, and you can also check out our social media for videos of some of the techniques. Give them a try at home and let us know how it goes!

Our first focus will be the FACE. With over 40 muscles in the face that are constantly being put to work talking, eating, making facial expressions, holding stress, and more, this part of the body is prime territory for some serious tension relief.

General Tips Before Beginning

1. Make sure that both the giver and the receiver of the massage are comfortable with one another before beginning.
2. Speaking of being comfortable, choose a spot where the receiver can be seated or reclined in a comfortable position and the giver can stand or sit behind. This is an ideal position for performing the techniques optimally.
3. Be careful not to overuse your thumbs! Most of us instinctively rely on our thumbs when giving amateur massages, but this can easily overtax your thumbs' muscles and joints. Be sure to note in the photos when to use all your fingers instead (hint: it's most of the time!).
4. Communicate! Both the giver and receiver should check in with each other to be assess how each technique feels, whether the pressure is too much or too little, and anything else that will enhance the experience.

DO NOT USE LOTION WHEN PERFORMING MASSAGE ON THE FACE.

Now that we have laid a good foundation, let's dive into the techniques...

FOREHEAD #1
Keep your fingers flat together and place them in the middle of the forehead, with fingers touching. Move across the forehead toward the temples, parallel to the brow line, with gentle but firm strokes.

FOREHEAD #2

Place your first finger just above one of the eyebrows to hold the brow and skin in place. With the fingers of your other hand held together, stroke up from the eyebrow toward the hairline with smooth, slow movements. Keep your anchor finger firm above the eyebrow to provide extra stretch for the skin and muscles of the forehead. Repeat on other side.

EYEBROWS
It might seem strange, but you will be amazed how great this one feels! Beginning at the inside corner of each eyebrow, gently grab the brow and lift slightly to bring some skin along with it. Then slowly roll the skin back and forth between your thumb and first finger. Do this for several seconds and then continue moving along the eyebrow, repeating the technique until you reach the end of the eyebrows.

CHEEKS

Place as many of your fingers as feels comfortable (for both of you!) on either side of the nose. With gentle but firm pressure, slowly pull your hands across the cheeks, back towards the ears. Stop when you reach the temples - draw small circles with your fingers on the temples for an extra bonus while you're there!

EARS

Hold the earlobe between your thumb and first finger and rub with a circular motion. Maintain these small circles as you move up the outer edge of the ear, gently pulling down as you go to relieve tension. Rub in a circle. Gently tug. Rub in a circle. Gently tug. Follow this pattern!

Then rub behind the ear and forward to where it meets the jaw bones using long, slow movements.

We would love to know what you tried - what worked, what didn't, and everything in between!