The skin of the face is stretched from self-massage. One of three statements is a long-standing misconception. Can you guess which one?


Science versus beauty myth: why facial skin definitely won't stretch from massage

This is what the grandmothers and mothers, neighbors and sisters used to say - and the thought that the skin on the face is thin and fragile and that our touch can stretch and sag like old tights on the knees took root in our heads. But if you also try to keep your hands off your face, prepare to be surprised.


Facial skin and body skin: what is the difference

Taking a shower or a bath, we having fun with three body washcloths... Going for a massage, we want to be not just stroked on the back, but thoroughly kneaded. And we will not refuse to take a steam bath with a broom - and not only on December 31, following the example of Zhenya Lukashin.


Not to mention about charging or more serious sportswhere with every movement, be it squatting or pulling up, twisting or rotating, the skin stretches, contracts, bends - and then quietly returns to its original state. At the same time, no one is afraid that the skin of the body will take - and even stretch once and for all.


The same cannot be said about the skin of the face and neck. It seems that from the heels to the shoulders we have one skin, dense and elastic, and starting from the neck - another, thin and inelastic. In fact, of course, this is not the case, becauseall our skin has the same mechanical properties... 


Three superpowers of the skin

Elasticity

Thanks to collagen and elastin fibers, our skin (and with it other organs that contain these proteins - lungs, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, etc.) is easily stretched to a certain length. And then it returns to its original size.


For example, after a salty or fatty dinner, many of us will wake up with a puffy face. But it is worth getting up and walking around the apartment, asthe swelling will disappear and the skin will return to its original state... Or - another example - our cheeks. We are not afraid to chew or even just puff them up, knowing that everything will return to its place. This is due to the special collagen styling, which makes the area one of the most elastic in the entire body. 


Flexibility

If stretching becomes prolonged, the skin adjusts and really stretches... Conversely, it gradually decreases after the loss of volumes. The main thing here is not to rush. Despite its fantastic superpower, the skin simply won't keep up with you if you gain or lose weight dramatically.


According to scientific studies, healthy skin can adjust to mild to moderate volume loss. With too much stretching, part of the collagen and elastin fibers is damaged and stretched - alas, irreversibly.


That's why nutritionists advise to lose weight gradually, no more than a kilogram per month. In this case, no folds are terrible. In the same way, you should not get carried away with lymphatic drainage procedures: if you remove fluid from the body too quickly , the skin will not have time to adapt and will really sag.


Elasticity

Our skin will not be offended: it perfectly resists mechanical stress... If this were not the case, it would definitely be easier for surgeons to work, because now during skin grafting operations it is really difficult for them to stretch a skin flap to the desired size - for this it has to be incised in several places.


This property, again, is clearly seen in the example of morning edema under the eyes . The skin around the eyes is quite elastic and resists deformation well, so when the swelling disappears, it quickly takes on its original appearance.


So to massage or not? 

In terms of mechanical properties, the skin of the face and neck is in no way inferior to the skin of the body, and somewhere even surpasses it. Therefore, if you are thinking about an intensive facial massage, you can do it. Another question, what is important in this case:


  1. strictly follow the massage technique- search for a video on YouTube or once contact a specialist to be sure that you are doing everything right;
  2. follow the sensations in the process and manifestations on the skin after - if it seems to you that something went wrong, take a break in the massage and see how your face reacts to it;
  3. do not massage after injection procedures and any cosmetic interventions - about how much better to wait, ask your doctor.