For those of you who know me, the first step of my tailored treatments is targeted facial massage. Most of the anti-aging conversation centers around my second two steps, high-performing actives and advanced skincare devices. By completing facial massage before my treatments, I relax and release the entire face. Massage also boosts circulation and stimulates lymphatic drainage to improve the efficacy of skincare products and devices. The most important step in facial massage is releasing the jaw.
Just 5 minutes of DIY targeted massage once a week releases your jaw. This smooths lower face aging while prompting the entire face to release up and out.
WITHOUT RELEASING THE JAW, THE FACE CAN’T RELEASE AND RELAX
The jaw is the axis of the face, and the masseter muscle is the strongest muscle in the body. By strongest, I’m not referring to muscle mass, but to the force it can exert when chewing food. When you clench your jaw, it doesn’t just cause pain and tension in the jaw, it causes ripple-effect tension. The fascia layers in the face bunch up and stick together, pulling and tightening other muscles in the face. This creates tension in your cheeks, forehead, mouth, skull, and the base of your skull.
Before I begin facial massage, I look at my client's face to see where they’re carrying tension. I can see the aging impact of jaw tension, which I refer to as “pain face”. I also inquire about each client’s career and lifestyle to identify habits and repetitive motions that accelerate aging.
YOU MAY NOT REALIZE YOU'RE HOLDING JAW (OR FACE) TENSION
When you think of tension, your neck, back, or legs may be the first places that come to mind, but anywhere on the body can hold tension. I learned the power of releasing the jaw when I was training to be an esthetician. At the time, I couldn’t get my forehead to flatten out. My instructor showed me that I needed to release my jaw first, because releasing the jaw helps relax, release, and smooth the whole face.
Jaw tension pulls the face in and down, contributing to crow’s feet, marionette lines, lip lines, laugh lines, and forehead creases. Relaxing the jaw releases upper and lower facial muscles up and out for instant contouring.
Don’t think you hold tension in your jaw? Think again, as 9 out of 10 of my clients clench their jaw, and some are surprised to learn that they are.
Signs you may be clenching your jaw include:
- Jaw pain or stiffness
- Headaches
- Ear pain
- Teeth grinding
HOW YOUR DENTIST CAN HELP?
Ever wake up from a good night of sleep with a headache? It’s likely from bruxism. You may only clench your jaw (and grind your teeth) while sleeping. This doesn’t just age your face, but it also increases your risk of oral health issues. Your dentist will let you know if they identify signs of clenching or teeth grinding, so don’t skip your dental appointments!
If clenching is identified, your dentist may prescribe wearing a mouthguard while you sleep. Modern mouthguards are clear retainers. An upper mouthguard may be all you need. Within weeks, you’ll feel the eased tension, but you should still complete self-massage to release the built-up tension. Or schedule an appointment with me or your local esthetician.
For an at-home solution that goes a step further, I love the Oralift device. Unlike a standard mouthguard, it’s designed to actually train your facial muscles to relax and rejuvenate. With consistent use, it can help soften lines, release tension, and restore a more youthful facial appearance. It’s a fantastic complement to self-massage or esthetic treatments.
SELF-MASSAGE FOR LOWER FACE AGING
Releasing the jaw can fall into the “hurts so bad but feels so good” category. Clients can feel that I’ve hit the right spot of muscle tension or fascial knots, but there’s mild to mid-level pain. Once released, clients can see and feel the difference.
Massage is easier to see than read, so I’ve created a video that details how to release your jaw. Since tension creates a ripple effect, I typically start with circles behind the temples. Then I move to the cheekbones, in front of the ear, underneath the ear, and sometimes to the base of the skull. I use a combination of my hands and a fascial massage tool. You can use your hands. It only takes 5 minutes once a week. Ideally, before using your at-home skincare device.
BUCCAL MASSAGE
Once I’ve completed a jaw massage, I wash my hands, put on gloves, and complete a buccal massage. This intraoral massage technique allows me to access larger purchases of muscle I can’t access externally. This massage is completed on the cheeks and 360 degrees around the mouth, targeting muscles and fascia fault lines. Fascia fault lines are areas where we develop fine lines and wrinkles. This technique also smooths dimpled orange peel chin!
Here are video instructions for DIY buccal massage.
DON’T FORGET YOUR NECK!
As a Master Esthetician for over 25 years, I’ve seen how texting and heads-down electronic use accelerates lower face aging. Poor head posture for even an hour of texting, scrolling, reading, or gaming places strain on the neck, shoulders, back, and head. The associated pain is referred to as “tech neck” or “text neck”.
When your head is tilted down, it places up to 60 pounds of pressure on your neck and body. Consistently poor head posture shortens the muscles in the neck and blocks lymphatic drainage. This accelerates and intensifies neck bands, jowls, and facial sag.
Draining lymphatic fluid
With 90% of your lymph nodes located in the neck, your jowls and puffy face may be lymphatic fluid buildup. So, I typically add a few minutes of front neck massage onto my treatments. Neck massage is also something you can do at home. This video highlights how to reactivate lymphatic flow and release front neck tension.
HOW TO COUNTERACT HEADS-DOWN ELECTRONIC USE?
Take a proactive approach by holding or mounting mobile devices at eye level. For example, if you love to read, use a reading pillow or a seated desk/lap desk to elevate your e-reader (or book). Also, be mindful of screen height at seated or standing desks, using a riser to elevate the screen to eye level.
When you spend a bit of time with your head down, release some of the tension with gentle head rolls, shoulder rolls, and neck and back stretches. I suggest counteractive stretching daily, even if your head isn’t down. Especially if you spend a lot of time sitting or typing at work.
MY FAVORITE TREATMENTS FOR LOWER FACE AGING
Massage preps the muscles and fascia by warming them up, releasing tension, and stimulating circulation. When muscles or fascia are tight, circulation decreases. Getting nutrients and lymphatic fluid flowing before I use a device allows for deeper product penetration and improved device efficacy.
I tailor each client’s treatments for their individual skin conditions, including areas of opportunity with facial fascia and muscle tension. Below are my top picks, all of which you can use at home!
- Facial vectors: Whichever device you use, I set aside 5 minutes to cut across facial vectors. These are areas of common facial sag. There are 11 vectors on each side of the face. One vector runs underneath the cheekbone, another common area of facial tension. Here’s a video that teaches you how to add vectors to your at-home treatments.
- Microcurrent: Also referred to as electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), microcurrent technology stimulates muscle activity in a manner that works out your face. It’s crunches for your facial muscles! The Hybrid Lift Pro is one of my top picks, as it randomizes microcurrents to stimulate muscles in different ways. It also has settings for vibration-only and vibration with heat, so you can also use it to massage your face.
- Multi-modality device: There is a growing range of pro-grade devices that are safe for home use when used as directed. Multi-modality devices deliver more bang for your buck and allow you to tailor your facial to what your skin needs for each treatment. One of my top picks is the Time Master Pro, which combines ultrasound, EMS, and LED. It doesn’t just optimize your time by combining different modalities, the treatment is fast and effective. All you need is 10 minutes twice a week.
LET’S DISCUSS ANTI-AGING BEYOND THE LOWER FACE
Now that you understand the role the jaw plays in lower face and whole face aging, let’s explore your other anti-aging concerns! Join the Christine Byer Beauty Club to learn how to tailor your skincare routine for your local climate, lifestyle, skin type, and skin conditions.
I offer a 14-Day FREE preview with full access to everything in the Club. This includes answers to your personal skincare questions and access to exclusive content and discounts. If you don’t find value in your membership, cancel within 14 days at no charge.
