Why You Should Use Facial Massage
If you think you do not need to start a course of facial massage, think about this. When you go into the bathroom first thing in the morning, are you scared? Who is that pale creature with lines and a certain puffiness that is staring back? Don't panic, all is not lost, help is at hand, your hands actually as you can kick start your system with a facial massage. Firstly, apart from your normal lines, the big crease have probably come from you pillow and will soon disappear. As for the rest, well it is quite natural and it is just the way the body works. At night, while you sleep, the body goes into tick over mode, the heart rate drops leading to a slowing down of the blood circulation. This has a twofold effect, first there is less oxygen getting to the skin and secondly, the lymph glands are not removing as many toxins from the skin, hence the pale. puffy look. There are other factors at work as well. Pollution, lack of exercise, shallow breathing and poor nutrition can all slow down the circulation, leading to a build up 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.
When it comes to the ageing process, there are different process that affect it. The older we get, the quicker we loose skin cells. A child's may a hundred days but that will drop to around 50 in later life. The elastin goes, affecting the collagen and in the hypodermis the fatty tissue goes and the water content is reduced with the overall effect of giving flattened, ageing and dry skin. Our face with its repertoire of scowling, frowning, smiling and laughing will develop the lines we know as wrinkles. These are further enhanced by exposure to the sun, air pollution, smoking and even a poor diet, so it really makes sense to start your facial massage as soon as possible.
You will get a good idea of what is happening when you give yourself a facial massage if you just squeeze or press an area of skin. Notice how it gets red? This is the increased blood flow surging into the area, bringing life giving oxygen to the skin and then removing the harmful toxins. Of course your facial massage will be gentler, but the effects will be the same. It will promote blood flow and stimulate the lymph glands to give your skin that healthy glow.
The key to a successful facial massage is the pressure, it is important that you do not press too hard but use a gentle pressure. Your massage will be enhanced when you use the acupoint centres. These are the areas related to acupuncture, that great and ancient healing therapy of the East that uses needles to stimulate the energy meridians of the body. Instead of needles you only need to stimulate these points with gentle massage to get the Qi, (energy) flowing as well as the blood.
To further increase the effectiveness of your acupoint facial massage, try essential oils which can assist in repairing and nourishing the skin. Essentials oils should always be added to what is known as a carrier oil, these are vegetable based oils such as olive, almond, grape seed and wheat germ and will also have a healing effect on the skin. You can add up to four different essential oils to the carrier but do not exceed ten drops in total as they are quite strong. Always apply just a little drop to the skin first, especially if you suffer a lot from allergies. It is not advisable to use essential oils in the first few months of pregnancy so consult your doctor before using them.
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.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Ian Richards, who writes for Yourpower2be .com, the women's website, would like to invite you to discover more information on women's issues. Reading the above article will help you make your mind up regarding facial massage and its benefits.
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by: IanRichards
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