I see some crazy things on social media in the aesthetics space, and the latest one has been doing the rounds everywhere: massaging the lines out of your face. Rub your wrinkles hard enough, apparently, and they’ll disappear.
It makes me laugh but then I remember that some people take these trends seriously and actually go and do them. So let me give you the honest answer before you spend another morning kneading your forehead: massaging your face to get rid of wrinkles doesn’t appear to work, and the evidence suggests it can actually have the opposite effect.
Why facial massage may age your skin
Think about an elastic band. We’ve all done this, pull on one over and over, and you’ll notice the elasticity slowly goes. It gets loose, droopy, saggy. It never quite snaps back the way it did when it was new.
Your skin behaves exactly the same way. It contains elastin and collagen, the fibres that give it stretch and bounce and every time you pull, rub, drag or scrub at your face, you’re tugging on those fibres. Frowning a lot does it. Sleeping face-down on the pillow does it. And vigorous facial massage, done deliberately and often, can do it in spades.
So rather than smoothing your wrinkles out, aggressive massage may stretch the very fibres that were holding your skin taut. You’re not erasing the lines, you may be loosening the canvas they’re drawn on.
What the hay fever comparison shows
If you want a useful example of how rubbing can wear skin out over time, look at children with hay fever. They rub their itchy noses constantly, day after day and many of them develop a visible crease across the nose. These are kids; their skin is as elastic and self-repairing as skin gets.
It’s worth considering what the same repeated friction might do to adult skin, which generally has less capacity to bounce back.
Why age makes it worse
Here’s the part that matters most. When you’re young, your body replaces elastin readily, so it can often keep up with a fair bit of everyday wear. As you get older, elastin gets replaced less readily, and the effects of repeated strain are more likely to persist. Every stretch, every rough rub, every night squashed into the pillow leaves a little more slack behind over time.
Elastin is a limited resource — you’re issued a good supply early in life, and natural replacement slows from there. So the goal is to be gentle with it, rather than working against it chasing a social media trend.
I know some facial massage devotees won’t love hearing this. But it’s worth knowing the physiology before deciding whether a trend is right for you.
How should you touch your face, then?
Gently, and as little as possible. A few practical rules:
Apply your creams in an upward motion. Not downward, and not a rough back-and-forth scrub. Downward strokes work with gravity, which already pulls the skin in that direction over time, so sweep up, lightly, and stop.
Try to avoid sleeping face-down or hard on one side, since years of pillow pressure can crease and stretch the skin (those are the sleep lines we see so often).
And be mindful of habitual rubbing of your eyes, nose, and forehead. The less repeated strain on the skin, the longer it tends to keep its elasticity.
What actually helps with wrinkles?
Wrinkles have a number of real causes; muscle movement, volume loss, sun damage, declining collagen and elastin. Each cause has its own suitable treatment options, from skin care through to laser resurfacing, fat transfer and surgery, depending on what’s driving your particular lines.
What the right option is for you depends on whether your lines are movement lines or static lines, how much elasticity your skin has retained and what result you’re after – which is exactly what a consultation is for.
Frequently asked questions
Does facial massage reduce wrinkles?
The evidence doesn’t support this. Repeated pulling and rubbing can stretch the elastin and collagen fibres in your skin, which may loosen it over time rather than smoothing it out.
Can massaging your face make you look older?
It’s possible. Like an elastic band that’s been overstretched, skin that’s repeatedly pulled can lose some of its snap-back over time, potentially contributing to droop and sag – especially as elastin replacement slows with age.
Why do some practitioners caution against rubbing your face?
Because friction-related changes to skin can build up over time and are harder to reverse in adult skin. Even children who rub hay-fever-itchy noses can develop a lasting crease, and adult skin generally has less capacity to bounce back.
What’s the right way to apply face creams?
With a light, upward motion. Downward or rough back-and-forth application works with gravity and adds unnecessary strain to the skin.
Does sleeping on your face cause wrinkles?
It may contribute, yes. Years of pillow pressure can stretch and crease the skin, contributing to sleep lines that may eventually become permanent.
What should I do about my wrinkles instead?
Get them properly assessed. Movement lines and static lines have different causes and different suitable treatments – book a consultation and we’ll work out which you have and what will actually help.
So: does massaging your face get rid of wrinkles? The evidence suggests it’s more likely to make things worse than better. Be kind to your skin, and if your lines bother you, come and talk to us about the options that are actually suited to your situation.
Dr Glenn Murray, Absolute Cosmetic
All procedures carry risk. Individual results vary. Seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner before proceeding.
