Buccal Massage...you put your fingers where?

Have you been hearing about a new massage thats all the craze in Hollywood...me too, so I decided to learn all about it and learn how to do it, so I could offer it to you! Let me tell you all about it.

Lets start with the basics. The Buccal Massage is named after the muscle, the buccinator, which originates from both jaw bone (maxilla and mandible) and inserts at the orbicularis oris~the muscle responsible for moving your mouth. The holistic therapy approach was created by a French Skincare Therapist, Joelle Ciocco, about 40 years ago.

Buccal massage is an inter-oral massage. Thats right, we are massaging the inside of your oral cavity!

We have twenty, that's right twenty facial muscles! Some larger than others but most of them are pretty small and also very thin. A lot of the muscles below the Orbicularis Oris (the muscle around your eye) weave in and out like a basket weave. With your traditional facial massage we are only working the more superficial muscles while the other, smaller ones are being neglected. That's why the Buccal massage has made such an impact in the skincare world.

This massage requires specific manuevers that manipulate all the muscles and deeper structures of your face. While doing so, it allows for a deeper release of all the pent up tension we tend to hold in our jaw muscles and our facial muscles in general. It also aids in releasing fluid retention in the face which leads to more contouring.

Using gloved hands, I first work on the lower portion of your face including neck, chin, jaw line, and mouth using my thumbs as an anchor point. Next, using a new pair of gloves I'll use my index finger as the anchor point and focus on all the many muscles of the upper face including around your eye, cheeks, mouth and jaw.

Overall Benefits

*tension relief *facial contouring *improved circulation *lymphatic drainage *stress reduction *pain relief *anti-aging benefits *improves skin elasticity

As with anything there are contraindications. Here are a few...

*Acute dental issues *recent facial surgery *skin infection *blood clotting disorder

*Cancer/chemotherapy *active herpes simplex *pregnancy

*BOTOX OR FILLER WITHIN TWO WEEKS*