Facial rollers have recently become very mainstream around the world in the beauty industry, plus you can find them in a multitude of beautiful semi-precious stones. But why are people reaching for this ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technique in modern times? What does this beautiful tool and technique actually do for our skin? In order to answer these questions, it is first important to understand a little about how TCM explains beautiful and healthy skin, as well some knowledge about the Lymphatic System.
In TCM, we use face-reading as part of the diagnostic process. We can tell a lot about the internal environment of the body just by looking at a persons’ face. The face looks beautiful when the body is healthy. We want to see clear, sparkling eyes, smooth and hydrated skin, and a glow that appears to come from within. We want the skin to have volume, and bounce-back, and we also want the facial muscles free of tension. The muscles and skin on the face will begin to sag and droop when the qi (vital life energy) becomes too weak to nourish and lift the tissue. When we are under too much stress, the muscles of the face hold tension, which over time causes fine lines and deep wrinkles in the skin. When the body is struggling regulating the internal temperature, or too many hot things such as alcohol or spicy food, are being ingested, we can see red inflamed acne or eczema patches start to form, or worsen. If there are issues with certain organs in the body, we can see a change to the colour of the face, for example, kidney issues can cause the skin to look dark and sooty, commonly beginning under the eyes. Acupuncture and herbal medicine work wonders at correcting organ imbalances, but there are other techniques you can use at home on a daily basis!
So before we get in to how to improve the health of our face and neck area, let’s talk about why the lymph system is important when it comes to how we look.
The lymph system is made up of a network of vessels, lymph organs, and lymphatic tissues, and is related closely to both the immune and the circulatory systems. A clear fluid called lymph, circulates through the vessels to the heart, which contains many waste products, cellular debris, and bacteria. These toxins are travelling through the vessels to nodes, which contain high levels of lymphocytes. These lymphocytes act as a filter system, collecting and cleaning up the toxic material that has been released from body tissues. The lymph is moved through the vessels by muscle contraction, and relies on exercise and/or massage to keep moving! If we don't keep the lymph system stimulated, the nodes can become swollen, just like they do when we have an infection. When the nodes are swollen and full, the fluid becomes stuck. Below is an image of the vessels and nodes that flow in the face and neck.
When the fluid becomes trapped in the vessels of the face, we may look dull, puffy, and devitalized. It is also possible to feel tender in areas over the lymph nodes. You can imagine if the toxins aren't being removed from the facial tissues, we can have reactions in the skin - this is why I always encourage my acne and eczema clients to work on draining the face every single day.
So how can we drain the lymph system, relax tension in the face, and stimulate the flow of qi upwards to the face?! This is where our facial roller comes in handy! The facial roller is an excellent tool to drain stagnant lymph fluid from the face, and stimulate the lymph vessels. IT IS IMPORTANT to move the tool in the direction that the lymph system flows, which is from the middle line of the face, out towards the ears, down the side of the neck, over the collar bone, and towards the heart. I like to use my roller when I am masking, which will help the mask penetrate into the skin better, but you can use your tool at any point in your regime, as long as the skin is CLEAN.
I start under the chin at the mid-line of the face and work under the jaw bone to the ear, then down the side of the neck towards the heart - I do at least 10 passes per section. Once I have drained the neck, I begin on the jawline, towards the ears, then down the side of the neck. You can section the cheeks off to 2 or 3 levels, still working in the same direction. My favorite area of the face to work on is the eyes. I use the small end of my roller and gently roll on the orbital bone that surrounds the eyeball, working from the nose to the outer eye, again at least 10 passes - more if you're puffy or have dark circles. I do the same on the upper orbital bone, over the eyebrow towards the temple. Lastly, I roll from the centre of the forehead, towards the temple and down the neck to finish the process. You will notice that this is a very relaxing process, moving in one direction, massaging the face will actually calm the central nervous system, which is why this process can also relax and release tension in the face.
After I have drained the lymph system, I will return to any area of the face that felt tight, or tender, and I will roll my tool back and forth over that area, until the tension releases. To finish my rolling session, I will roll upwards, starting from the collar bone, up the neck and towards the forehead, to lift the qi up to the face. You don't need to worry about backing up the lymph system by changing directions, as this doesn't happen! I like to do about 10 passes over each vertical section, paying close attention to areas that you feel need more of a lift. The roller is made of stone, which will naturally absorb heat from the skin, reducing inflammation, but a fun tip for people with heat signs in the skin, rosacea, acne and eczema - soak your beauty tool in cool water before using! This gives a wonderful cooling sensation to the face and feels amazing. All facial massage is going to benefit the skin, so don't worry if you think you are doing something wrong. When we roll the skin and it turns nice and pink, we know we have flushed out toxins by stimulating fresh blood flow to the small capillaries of the face. That flush brings THE GLOW!
Please check out our YouTube channel, @thenaturalartofskincare, in the coming weeks for an in-depth tutorial on beauty rolling! Rolling is used as a treatment in my Rejuvenating Acupuncture Facial if you’re looking to try it out, but they can also be purchased at The Natural Art of Skin Care Spa Boutique. Book a TCM Facial Treatment at the spa and I’ll teach you how to get the most out of this beautiful skin care tool and technique.
See you at the spa!
Dr. Amy Nykoluk, Registered Acupuncturist, and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
at The Natural Art of Skin Care