Therapeutic facial massage

A similar massage was described by Acquaviva, who used anatomical tweezers for this purpose; both ends of the tweezers were protected by a replaceable rubber band. The tweezers were equipped with a ball on top, which the masseur held in his hand. With these tweezers, he performed light rubbing or deep kneading, depending on how thick a layer of skin he had grasped with the tweezers. This type of massage is known only from literature.

Therapeutic facial massage, or Jacquet massage, is a type of plastic massage that uses a pinching mechanism to treat tissue. It was proposed in 1907 and included light squeezing and vibration on the skin.

Jacquet recommended this massage technique for "skin hypotonia" or "tired skin" for oily, acne-prone skin.

Today, this type of massage is also well used for the following indications:

1. Oily, porous skin.
2. Seborrhea, acne.
3. The presence of infiltrates and congestion.
4. Post-acne phenomena.
5. Loose skin.
6. Hypotonia of facial muscles.

The technique of behavior consists of squeezing out the contents of the sebaceous glands along certain lines (in the direction of the skin-muscle bundles). Squeezing is done by pinching along the course of the excretory ducts of the sebaceous glands with the terminal phalanges of the fingers.

The main techniques of therapeutic massage are: stroking, kneading or deep pinching, vibration or deep pinching with vibration. Due to deeper mechanical effects on the skin and underlying tissues, this type of massage increases blood circulation, improves nutrition, activates the release of excess secretion from the sebaceous glands; increases skin turgor and muscle tone.

The mechanism of action of therapeutic massage for oily skin and plastic massage for aging skin was explained in his works by the founder of the Russian massage school, Professor A. I. Pospelov. The technique he proposed was based on the principle of warming up the sebaceous ducts without strong moisturizing of the skin surface, ensuring a good inflow of arterial blood and maximum drainage of tissues, for which stroking, pressing movements and "dry heat" are used.

Technique of therapeutic massage

1. Stroking.

Stroking the face is done with the palmar surfaces of the fingers of both hands. The palm slides easily over the skin of the face. The contact of the hand should be full pressure.

Stroking begins from the forehead along the main massage lines (stroking is done along each line 2 times with a count of 4):

• 1st line - from the middle of the forehead to the temple;
• 2nd line - from the root of the nose to the temporal cavity;
• 3rd line - from the corner of the mouth to the tragus;
• 4th line - from the middle of the chin to the earlobe.

Each stroke ends with a light hold

2. Kneading or deep pinching.

And with the first phalanges of all fingers, grasp the skin of the face in its entire thickness, making pinches as close as possible to each other along the massage lines (2 times):

• 1st line - from the middle of the chin to the earlobe (count to 8);
• 2nd line - from the corner of the mouth to the tragus (count to 8);
• 3rd line - from the wings of the nose to the helix of the auricle (count to 8);
• 4th line - on the cheeks, deep pinches are made in a circle in the shape of a snail - the smaller circle seems to fit into the larger one (the pinches start from the corner of the lower jaw - 16 pinches in total);
• 5th line - kneading of the muscles of the nose, performed with the pads of the 1st finger; the remaining II-V fingers are fixed under the lower jaw; with the pads of the I fingers, squeezing pinches are performed on both sides of the nose, starting from the base of the nose to its bridge at two points:
  • on the wings of the nose (4 pinches 2 times),
  • above the wings of the nose (4 pinches 2 times);
• 6th line - kneading the forehead muscles, performed from the brow ridges to the hairline at four points and repeated 2 times along each line; grasp the forehead muscles with your fingers and make squeezing movements in the direction of the border of the scalp; count to four 2 times:
  • from the bridge of the nose;
  • from the inner end of the eyebrow;
  • from the middle of the eyebrow;
  • from the outer end of the eyebrow.

B. After this, deep squeezing movements are performed, passing more superficially along the same massage lines.

3. Vibration or deep pinching with vibration.

Vibrating pinches are made along the same lines as deep pinches without vibration, except for the nose area. The suddenness of each squeeze, the alternate grasping and releasing of the skin characterize this movement.

NB! When vibrating, the facial muscles should not move, the vibration is transmitted to the tissues when the muscles of the shoulder and forearm contract.

4. Next, alternate between kneading, vibration and kneading again (on average 1-2 times).
5. Stroking.

After a therapeutic facial massage, a back neck massage is performed:

• kneading the muscles of the neck from behind is repeated 3 times (see neck massage 2nd movement);
• kneading the muscles of the shoulder girdle (see cosmetic massage of the neck, 6th movement);
• stroking the sides of the neck.

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