Can a buccal massage really provide a non-surgical face lift? I tried the TikTok favourite

Chrissy Teigen is the only celebrity to admit to having gone under the knife, but everyone from Miley Cyrus to Bella Hadid is believed to have had the procedure. Kate Demolder tests out the non-surgical massage that is being touted as an alternative

Thu, 22 Feb, 2024 - 12:47

Kate Demolder

Find yourself searching for a way to achieve lifted cheekbones and a chiselled jawline? Though a tale as old as time, it seems that we’re all looking for ways to sculpt our face more than ever; the term “sculpt cheekbones” alone has 233.6m views on Tiktok, while Google searches for “how to use gua sha” (an at-home technique) yield some 19.3m results.

You might have heard the term “buccal” recently, most likely by way of an invasive procedure, buccal fat removal, which seems to have become a thing in celebrity circles. Chrissy Teigen is the only celebrity to admit to having gone under the knife, but the internet believes everyone from singer Miley Cyrus to actress Lea Michele and supermodel Bella Hadid have also undergone the procedure.

So what is it? Buccal fat sits on either side of the mouth, between the facial muscles. Removing it creates a hollow in the face, and a more sculpted appearance. It’s not for the faint of heart, and experts agree that for most people — it’s best avoided.

However, there is hope for those of us (read: Hopefully all of us) not keen to go under the knife. Buccal massage is a facial massage which involves working on the cheeks from inside the mouth. A practitioner will wear fresh gloves, ask you to open your mouth, close your teeth together, and begin working the muscles from the inside out. The process can relieve tension, remove a build-up of toxins, awaken muscles and open the facial contours to help the face feel more relaxed and stretched. Most notably, it soothes the muscles that we all overwork while clenching our jaw. And visually, one’s jawline and cheekbones look sculpted and contoured.

My first experience was with Amanda Nordell, a former nurse, whose love for Eastern medicine forms her approach.

Amanda Nordell was one of the first in Ireland to offer NeoLifting, a transformative technique that blends sculptural face lifting with buccal massage

As well as her signature acupuncture facials, gua sha and herbal medicine offering, Nordell was one of the first in Ireland to offer NeoLifting (€130 for a single treatment, €650 for six); a transformative technique that blends sculptural face lifting with buccal massage.

“Anywhere I go in the world, the first thing I search for is a good facial massage,” she says. “Great ones are few and far between.”

I attended her clinic before Christmas for the massage, and was amazed with how much more open my mouth felt (I grind my teeth in my sleep, otherwise known as bruxism, along with, seemingly, every other woman in Ireland).

Though buccal massage can be slightly (but satisfyingly) uncomfortable at times, one’s face feels delightfully loose after. You also quickly notice the re-emergence of long-lost cheekbones, while skin begins to glow and feel plump again thanks to the oxygenation of the blood.

My second taste of buccal massage was at Pembroke Aesthetics, a clinic in Dublin City. Iryna, the clinic owner, lay me on the table and began her Sculptural and Buccal massage (€95), a state-of-the art anti-ageing therapy enriched with powerful sculptural massage techniques followed by a deep buccal massage.

Iryna at Pembroke Aesthetics offers Sculptural and Buccal massage

Her sculptural massage is ultra-stimulating, and aims to improve face shape, increase elasticity, relax the mimic muscles and spasms, eliminate fluid retention, and deeply detoxify skin tissue. This is done by opening all the lymph nodes to make sure that the liquid that stagnates around the face can start to flow again.

Then, she sculpts and lifts the cheekbones from the inside, as this can’t be done from the outside. This method of sculpting involves moving a lot of liquids, so lymphatic drainage is key to ensure everything is flushed out. Upon leaving, I noticed how open my jaw felt, and how pronounced my cheekbones looked. I also made a mental note to rebook if I have a big occasion coming up.

The more consistently you can go for an inner facelift, the better your skin and facial structure will fare over time. That said, at least a week between treatments is recommended. In the interim, at-home microstimulation and microcurrent tools, such as Cosaint Skincare’s Ultrasonic Peeler (€174.30, The Wicklow Street Clinic) or the Ageless Throat & Decolletage Ionic Microcurrent Device (€54.40, Marks and Spencer) are great between appointments.