Botox or Facial Massage: Living with the Consequences

Why I Don't Do Botox.

My childhood friend had polio which left her right hand paralyzed. To compensate for her non-functional hand, her left hand and left shoulder became over-developed.

Now let’s examine what happens when you apply Botox to your face. Some of your facial muscles will become paralyzed. To make facial expressions, your face will then recruit surrounding muscles. As a result, these facial muscles now have to work harder to compensate for those that were paralyzed.

Let’s take it a step further. Did you know that muscles that are repeatedly paralyzed will get weaker and flatter? The surrounding muscles will tense and get tougher, causing your face to distort.  The skin over your weaker muscles will appear thinner and looser. Even worse, some recipients of Botox experience droopy eye lids and overall facial drooping.

Any surprise here? Botox causes paralysis. And paralysis causes atrophy.

Too often, I get emails like this…

I’m an avid fan of all things skin care. I’m so blessed to find your videos and to add your tools and products to my routine. I was also wondering whether I’ve permanently damaged the skin under my eyes: I have recently tried Botox and now I have a pronounced slackening under my eyes that wasn’t there before.

But it’s not only about your face… University of Wisconsin-Madison studies show some frightening results. Immediately after Botox injections, patients’ understanding of spoken text is weakened. According to study leader David Havasa, participants took longer to formulate thoughts and comprehend spoken phrases after the procedure.

But who cares about the brain if wrinkles are at stake—right?

Dermatologists at the College of Medicine of New York came to the same conclusion I described earlier—Botox injections lead to premature aging. Once lodged in the muscle, Botox paralyzes it. Many muscles are involved in facial expressions. If one stops working, others become activated. The result? New wrinkles appear and become more visible.

There’s more, yet. At the site of each injection, a small scar develops that pins your skin to underlying tissue. As you accumulate injections, your skin acquires a wavy texture. Picture, if you will, a stitched quilt. Now, on top of everything else, your blood circulation is impaired. And where you lack vigorous blood circulation, there is no rejuvenation.

The tragic irony is that the very effort being used to seek youthful looks, your causes your skin to age even faster. If you need more convincing see my article: Botox Telltale Signs and Consequences.

How Botox and Facial Massage Collide     

Pose this question on the internet: What happens if you get a massage after Botox?

Your search will lead you to the following advice from dermatologists: Don’t rub your face. This includes getting any form of facial massage.

Why not? Because this will result in the Botox moving into unwanted areas. So, let’s say you’ve had Botox injections. Maybe a good many of them, over time. After the last one wears off, you go for a massage. What then?

One of my readers wrote to me about this in an email:

I listened to a podcast by a natural esthetician and she said when she does facials on ladies who have a lot of Botox &  fillers the skin feels lifeless & won’t pink up during the massage. It’s like the blood can’t flow properly & she said it feels sort of stiff & almost dead…

Let me repeat what I said earlier… Where you lack vigorous blood circulation, there’s no rejuvenation. Now let us look at what a Botox user will be missing out on.

Facial Massage and Its Benefits

A furrowed brow. Pursed lips. Face “spasms.” Regularly expressed emotion means that the face “remembers” the emotions we most often or most strenuously express. Hence, it is possible for us to feel happiness and pleasure, while our face reveals what appears to be a negative emotion. In turn, these contradictory expressions can ultimately bring on the actual negative emotional state. That is one reason people resort to Botox. But there is a better and safer way…

Watch my video on the left.

When you massage your face and its muscles, you get a chance to remove the spasms of the muscles and, as a result, improve your actual emotional state. When you massage your face, you are helping your lymphatic system—reducing swelling and water retention, especially. You’re also toning muscles which helps shape your facial contours. By working on your skin’s surface, you are improving its condition by building elasticity and firmness and reducing the risk of acne or other skin blemishes.

Facial massage powerfully affects your appearance in a bright, positive way. There, in your face, the numerous benefits of facial massage begin. But they never end. They extend across the body and continue to do so throughout your life.

Ever thought about reflexology? The presence of reflexology points of all internal organs on the face is perhaps the most hidden, obscure reason for facial massage. All of our body organs are “represented” on the face. So, the state of the face is actually determined by the state of the whole body.

You can receive a facial massage in a cosmetologist’s office or you can do it yourself. By the way… I have never gone for a facial. I believe in daily treatments and visiting a cosmetologist too often can become very expensive and time consuming.

So, I prefer to perform all my skincare procedures myself in the comfort of my home. Facial massage can be done with your hands or with a tool.

In the video on the left I am using our Strigil.

The Strigil versus the Gua Sha Tool

Gua Sha is an ancient Chinese massaging technique with an exceptional and lengthy list of benefits.

While our Strigil was inspired by Gua Sha technique, it is different in the effect it has on the facial skin.

Strigil scraping will give you all the benefits of Gua Sha—and more. One side of the Strigil is dull, just as in Gua Sha tool, but it is more than twice as thin. This makes it more fitting for facial use.

The other side of the Strigil is individually honed by hand to just the right degree of precision—not too sharp—to make it ideal for facial massaging and exfoliating simultaneously. Our Strigil is unique in its effects on facial tissues and in the pleasant sensation it delivers. When you use it, you’ll know it’s working. And you’ll enjoy it!

I’m often asked, “What is the difference between the facial Strigil and your facial brush? Which one is more effective?” You can find the answer here.

In the video, I’m using our Nourishing Night Cream before Strigil Scraping. Of all the oils I’ve tried, I believe the Nourishing Night Cream works the best for this type of facial massage.

There are many reasons I don’t do Botox, but here’s the most important one…

All those practices and tools that I recommend… you know, the ones that helped me achieve a “no wrinkles, no blemishes” complexion even after 60? Well, unfortunately a person who’s had recent Botox treatment cannot use them.

I suggest that you stop using Botox. I urge you to turn away from all the methods that are working against your body. Start working with your body. Be persistent—you might need some real patience to reverse those Botox consequences. But remember your skin has a remarkable ability to rejuvenate. If you follow my advice and stay consistent in your skincare, you’ll never even think about Botox injections or fillers.