Facial Massage for Reducing Wrinkles (2) – Facial Tsubo (Acupressure Points)

What are tsubo?  They are also called acupressure points, acupuncture points, acupoints. In Oriental Medicine, there are 14 meridian systems over the entire body, and energy travels through them.  There are 365 tsubo on the human body, and they are “the locations at which it is easy for the flow of energy in the meridian systems to become sluggish and to stagnate.”  Stagnation of energy flow manifests in the tsubo in different ways such as pain, stiffness, and numbness.  When specific tsubo are treated, the flow of energy is restored, and malfunctions will dissipate.

Let’s pamper your face!  Use your favorite facial cream or serum. (Recommended products from my friend who is expert in skincare.) Do not use body lotion for the face if it has fragrance.  The facial skin, especially the eyelids, is much more sensitive than other parts of the body.  If you don’t have face cream at hand, use pure extra virgin olive oil instead.

As I explained in the last post, I referred to “Eliminating Facial Wrinkles” in the book about tsubo therapy by Katsusuke Serizawa, MD.

Around the Eyes (BL-2, TH-23, GB-1, BL-1)

Massage the upper and lower edges of the eye sockets from the inside out.

Cheeks (ST-2)

Massage in the directions of the arrows from ST-2.

Forehead (GB-14, ST-8, GB-7)

Massage and stroke with the fingertips from GB-14 toward the temples and to the hairline in the directions of the arrows.  Massage in the areas of ST-8 and GB-7. 

Around the Mouth (ST-4, CV-24)

Massage at the corners of the month ST-4, and CV-24 in the directions of the arrows.

Neck (BL-10, LI-17, CV-22)
Raise your chin as high as possible, and use four fingers to massage tsubo on the neck.  Massage in the directions of the arrows extending to the base of the neck.

I didn’t intend to introduce tsubo (acupressure) therapy as a treatment here, so I didn’t explain exactly where each tsubo is located although I indicated the numbers.  If you are curious, you can look up the locations in Atlas of Acupuncture Points (you need to know about the anatomy).

Facial Massage for Reducing Wrinkles (1) – Causes of Wrinkles

A facial massage is my favorite part of giving massage.  It is always enjoyed by both men and women because it is like a nice surprise.  The facial muscles can be overworked by watching, eating, talking, and making various facial expressions constantly as well as emotional tension.  When the face gets massaged, the whole body tends to relax. 

I found tsubo (acupressure points) for “Eliminating Facial Wrinkles” in the book about tsubo therapy, a type of Shiatsu, by Katsusuke Serizawa, MD.  Although I don’t believe a massage will totally “eliminate” wrinkles, facial massage will definitely promote circulation and cell turnover.

Why do wrinkles develop?  As we get older, the deeper layer of the skin (dermis) in the face diminishes and loses elastin fibers, so it gets less elastic.  And also, the skin can’t retain moisture and produce oil as much and becomes dehydrated.  It all means the skin loses strength and flexibility and tends to wrinkle and sag.  

The facial muscles are unique in the way that one end of the muscles usually attaches to the skin, instead of bone to bone like other muscles.  The facial skin is closely bound together with the tissues of the muscles.  So, the areas where muscles contract often, such as around the eyes, the forehead, and the month, tend to get wrinkled by the skin’s lack of flexibility due to aging.  Other factors for wrinkles are exposure to sun (UV light) and smoking because both speed up the natural aging process.  

Fall is here (even in Florida), and air gets drier, so it is a great idea to combine facial massage and skincare in one.  Daily moisturizing with a massage can help hydrate the skin and stimulate oil gland secretions.

Next post will show you tsubo (acupressure points) in the face for reducing wrinkles.