Massage can help us relax and is a popular choice for many people. Clinical studies have shown that massage therapy can help reduce stress. But did you know that massage can also get rid of nasolabial folds? Here's how to do it according to traditional Chinese medicine.
【Causes of Nasolabial Folds】
1. Congenital Causes
For young people, nasolabial folds are mostly caused by developmental issues in the facial bones, as they do not have the problem of sagging soft tissue in the cheeks.
2. Skin Aging and Sagging
Although some people naturally have more prominent nasolabial folds, in general, these folds deepen after the age of 35. Apart from genetic factors, the main cause is aging. As we age, collagen and moisture content in the skin gradually decrease, and subcutaneous fat shrinks and sags, resulting in loose and aging skin, and the formation of depressions on the surface of the skin, leading to nasolabial folds, which is a common cause of nasolabial folds.
3. Excessive Facial Expressions
If the nasolabial folds extend from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth, it is because you smile too much. If the nasolabial folds extend downward from the corners of the mouth, it is because you often purse or pout your lips.
【Massage Techniques to Eliminate Nasolabial Folds】
First, clench your fists and use the first joint of your index and middle fingers to massage. You don't need to apply too much pressure, just gently press and rub. Start from the lower eyelid and move towards the temple, repeating this motion eight times. Then, start from the sides of the nose and glide towards the back of the ear, also repeating eight times.
The next movement is for shaping the face. Glide from the chin along the jawbone to the back of the ear. As mentioned earlier, it is better to do this facial yoga after applying a mask and leaving the nutrient solution on the face, without rinsing it off, to tighten the facial skin and eliminate nasolabial folds, allowing the nutrients from the mask to be absorbed more quickly.
【Benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage】
In daily medical practice, traditional Chinese medicine has found that acupuncture points have a significant effect on disease treatment. The ancients also summarized a set of acupuncture songs: "Pressing the abdomen and three miles, seeking for pain in the waist and back, finding the deficiency in the head and neck, and gathering at the face and mouth." It is simple and clear, matching acupuncture points with corresponding treatment areas, making it easy for later generations to learn. Therefore, there are many benefits to acupoint massage.
1. Zusanli (ST36)
It is the confluent point of the Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming. Located 3 cun below the Dubi (ST35), one finger breadth from the anterior crest of the tibia, it can be accessed with the knee flexed or in a supine position. It is mainly used to treat indigestion, gastric pain, vomiting, abdominal distension, borborygmus, diarrhea, constipation, and malnutrition. It is commonly used in Western medicine for acute and chronic gastritis, acute pancreatitis, appendicitis, gastrointestinal motility disorders, reflux gastritis, intestinal obstruction, and pediatric indigestion.
2. Weizhong (BL40)
It is the confluent point of the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang. Located in the middle of the popliteal fossa, between the tendons of the biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles, it can be accessed in a prone or sitting position with the knee flexed. It is mainly used to treat lumbar pain, restricted movement, disuse of the hip joint, lumbosacral pain, lower limb paralysis, enuresis, and difficult urination. It is commonly used in Western medicine for acute lumbar sprain, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar muscle strain, third lumbar transverse process syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, urinary retention, and incontinence.
3. Lieque (LU7)
It is the Luo-Connecting point of the Lung Meridian of Hand Taiyin and also the crossing point of the eight vessels. Located above the styloid process of the radius, 1.5 cun above the transverse crease of the wrist, it can be accessed on the ulnar side of the palm. It is mainly used to treat headache, deviation of the eyes and mouth, trismus, facial muscle spasms, toothache, and throat pain. It is commonly used in Western medicine for colds, neuralgia, rhinitis, pharyngitis, trigeminal neuralgia, torticollis, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
4. Hegu (LI4)
It is the Yuan-Source point of the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming, located between the first and second metacarpal bones, approximately at the midpoint. It is mainly used to treat facial swelling and pain, deviation of the eyes and mouth, toothache, trismus, mumps, headache, dizziness, redness and swelling of the eyes, nosebleeds, rhinitis, and deafness. It is commonly used in Western medicine for facial nerve paralysis, facial muscle spasms, trigeminal neuralgia, colds, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
In daily life, if we can persist in massaging these acupoints with our fingers or stimulate them with rounded needles, it can not only treat diseases but also have the effect of preventing and maintaining health.
