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When it comes to beauty treatments, it takes something truly out there to shock me. After years in the beauty industry, I don’t shock easily anymore. Accordingly, I never shy away from non-sexy treatments that promise real results even without pleasant scents or that utilize unexpected or exotic ingredients, whether it be onion-and-vinegar scented toners (hello, Lotion P50!) or snail mucin-infused serums. If you ask me, the less nicely fragranced and double-take-inducing the ingredients are in a product or service, the more I’m inclined to believe that it works. While this is not always the case, the social media-viral buccal massage falls under this category. The manual sculpting massage that involves practitioners sticking their (gloved) fingers inside your mouth to massage the jaw and cheek muscles intraorally has gone viral on TikTok lately, and I understand why. While it looks weird AF, it oddly seems like an effective modality.
Initially, I thought it was some sort of dental procedure because I’d never heard of an aesthetic treatment that involved anything inside the mouth. It turns out that buccal massage (aka intra-oral massage) has nothing to do with dental hygiene. After doing more research and watching more (and more) videos, I learned that buccal massage is a therapeutic treatment performed by qualified estheticians and massage therapists, and while its primary benefit is relieving facial tension when performed by a licensed professional, it also offers a multitude of aesthetic benefits as well.
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What Is Buccal Massage?
“Buccal facial massage is a transformative treatment that offers far-reaching benefits for both the appearance and health of your skin. At its core, this massage technique targets the deeper layers of the facial muscles—especially around the jaw, cheeks, and mouth—by applying pressure from both inside and outside the mouth,” says Katya Khayutin, master esthetician and owner of BelVer Studio.
“This dual-action approach is particularly effective at releasing muscle tension that, over time, can contribute to sagging skin, the deepening of lines, and an overall loss of facial definition.” In other words, by being able to massage facial muscles only accessible through the inside of the mouth, you’re able to get a more comprehensive massage—and better aesthetic and therapeutic benefits.
What Are the Benefits of Buccal Massage?
Aside from its needle-free and knife-free contouring effects, buccal massage offers a slew of other wellness-boosting and complexion-enhancing benefits. “Buccal massage significantly improves circulation, which helps to oxygenate the skin and promote a radiant complexion,” says Khayutin.
“The increased blood flow also stimulates collagen production, an essential component for maintaining skin firmness and elasticity. Furthermore, the technique enhances lymphatic drainage, helping to reduce puffiness, particularly around the jawline and cheeks, where fluid can accumulate.” Skin and facial fitness aside, the master esthetician also explains that buccal massage offers many therapeutic effects, much like a traditional full-body massage. “For those who suffer from TMJ disorder, bruxism, or jaw-related tension, this treatment offers a profound sense of relief by relaxing the overworked chewing muscles. It’s a unique blend of both aesthetic enhancement,” Khayutin says.
What Actually Happens During a Buccal Massage?
As someone chronically battling water retention and a puffy face, I was most interested in the potential sculpting benefits of buccal massage—though improved muscle tension was a more than welcome “side effect.” even after only my first massage, I can say that the results are definitive and, spoiler alert: I have never looked more sculpted and depuffed; it was as if I had spent hours in an infrared sauna sweating out all my sins from the past few years (salty food, a taste for pinot noir, and a highly sedentary lifestyle, specifically).
At BelVer studios, the estheticians take a multi-pronged approach to buccal massage, learning about the client’s concerns and goals to create a bespoke treatment. They begin by thoroughly assessing your face, noting any asymmetry or muscle imbalances, and tailor the massage to ensure symmetry, harmony, and balance to your facial structure. After all, every face (and anatomy is different), and I was pleasantly surprised by how much this informed my treatment. Of course, they also noted all of my medical and dental history to make sure I was a candidate and that there were no contraindications.
I had hoped that the buccal massage would also help relieve some ongoing sinus pressure, so I told my esthetician, Kate, that I wanted to focus on both relieving the pressure and de-puffing the skin.
As with most facials, Kate cleansed my skin thoroughly and applied a cocktail of skincare products from two of my favorite luxury brands, Biologique Recherche and Omorovicza, throughout the treatment. She began by massaging my jaw muscles, cheeks, and forehead externally and stayed outside my mouth for most of the hour-long massage. When it came to the intra-oral portion of the massage, it was far less scary than it looks on TikTok and anything but painful. It was honestly very relaxing and helped me relax and reduce tension in facial muscles I didn’t even know I had or could relax.
Before the massage, Kate warned me that I could feel slightly dizzy. She advised me to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, a similar protocol that I follow after full-body lymphatic drainage massages. I felt nothing but glowy and supple following the massage, but I hydrated to support the residual effects of draining lymph fluid and drawing out excess fluids.
What to Expect Post-Massage
Immediately after the massage, I examined my face in the mirror. Keep in mind that my skin turns red and blotchy if someone merely looks at it, and Kate used a lineup of clinical-grade skincare products, so I’m a little pink. I am not easily impressed, but the level snatched I was after just an hour under her care was downright amazing.
I had forgotten I had cheekbones since… well, as long as I can remember. Even more impressive was the instant relief of my sinus pressure and pain (mostly in maxillary sinus cavities, which are located by the nasolabial folds). Honestly, I would do the buccal massage just for this natural relief—even without the lifted and sculpted effect.
Whether you’re looking to amplify the results of sculpting buccal massage or just want to invest in some products to help you lift and de-puff without an appointment, scroll through below to check out Khayutin’s favorite esthetician-approved sculpting products.
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