How to De-Puff Your Face in 3 Minutes Flat, According to a Surgeon

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Deven Hopp
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Deven Hopp
Deven Hopp is an experienced writer and editor with over five years of experience covering the beauty industry for sites like Byrdie and Makeup.com. She is currently the brand director for Versed Skincare.
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Updated on 12/01/22
Medically reviewed by
Morgan Rabach, MD
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Medically reviewed by Morgan Rabach, MD
Dr. Morgan Rabach is a board-certified dermatologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.
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facial massage

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Some mornings you wake up and your face just looks… not like it should. And sometimes a few splashes of cold water just won't cut it. Enter facial massage. It only takes a few minutes, it improves your skin function, and it helps your products work harder by allowing for deeper penetration, but we're more impressed by the instant complexion-boosting benefits. "Facial massage stimulates blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, perks up your facial contour, and provides an instant natural glow," says Dr. Davis B. Nguyen, the MD who taught us the technique. Keep reading to find out how it's done!

Meet the Expert

Davis B. Nguyen, MD, is a top plastic surgeon serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, and NYC. He is dual board-certified in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

Kat Borchart

Dr. Nguyen recommends doing this massage technique morning and night with your serum. He's a fan of SkinMedica's TNS Essential Serum ($281). Aim for a full three minutes, but in a pinch, even just one minute will help wake up (and de-puff) your complexion.

1. Apply a nickel-sized amount of product to your fingertips. In circular motions, massage the product across the outer contours of your face, working inward. Continue this movement for about a minute.

2. Next, open your mouth slightly to find the hollows of your cheekbones. Place your index and middle fingers in the hollows. In upward motions, apply gentle pressure as you massage your cheeks. “Be careful not to drag the skin down; the goal is to lift here,” Dr. Nguyen says.

3. Finally, using your fingers and thumbs, pinch all along your jawline with firm pressure. Keep squeezing and releasing for a minute or two. This portion of the massage is especially important for lymphatic drainage: “Think of your chin and jawline as your facial ‘trash can,’ where all the toxic buildup gets disposed of,” Dr. Nguyen says. This technique promises to help flush that all out, leaving you puff-free.

4. Finish by giving your skin a little tap-tap-tap all over for extra stimulation. 

 

Photographer: Kat Borchart 

Hair and Makeup: Barbara Lamelza

Producer: Jenna Peffley

Model: Shiya

 

Will you try this de-puffing facial massage? Let us know! 

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