By learning the techniques associated with facial massage, you can help your clients look younger and feel better.

Facial massage is typically applied with the hands, using a small amount of oil or lotion to help ease the movement across delicate facial areas. The massage techniques can help prevent wrinkles and tension lines from appearing through the stimulation of blood vessels in the face and relaxing the muscles.

By learning the benefits and techniques of facial massage techniques in the privacy of your home or office trough home study courses, massage therapists can easily implement these tools into their practice. Some benefits of facial massage include relieving symptoms of stress, migraine headache, premenstrual syndrome and sinus congestion. Facial massage also can help improve your skin, facial muscle tone and aide in the relaxation of facial and eye muscles.

An Internet search resulted in numerous home study courses that any massage therapist can take to fulfill their continuing education requirements.

For facial massage, some of the courses offered cover such topics as stimulation of meridian points, correction of the body’s imbalances, acupressure and modalities.

Recent studies have shown that facial massage can reduce anxiety and alleviate negative moods.

The study, “The facial massage reduced anxiety and negative mood status, and increased sympathetic nervous activity,” measured the effects of a 45-minute facial massage on 32 Japanese women between 20 and 40 years old.

During the study, researchers had the women receive the same types of massages, where a cream-based lubricant was used, in private rooms. After the sessions, the women received a steam treatment and a second facial massage. During the second massage, a moisturizing lotion was used.

Before and after the massage, researchers used an electrocardiogram to measure the subjects heart rates, along with parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous activity. The researchers found that parasympathetic nervous activity increased during the massage, and sympathetic nervous activity increased after the facial massage, according to the recent study. Anxiety and negative mood also decreased significantly after the massage sessions.

Make sure you check with your national and state licensing bodies to make sure the courses you select are acceptable for your continuing education credits.

–Jeremy Maready