Gentle is the Key Word for Massage
There are two layers of skin; the dermis and the epidermis. Then there is another layer under these, called the subcutaneous layer. All these layers together are essentially the thickness of typing paper on the face. This subcutaneous layer also contains fat. Hence, it’s often called the subcutaneous layer of fat. If you pinch and roll this layer you can actually break it down, causing damage. You should not beat it up. Instead, you can gently work the face through massage and exercise, keeping in mind that “gentle” is the key word here and something miraculous happens. The CFF™ program offers a safe, effective facial massage.
The Following discussion is from a consultation with Dr. Richard H Tew, M.D., Harvard graduate, Family Practitioner, Integrated Medicine:
*The Structure of the Face Can be Addressed Through Exercise and Massage
The face has a unique facial structure compared to the rest of the body. My impressions about aging of the face have to do with some “weird properties” of facial tissues: the skin itself and cartilage. As I understand it, both these tissues continue to grow as we age. This is a very slow process, but it results in subtle changes in facial geometry and in the ears and nose most noticeably. The nose and ear cartilage both grow and further the facial skin grows, as well. How much of what the face shows as it ages comes from this process? It likely contributes to facial sagging.
On top of this, the face retains the person’s life. This is a sort of “body memory”. We know this when a person manifests an expression that is not congruent with the present moment. We might say: “Something is on his/her mind.” But actually it’s in her body, her face and in her (facial) posture!
Both euphoria and depression can be seen in people’s faces. Constant worry is another common expression. And since our face is what others look at and react to, our facial “posture” evokes reactions from others and we not infrequently learn about ourselves from those reactions. To the extent a facial posture is fixed – and it can fairly be described this way in many people – the musculature of the face loses tone, except for those muscles held in constant contraction.
The CFF™ System Returns to the Practitioner a Full Range of Facial Expression
This cannot be accomplished from any passive (ie, electrical or drug) scheme of facial restoration because the person’s intention is part of the restoration process. Furthermore, you not only exercise particular groups of muscles, you also massage these muscles to help restore the full range of motion lost through atrophy and “fixed” expressions. The technique of tightening the muscles before sliding across the skin exerts an extra stretch on the fascia, connecting the underlying muscles and the skin as well as exerting more direct forces on the skin itself (with likely activates the skin to become more active metabolically). This is precisely what happens to bone; forces on the bone determine where the bone grows and those forces also determine the orientation of the bone tissue. It seems likely this sort of physiology also occurs to a degree in non-ossious facial tissue. Keeping the muscles tight when sliding limits the forces placed on the skin to a very local area. This prevents lateral (non-physiologic) stretching of facial areas remote to the area being worked upon. *
Properly Massaging the Face Gives You the Look You want
Consequently, the massage techniques that the CFF™ system employs not only helps to restore facial expressions to their most natural response, but it helps to restore the integrity of the complicated facial structure so that it is more elastic, firmer, smoother and more vital looking in the face of the one using the massage techniques.
*Consultation with Dr. Richard H Tew, M.D., Harvard graduate, Family Practitioner, Integrated Medicine