Facial Rollers Increase Blood Flow To The Skin

A daily five-minute massage with a face roller resulted in up to 25 percent increase in blood flow to the skin, researchers report.

AsianScientist (Nov. 19, 2018) – Scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, have examined the impact of face massage rollers on the skin. Their findings are published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

Beauty experts promote the use of face massage rollers and consumer demand for these products is strong. Yet, the scientific basis of their purported benefits have not been explored deeply.

In the present study, scientists led by Professor Naoyuki Hayashi of the Institute for Liberal Arts, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and colleagues at the Tokyo Healthcare University and the Research and Development Center, MTG Co. Ltd, examined the effects of using a massage roller on facial skin and blood flow.

In a short-term experiment, they observed that a five minute massage significantly increased facial skin blood flow in the massaged cheek, with a relative change of up to 25 percent. They visualized the change in blood flow using a non-invasive technique called laser speckle flowgraphy.

“The increase in skin blood flow after applying the massage roller persisted much longer than we had expected,” said the researchers. “Short-term mechanical stimulation by a facial massage roller increased skin blood flow for more than ten minutes solely in the massaged cheek.”

In a long-term experiment, the researchers examined the effects of daily massage on the right cheek over a five-week period. They also examined the reactivity of facial blood vessels to a heat stimulus, involving application of a heating probe set at 40°C, to test whether there were any changes in vascular dilation response.

They reported that the use of the facial massage roller improved blood flow response to heat stimulation. One explanation for this could be that endothelial cells in the massaged area produce more nitric oxide, which is known to be a potent vasodilator.


The article can be found at: Miyaji et al. (2018) Short- and Long-term Effects of Using a Facial Massage Roller on Facial Skin Blood Flow and Vascular Reactivity.

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Source: Tokyo Institute of Technology; Photo: Shutterstock.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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