Is face taping the next beauty fad? Here's why you should think twice before trying it

Face taping has become a popular trend in the beauty industry as a way to contour and slim down the face. The method involves applying strips of adhesive tape to certain areas of the face, pulling the skin taut to create a more defined look.

While facial taping may offer some temporary benefits, like a more defined jawline and cheekbones, it's important to understand the potential risks and limitations of this technique.

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What is face taping?

Creates a firm and tighter skin texture.(Image via Instagram/bellesa_lena_tomczak)

Face taping is a beauty ritual that involves applying tape to the face. The tape is used to lift the skin and create a tighter, more youthful appearance. That's done by lifting the skin away from the eyes, nose and mouth to create a smooth surface for makeup application and give you a dewy look.

There are many techniques for face taping, but they all involve placing pieces of medical-grade surgical tape at strategic points on the face or neck (depending on what you're trying to achieve). Once placed correctly, it lifts the facial muscles off the bones so that they appear less prominent while also making them firmer-looking underneath all that tension.

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What are the benefits of face taping?

Reduces wrinkles on the forhead and neck (Image via Unsplash/XsLGYaQ)

The benefits of face taping are numerous and can be seen as soon as the tape is removed.

The most common reasons people use tape are to decrease puffiness, reduce wrinkles on the face and neck, improve skin texture and tone, get rid of under-eye bags or circles (also known as dark circles) and help with acne scarring.

It's important to note that many of these same benefits can be achieved through other methods like creams or serums apart from other forms of non-invasive treatments such as lasers or chemical peels.

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How do you do it?

To start, you will need to find the right tape. The best kind of tape for that is a medical-grade adhesive that's hypoallergenic, like DermaFix or Nexcare tapes (both are available at drugstores).

You can also use non-medical grade versions if you're willing to risk irritation on your skin, but make sure they're not too sticky. Once your supplies are ready, there are a few ways you can apply them:

• Place one strip horizontally across the bridge of your nose, and press it into place with your fingers.
• Do the same thing vertically along each cheekbone with another piece overlapping it just slightly so that its ends meet in the middle at an angle pointing down where it meets up with its partner horizontally across from where you started.
• That should give you two horizontal strips and two vertical ones, running along the centerline of the face.

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Is it safe?

This method is not FDA-approved yet. (Image via Instagram @frownies.fr)

It's important to keep in mind that face taping is not FDA-approved. In fact, there are no studies on the long-term effects of this beauty treatment.

The biggest concern with face taping is that it could cause damage or irritation to the skin if done incorrectly or too aggressively. That can lead to bruising, which may last for several days after removing the tape (if you do choose to remove it).

If you have sensitive skin or rosacea, you should avoid using this method altogether, as there's no telling what could happen if something goes wrong.

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Some risks to be aware of

• It can be painful.
• It may not work for everyone.
• It's time-consuming, especially if you have to do it every day or multiple times per week.
• Taping the face is messy and leaves behind residue on the skin that needs to be cleaned off before applying makeup or other products (which makes sense, as tape is sticky).

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So what's the verdict? Should you try face taping? It all depends on your goals and your willingness to take risks.

If you want to look younger, it might be a good option for you. However, if you're just looking for an alternative way to relax, there are plenty of other ways like gua sha tool that doesn't have as much potential harm involved.