Beauty fix: Is face taping really an alternative to Botox and can any other device or skincare do the trick?

Everybody loves a quick fix and if it’s easy and affordable, all the better. A seemingly recent trend that in fact has been around for years is face taping as an accessible alternative to Botox.

If you’ve managed to ignore or avoid all knowledge of face taping, it is what it says it is, the practice of applying sticky tape to areas that traditionally have the most furrows, such as forehead, the nasolabial ‘marionette’ lines from noses to the mouth and the ‘11’ lines between the brows.

The idea is that by immobilising the muscles with tape, and doing it overnight as you sleep and doing it consistently, the muscles will move less and also ‘learn’ to move less, thus reducing wrinkles. You can very easily find all sorts of tape designed for this purpose, and glowing endorsements, but does it really work?

“While face taping may temporarily soften the appearance of fine lines by physically immobilising the skin, there’s no scientific evidence that it has any long-term anti-ageing benefit,” says Dr Caitriona Ryan, co-founder of the Institute of Dermatologists. “In fact, repeated taping can irritate the skin or even cause contact dermatitis. Unlike Botox, which works by temporarily blocking the nerve signals to overactive muscle to relax them for months, tape cannot impact muscle movement in a meaningful or lasting way.”

What about gua sha tools or face yoga exercises, can they make a meaningful difference?

Gua sha tools are flat, smooth devices, curved to fit the contours of the face and made of bone, stone or even metal. Originating in traditional Chinese medicine, you drag or ‘scrape’ — though it’s not supposed to hurt — the gua sha across the face to improve circulation and blood flow. Over time, some suggest, muscle tone can be improved and lines smoothed.

With face yoga, a sequence of exercises promise to tone the muscles and improve slackness. “Both practices aim to stimulate circulation and lymphatic drainage,” Dr Ryan says. “They can certainly reduce puffiness and create a temporarily brighter, more sculpted appearance and can also improve facial tension, which may help with clenching of the jaw and reduce frowning.”

Consistency and correct use is crucial with both of these and where a lot of people fall down. Neither, says Dr Ryan, will do the work of Botox.

“They may improve the appearance of fluid retention or puffiness and subtly improve skin tone, but they do not significantly affect deeper wrinkles or static lines caused by muscle movement over time.”

I’ve read about at-home devices that use microcurrents, are they effective?

“These devices deliver low-level electrical currents to stimulate facial muscles. They can provide temporary firming or lifting effects and are among the more promising home tools available. With regular and correct use, they may help maintain muscle tone and improve skin texture,” says Dr Ryan.

“Results are subtle, and require consistency as changes in muscle tone are very temporary, and still fall short of the longevity and precision of Botox or skin-tightening procedures.”

Finally, is there any skincare that might do the trick?

There has been a lot of noise lately about the ingredient Argireline as ‘Botox in a bottle’. As can often be the case, a lot of the online testimonials are from people too young to be deeply lined, but plenty of lived-in faces report good results too. So can a serum really rub out a wrinkle?

“While the comparison between Botox and Argireline, a synthetic peptide, is a bit of a stretch, there is some science behind its mechanism of action and potential benefits” says Dr Ryan.

“Argireline works by inhibiting a group of proteins that play a key role in the release of neurotransmitters. By doing this, it can reduce the repetitive muscle movements that contribute to dynamic wrinkles such as crow’s feet and forehead lines.”

However, because a skincare serum cannot penetrate as deeply in to the skin as an injectable, it is not going to significantly alter the action of the face muscles. Basically, it works, but it’s only skin deep.

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%, €11.20, Brown Thomas; Space NK; boots.ie

It can be used all over the skin or in targeted areas where lines are a concern. Some good results are reported when you layer this serum with a serum containing matrixyl — also available from this brand — the latter of which claims to work on lines and wrinkles by promoting collagen to fill them in.

Haumea RF Supersculpt Pro, €275, huameaskincare.com

This Irish skincare brand has several at-home devices in their range, and this new addition offers radio frequency, electrical muscle stimulation, LED light therapy and multi-frequency vibrations all in one tool. Easy to use at home in your down time, with no recovery time.

Ella & Jo Rose Quartz Gua Sha, €20, ellaandjo.ie

Gua sha tools are often made with rose quartz, which has been used through the centuries for its anti-inflammatory and cooling effect. If you find a gua sha drags on dry skin uncomfortably, it can be used with a facial oil, but dry skin is traditionally preferred for a scraping effect.