If you're caught up on WellnessTok, there's a strong chance you've seen videos of your favorite creators on the receiving end of a buccal massage. Tell-tale signs: teeth bared, cheeks pulled taught, and gloves hands probing the deepest corners of someone's jaws.
And while this treatment looks like something ripped straight from an alien abduction film, it's actually one of the most hands-on and effective ways to pamper and contour the oft-forgotten facial muscles. There's a good reason buccal massage has gotten so popular, recruiting suspected fans like Princess Kate, Meghan Markle, and Jennifer Lopez : its benefits are many.
From facial sculpting and tension release to temporomandibular joint dysfunction TMJ relief and improved circulation, the intense techniqueβwhich involves massaging hard-to-reach muscles in the face from inside the mouthβis recommended by dermatologists and dentists alike.
It's often incorporated into lymphatic drainage facials and massages, making it an extra level-up within already powerful self-care rituals. So, in the spirit of wellness and a looser jaw, I road-tested a buccal massage myself to see if the juice was worth the squeeze. I also consulted seasoned experts about the treatment's pros, cons, risks, and cost.
Here's everything you need to know about buccal massage, plus my first-hand review. Buccal massage targets the buccal pad the fat tissue located between the cheekbones and jaw and inside of the mouth to relax muscle tension in these areas. During the massage, your providerβwho, according to cosmetic dentist and founder of Les Belles NYC Dentistry Sharon Huang, DDS, should be a professional physical therapist, aesthetician, or massage therapist with specialized training in the techniqueβwill massage the interior and exterior of the mouth and cheek area with their hands.
