Does Facial Taping Actually Work?

In the pursuit of a sculpted face, I have tried many things – from microcurrent and nanocurrent devices, to frigid cryo wands and ice rollers. I’ve stuffed jade rollers in fridge drawers and massaged my face with a small, firm ball. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to instil regular gua sha into my routine, determined to carve out a bone structure from the puff I wake up to each day. For one fun, unhinged week last year, I stuck my face in a bowl filled with ice each morning. When it comes to a chiselled cheek and jawline, there’s little I wouldn’t do. But have I been getting it wrong? Could the key to a (happily) deflated face lie in a small roll of kinesiology tape? Julia Fox says yes.

Facial taping, the practise of taping specific areas of the face to alleviate fine lines, improve skin firmness and help drain the excess fluid that accumulates when we lack sleep or drink alcohol, has a celebrity following.

Fox, the actor, author, FROW staple and creative hyphenate, commented on a TikTok video of a woman face-taping saying “Omggg [sic], I thought I was the only person that did this.” Amanda Seyfried is a similar tape devotee, sharing in a 2020 interview that she affixes a small triangular piece of surgical tape each evening to help soften the line between her eyebrows as she sleeps.

Ostensibly a method of treating fine lines and wrinkles on the face, neck and décolleté, facial taping is somewhat divisive. There’s one school of thought that says women are picked over and picked at enough – ageing is a privilege and lines are not there to be softened or smoothed away. Another school says natural alternatives to popular tweakments like Botox and anti-wrinkle injections are beneficial due to their temporary, non-invasive nature. The third is that addressing lines and grooves in the skin is a personal choice that needn’t draw the attention or opinions of other people.

My outlook, that what we choose to do with our faces, our bodies and our lives is our business and no one else’s, is how I approach “anti-ageing” procedures and practices. A positive, safe space to explore things that make us feel better about ourselves – whatever that may be. With that in mind, let’s look more closely at facial taping.

Face taping is a beauty technique with roots that stretch back to before the turn of the 20th century. Kinesiology tape, surgical tape, adhesive silicone patches and craft paper are all commonly used and are taped over lines around the mouth, cheeks, eyes and forehead.

The idea is that by taping skin into a taut position, you can ‘train’ the muscles to stay in place and reduce sagging or loosening of the skin when you remove them. They can also help to alleviate lines and the loss of laxity that happens when you sleep on your side or face down.

On TikTok, the hashtag #FaceTaping has over 87 million views with a glut of tutorial and review videos populating it. While the majority of videos document anecdotal experiences (there is a general lack of clinical evidence when it comes to this technique), the underlying message is fairly consistent: face taping is a beneficial way to stop or delay wrinkles from forming.

However, the science is somewhat shakier with some skin professionals cautioning that it could cause more problems than it solves.

For celebrity facialist, founder of 001 Skincare and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Ada Ooi, face tape is a hyper-temporary measure that can’t mimic the effect of Botox or other anti-wrinkle injections. “Using tape is purely cosmetic, and temporary – lines are likely to reform within hours. It won’t prevent wrinkles and lines from forming,” she shares with The File. “And, by abnormally lifting the skin, you can also create irregular habitual lines, especially if the skin is dry or overstretched.”

So, while there may be visible results directly after removing the tape, the tone or firmness will diminish as the day goes on. While this isn’t ideal if you’re looking for a long-term solution that requires little maintenance, it does tick the box of being non-invasive, cheaper and doesn’t require the supervision of a professional. It’s low-risk but, seemingly, also low reward.

A word of caution if you have sensitive or reactive skin, though: pop a piece on your inner arm or neck before adhering it to your face as there’s a small chance you could be allergic to the adhesive or ingredients in the tape.

We’ve covered that facial taping is a highly temporary technique to soften both deep and fine lines, but could it help with the excess fluid (read: puff) that sits under the skin when we burn the candle at both ends or inhale a sodium-laden meal?

The science, while sparse, says yes. A 2023 study into the role of using kinesiology tape post-jaw surgery found that it helped reduce swelling, improve blood flow and contribute to lymph drainage. This, when compared to the non-taped group (who used pressure dressings and ice therapy), is a promising endorsement.

“The gentle pressure, pulling or stretching can encourage the movement of lymph fluid (an accumulation of fluid that sits under the skin and contributes to puffiness) but this is minimal when compared to a treatment like gua sha, cupping or massage,” Ooi explains. “When tape is applied to puffy areas it may also redistribute fluid but may not directly drain your lymph.”

Face-taping tutorials abound on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. The trick is to make sure the video you’re watching is fronted by a skin professional in some capacity. Whether that’s an aesthetician, facialist, dermatologist, doctor or skin expert, their advice will include the breadth of their experience and knowledge of the skin.

Face taping is a holistic, non-surgical, largely low-risk (besides the possibility of an allergic reaction or irritation) option. For wrinkles, the jury’s in: any observable effects won’t last beyond the day but you won’t lose much for trying, either. For general puffiness and water retention though, facial taping is a worthwhile consideration, especially if you dislike spending waking time trying to dig out your cheekbone or deflate your under eyes in the morning.