Face and mouth-taping trend potentially dangerous, say doctors

SINGAPORE – In a TikTok video, @itzamelika, an influencer from Germany, is seen going to bed five nights in a row with large oval patches plastered on her forehead.

She removes the patches each morning and the creased lines on her forehead appear to fade as the days pass.

By the end of the 22-second video, which has amassed almost 13 million views, the lines appear to have disappeared completely, and she tells her audience that it even became difficult to raise her eyebrows.

@itzamelika, who has 139,000 followers on TikTok, is just one proponent of face taping, which is the use of tape to prevent fine lines and wrinkles in areas such as the forehead and nasolabial folds.

The use of kinesiology tape on the face is part of a larger international anti-ageing beauty trend.

@itzamelika says she started taping her face overnight as she tends to over-emote using facial expressions.

Netizens claim taping trains one’s face to reduce muscle contraction and thus prevents lines from forming.

Users have been known to tape their faces both while awake and asleep, “training” their faces consciously and subconsciously.

While there are specially formulated face tapes such as the Reusable Forehead Mask by Los Angeles-based beauty brand Skin Gym and Wrinkle Patches by American company Frownies, people have also been known to use both regular and medical-grade ones.

One user on online shopping platform Shopee said in a review of a pack of anti-wrinkle patches that she saw visible improvements with her fine lines after “just a few hours” of use.

But experts The Straits Times spoke to questioned the validity of such claims and even warned of face taping’s potential dangers.

Dr Adrian Ooi, a plastic surgeon and medical director of Polaris Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, said there is “some basis” behind taping if it helps reduce facial movement.

He said: “Part of facial ageing and the formation of fine lines and wrinkles is the pulling action of the underlying muscle on the skin, as well as the loss of collagen and elastin.

“The premise behind taping the face is to reduce muscle movement and keep skin taut. This can be achieved through various ways, both consciously and subconsciously.”

He added that he uses kinesiology tape for face taping post-operatively to reduce movement and swelling.

Dermatologist Kong Yan Ling, co-founder of skin clinic DermAlly, was hesitant about the long-term benefits.

Said Dr Kong: “Face tape may help to temporarily lift the skin and smoothen wrinkles while it is left on the face, but the effects would last for only as long as the tape is kept on.”

In fact, she said that the practice may actually accelerate the formation of fine lines because taping the face to hold certain muscles still “theoretically adds resistance when using that muscle”.

This means that facial muscles have to work harder to move when the tape is applied and would over time become stronger, hence accelerating the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

The exaggerated stretching of the skin when removing the tape could also increase laxity and accelerate the signs of ageing.

While both Dr Ooi and Dr Kong said there is no immediate danger in face taping, both agreed that those with sensitive or fragile skin might have increased chances of developing allergic reactions from the glue of the tape, especially if it is not formulated to be used on skin.

These manifest as itchy red rashes, and pimple breakouts can also occur from occluding parts of the face with tape.

People with fragile skin might also damage their skin barrier when removing the tape if the adhesive is too strong. And if applied incorrectly, the tape can even cause blistering.

One Shopee user who also purchased anti-wrinkle patches said that they were “painful to remove” and a “waste of money”.

When asked for anti-ageing alternatives to face taping, experts said there is a wide array of options that can deliver similar results.

Dermatologist Coni Liu, co-founder of DermAlly, said: “To address skin laxity that is causing the sagging of skin, there are many non-surgical ways to achieve a ‘facelift’.”

These include energy-based procedures using a high-intensity focused ultrasound or radio frequency.

“These treatments stimulate collagen production at different layers of the skin, resulting in firmer and tightened skin,” Dr Liu said.

Other alternatives include less invasive procedures such as botox injections, as well as more drastic methods like surgical facelifts.

For those who prefer a stay-home option, Dr Ooi said a curated skincare regimen that includes the use of antioxidants, retinol, moisturiser and sun protection can do wonders in improving skin quality.

Antioxidants, moisturiser and sunscreen can help protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation and pollution. Antioxidants and retinol also help exfoliate the skin and increase collagen production, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

“When thinking about this, total paralysis is not the aim,” he said.

A similar trend, where people tape their mouth shut to sleep has also gained traction for its alleged health and aesthetic benefits.

Online influencers have claimed that sealing their mouth forces them to breathe through their nose instead, resulting in a more chiselled jawline and straighter nose over time.

People have been seen using medical and cosmetic-grade tapes and even the likes of Scotch tape to seal their mouth shut before bed.

While experts agreed that breathing through the nose is ideal as the air is filtered and humidified, most said little can be done to change the appearance of the adult nose and jaw without medical procedures.

They also warned that amateur mouth taping is scientifically unsound and even dangerous.

Dr Dennis Chua, an ear, nose and throat specialist from ENT Surgeons Medical Centre, said: “If someone needs to mouth-breathe during sleep, it is a sign of nasal obstruction.

“Taping the mouth of a patient with a nasal obstruction can potentially result in oxygen levels dropping during sleep, which is a condition known as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).”

Beyond causing chronic snoring, OSA can also lead to an increased risk of congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke.

Surgeon Goh Yau Hong, who owns Ear Nose Throat, Head & Neck Surgery, agreed: “Mouth taping in the presence of nasal obstruction is just plainly not plausible.

“Taping of the mouth or wearing a jaw strap is a simplistic and dangerous method of dealing with mouth breathing. These measures are, however, often employed after one undergoes corrective nasal surgery.”

For alternatives to achieve that chiselled jaw and nose, doctors advised that aligning the teeth with dental devices could work in streamlining one’s jawline.

Botox injections can also be used in slimming down these facial features.

Dr Ooi said that while reducing muscle action can help with wrinkle prevention, people should also preserve their natural beauty, which is highlighted through expressed emotions.

He added that natural beauty includes dynamic age-appropriate features.

“In a 60-year-old facelift patient, there should still be the ability to develop slight wrinkles with smiling – this is the emotional aspect of beauty.”