Downside to Tanaka massage?
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Tue May 25, 2010 6:38 am

Hello, ladies.... I have a question for all of you Tanaka massagers....have you noticed any "negatives" that came from doing the massage? I've been doing it for a few weeks now, and have just recently noticed that about an inch outside of each NL, I have a NEW set of wrinkles. They are perfectly ( ) shaped, and due to the rapid onset, I think I can easily assume that they are from the massage. It's been three days since I last performed it, and I can see that they are fading, but...now my eyes and upper face are more fluid-filled than ever before. I feel like I need the lymph drainage, but I'm afraid to start doing the massage again. Has anyone else experienced negative results? (and yes, I'm doing the movements correctly.) Thanks in advance for any comments, thoughts or advice. ~Lori

free skin care · Tue May 25, 2010 6:46 am

The only negative thing I experienced was having some breakouts. No new wrinkles.
Sometimes I experienced that when I improve my facial contour somehow and bigger flaws fade a bit (like eye circles, forehead lines and NL folds) I realize that I have some minor wrinkles that had been there before, but became more visible only after the bigger ugly things became less dominant.

Tue May 25, 2010 6:55 am

Thanks for your thoughts, Sycamore...I LOL'd at the "bigger, uglier" comment! Wink

The thing is, I don't really have bad NLs at all, and I've become obsessed with noticing every new line and crease on my face, so I don't think that this is something that was already there. I have a moderate set of smile lines, but these are just outside of those and are definitely new. At first I thought it was bruising from doing the massage so vigorously, and now that they're fading, I'm even more convinced that that is a possibility, but the actual lines are still there, although faint now. I wanted to start doing facial exercising, but am now afraid that I'll create new problems while eliminating old ones. Maybe I should just come to terms with my saggy face. Confused

free skin care · Tue May 25, 2010 6:56 am

I just did the massage for a few days and probably not very correctly as I was new at it and the directions are a bit hard to get used to with all the things to remember. but...I did notice that the jowl area on one side was worse, seemed to fall more forward and be more pronounced. It did freak me out a bit so I stopped and within a few days it returned to normal. I may try again with less pressure. I do use upward motions along my jowls and then down the side from temple to lower neck to drain the lymph area when I use my cleanser and applying moisturizer.

free skin care · Wed May 26, 2010 10:19 am

I did the massage for several months. While I loved the lymphatic drainage, I had horrible breakouts. I don't usually get breakouts so it wasn't aggravating an existing condition. It was causing me to have breakouts for the first time in my life. I kept it up, hoping that it was a detox symptom and that the breakouts would get better. Instead, it kept getting worse and worse. I finally had to quit. The breakouts cleared up quickly and I am now back to normal. I wouldn't dare try it again.

Fri May 28, 2010 5:38 am

That's interesting, Tonia. I had a few breakouts around my chin when I first started it, but after I switched to using a cleanser during the massage, they disappeared.

The wrinkle lines I mentioned have disappeared. I think that it was also slightly bruised. I'm going to try to start it again using less pressure in that area. Maybe I'm stronger than I think. Rolling Eyes

Fri Jan 28, 2011 6:37 am

hmmmm. I know facial massage is very good. I saw the Tanaka massage method on YouTube a year ago and I have been reluctant to try it. However this morning I oiled my face with shea butter (unrefined, African Very Happy

Yeah Coastal Scents!) and did it for the first time. I noticed a rejuvenated look to my face but I am worried about breaking out. I certainly do not want that. I am in my early 30's and I have just gotten the hormonal thing under control (all of a sudden @ 30 I had bad skin like I was a teenager again) It was an effort and expensive to clear my skin and fade the residual marks. If this is a common side effect of Tanaka...I don't want to do it. advice anyone?

free skin care · Fri Jan 28, 2011 12:23 pm

CaryBear wrote:

hmmmm. I know facial massage is very good. I saw the Tanaka massage method on YouTube a year ago and I have been reluctant to try it. However this morning I oiled my face with shea butter (unrefined, African Very Happy

Yeah Coastal Scents!) and did it for the first time. I noticed a rejuvenated look to my face but I am worried about breaking out. I certainly do not want that. I am in my early 30's and I have just gotten the hormonal thing under control (all of a sudden @ 30 I had bad skin like I was a teenager again) It was an effort and expensive to clear my skin and fade the residual marks. If this is a common side effect of Tanaka...I don't want to do it. advice anyone?

well, I think that is better to avoid to do Tanaka with this butter you mentioned, some nice cleanser could be better choice if you are prone to breaking out. I think I read several experiences of forum members here - when they switch to cleanser those problems with skin stopped.

Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:08 am

Thank you so much! after I'd read LBoz's post I figured I might try it with cleanser as I am getting a *small* breakout. Congested pores is what I am experiencing. I use shea butter on my face all the time but like most things for me it's never a constant. Neutral

Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:01 pm

Not sure if you've seen this thread, CaryBear, but there is some discussion on Tanaka and breakouts starting around the middle to the end of the thread:

Tanaka Facial Massage (bone, muscle & lymph drainage)
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=36457

free skin care · Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:13 am

I recently started doing the tanaka massage using rose hip seed oil and now I have 3 giant cystic pimples on my forehead *ouch*!! Crying or Very sad

As well as a few normal pimples.

I feel like I'm 16 again Laughing

However, the rest of my face looks radiant once I'm done with the massage so I think I'm going to keep using the oil for a little longer and hope that the pimples eventually go away, and stay away.

free skin care · Sat Mar 05, 2011 6:00 am

I'll start by saying that I am 46 and I still suffer from hormonal breakouts (I have PCOS). I tried Tanaka twice and always loved the results - but hated the horrible breakouts. Tanaka would always make my breakouts much, much worse and I would get those awful cystic pimples that looked horrendous (red and swollen) and would take months to heal (I still have some skin discoloration months later). First time around - I was using rose-hip oil thinking it was safe for my skin. It wasn't. Second time - I tried it with organic pure aloe vera gel. Breakouts again. I may give it a try with a cleanser.

free skin care · Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:45 pm

The Tanaka massage is very powerful and it's easy to think that doing it more often is better. But it's not. If you over massage you will cause unpleasant facial changes. I do Tanaka but I adapt it for my face. I only do it once per day. I focus on the lymph drainage around the eyes and skip some of the movements focusing on the lower part of the face.

Tanaka was developed for Asian faces which have a different bone structure to caucasian faces and are more prone to lymph blockages around the jaw. You need to adapt it if you aren't ethnically asian.

free skin care · Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:18 am

I had an extreme reaction to Tanaka when I began it back in Oct 2009. I had to stop after 3 months due to cysts and pimples. I was using various types of oil.

I've since used it with vasaline (no spots but don't like the way it makes my skin feel), moisturisers (dry up too quickly) but I'm now using pure high strength aloe vera gel without any reaction. However I use it when in the bath so it remains moist for longer on my steamy skin. The gel sinks into my skin too quickly when using it normally. But anyway, one month later still no spots which is an interesting contrast to Rubby's experience.

On the initial post mentioning parenthesis lines round the mouth, I developed these very quickly 2 years ago from over exfoliating and were exasperated by doing the Ageless routine. The only two things that improved them was regular Tanaka massage and making sure I drink lots of water.

free skin care · Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:00 am

I've been doing the tanaka massage for two weeks now and no longer getting pimples

I really love the way it makes my skin feel but I don't know if it benefits the wrinkles in any way... I'm not noticing improvements.
Is it just too soon to notice any changes?

Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:17 am

No negatives what so ever. The only thing is slight breakouts, which I avoided after being very generous with the avocado oil I have been using. Be sure to do them exactly as the model does them and only twice a day, preferably morning and night (per Tanaka)

As for the positives, my face is pretty "skinny"
but my girlfriend has a bit of soft nasial folds and they are already starting to fade out after about ten days on the program.

free skin care · Thu Mar 10, 2011 4:16 pm

when I follow the tanaka video for the eye massage portion, I notice that I make a TON of wrinkles around the eye area. I have thin skin around the eye area...

should I use a lighter touch so my fingers glide over the eye area without causing wrinkles? Or is the firm pressure necessary for eye area as well for lymphatic drainage?

free skin care · Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:33 pm

freckles00 wrote:

when I follow the tanaka video for the eye massage portion, I notice that I make a TON of wrinkles around the eye area. I have thin skin around the eye area...

should I use a lighter touch so my fingers glide over the eye area without causing wrinkles? Or is the firm pressure necessary for eye area as well for lymphatic drainage?

What do you use to massage?

My fine lines are actually getting much better after the massage, and I have recently added a few more steps (I learned from a 3D lift-up Japanese massage book)for my under-eye area. I have no eye bags, and minimal fine lines.

I have increased to massage 10 mins/each, 2 times a day. Besides adding 3D massage for my under eye and cheek area, I also focus a lot on my neck. It makes a big difference. Whoever see me will ask what have I done recently and wonder why I look younger.

free skin care · Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:35 am

NotMeNotYou wrote:

The Tanaka massage is very powerful and it's easy to think that doing it more often is better. But it's not. If you over massage you will cause unpleasant facial changes. I do Tanaka but I adapt it for my face. I only do it once per day. I focus on the lymph drainage around the eyes and skip some of the movements focusing on the lower part of the face.

Tanaka was developed for Asian faces which have a different bone structure to caucasian faces and are more prone to lymph blockages around the jaw. You need to adapt it if you aren't ethnically asian.

Thanks NotMeNotYou. This is interesting. Out of nowhere I started pressing my face the other day and was struck by how amazing it felt. And then I realized that the method I was naturally using (pressing & rolling) was something I'd read about in the Dr.Hauschka literature and watched before in the Tanaka video! And thought was quite odd at the time, lol. So it may be time for me to get serious and start. I bought the lulu stuff, but never did it.

Anyway, do you know of somewhere where I could read more about how to identify where my particular lymph blockages may be?
(Thanks again, I always find myself benefitting from your contributions here)

free skin care · Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:10 pm

critic, i use hemp seed oil to massage my face.
i had some pimples initially but not any more.

Quote:

I have recently added a few more steps (I learned from a 3D lift-up Japanese massage book)for my under-eye area. I have no eye bags, and minimal fine lines.

can you please explain what the 3D life up massage is? i have a huge problem with thin skin around my eye area Sad

i really appreciate your post on tanaka massage. it's making the most difference in my skin care routine, much more effective than serums and creams!

free skin care · Thu May 12, 2011 10:27 pm

critic wrote:

I have increased to massage 10 mins/each, 2 times a day. Besides adding 3D massage for my under eye and cheek area, I also focus a lot on my neck. It makes a big difference. Whoever see me will ask what have I done recently and wonder why I look younger.

Wow Critic, u are a skincare guru. Can you please share how to remove eye bags, dark circles and the neck as well?

Can the book be bought from dang dang?!

Sun May 15, 2011 11:36 pm

Thanks Sycamore, you provide good information. am also experiencing same..

Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:15 am

I was reading on another site about lymph drainage and the side effects of it. someone was saying he is an expert in lymph message and that doing Tanaka message so vigorously could cause skin discoloration. I dismissed the opinion as a criticism that comes from competition. I have done the Tanaka Message for the past 2 months once a day and my initial observation is that it made my skin healthier and smoother. But a couple of weeks back, I noticed a big patch on my right cheek. I also noticed that I started to have noticeable jowls, which I did not have before.

I stopped doing the message and now using rosehip oil which seems to help with the patch. I also noticed the jowls disappearing.

I would luv to be able to do the message again but a bit hesitant.

Anyone experienced similar side effect? Could it be that I should apply less pressure while doing the message?

free skin care · Tue Aug 28, 2012 3:23 am

Zwayny thats interesting as I know someone else said something about not doing it daily because it overstimulated the lymph system and made it lazy or something, but I'd love to know which site you read about it on and who the competitor was?

Theresa

zwayny wrote:

I was reading on another site about lymph drainage and the side effects of it. someone was saying he is an expert in lymph message and that doing Tanaka message so vigorously could cause skin discoloration. I dismissed the opinion as a criticism that comes from competition.

free skin care · Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:51 am

I do tanaka at least once a day (usually twice) and I haven't noticed anything like that yet. My experience has been overall positive, but I've only been doing it regularly for a few months.

Do keep us posted, though. I'm a little scared now, lol.

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