By: Juliana Pires Johnson
We call Celebrity Esthetician, Author and Founder of the KAIKA™ technique, Joomee Song, Hollywood’s best kept secret. She has naturally re-shaped the faces of some of the biggest stars with literally, her own hands. Her technique after one session had our friends asking us if we’d had masseter Botox and lost weight one day later. It was that noticeable. Below Joomee talks about her method and what you can do at home, if you are not one of the lucky ones to have her number and get a seat in her chair!
Q: Tell us a little about your unique technique – KAIKA™?
A: KAIKA™ is created to release tension in our facial muscles. More blood flow is created which means more oxygen and nutrients are being delivered to that specific area. Having the optimum mechanism in our face will bring more supple, chiseled, brighter, tighter skin with less redness. I usually start from the head, work down to the shoulders and come back up to the head, feeling every crevice and all of the tension that needs to be released and unblocked. You will actually leave the studio seeing much more clearly and breathing better. Your face and head feel lighter, and your features are more chiseled and tighter.
Normally, after 3-5 sessions, your facial shape will have begun to change: with sharper chin and cheeks, and less bulk on the masseters or jaw muscles. The more often you receive KAIKA™, the longer your face can hold the results in between sessions and your face will not become nearly as puffy after, say, a flight or occasions that often cause puffiness.
Q: How should we be massaging our faces daily, weekly, monthly? How can we incorporate facial massage between professional facials such as yours, with our AM and PM routines?
A: The best exercise for home is to just massage the face every day without being too technical about it. Technicality doesn’t matter here. It’s simply about taking care of yourself. Give yourself five minutes when you are taking a shower or in the bath to massage around the sinuses, eyes, and jaw, and visualize the tension being released. Depending on how much tension you carry, the glow will last you a couple days. Remember, it’s all about taking the time to let go of each day. It doesn’t need to be long; it simply needs to be consistent. You can incorporate facial massage at home with any professional facial. It only maximizes the benefits of professional facials by practicing daily facial massage at home.
Q: What are the main differences you notice on how women take care of their skins in the Eastern + Western cultures?
A: Generally speaking, we have lots more access to facial devices and chemical peels in the western culture. Oftentimes, these compromise the health and immunity of one’s skin. On the other hand, in eastern culture, access is very limited as to which facial machines they can operate and/or skincare ingredients they are allowed to use in a professional setting. This forces them to look deeper into how they can maximize their maintenance and preserve what they have.
Especially in Japanese culture. We use umbrellas and wear gloves under the sun. And that is part of our preservation method that has been passed down for generations.
Q: Tell us about how your method mimics or supersedes medical procedures? + – Can one actually slim down and “reshape” a sagging face with natural massage + current methods?
A: Our lymphatic drainage system lies in between the tissue and muscle and it has no pumping mechanism of its own – it relies on healthy muscle and joint movements to pump. So, what that means is that having stiff muscles in your face causes unhealthy blood flow and poor lymph circulation. This means our tissues do not receive enough nutrients and oxygen thus inadequate detoxification in our system. It can cause breakouts, redness, dull complexion, puffiness, and drooping on the cheeks due to the weight of water retention.
So, to answer your question, yes, one can slim down and reshape a sagging face by massaging the face diligently. You wouldn’t believe how much facial massage can change skin texture, overall health of one’s skin, facial shape and expression. Also, facial massage defines your facial structure, giving you more defined cheekbones, nose, eyes and jawline with smoother, tighter, brighter and more resilient skin.
However I am going to refrain from using words such as “mimics” or “supersedes” because all of us have different expectations for what medical procedures vs non-medical procedures are.
Q: Speaking of which, what are your recommendations for aging, sagging skin? Jowl/ necks, etc.?
A: The buccal massage is one of the facial massage techniques that specifically targets the drooping of the jowls.
Many of us have tried multiple ways to tighten and rid ourselves of the jowls by using face cremes or oils, medical procedures and so forth. And at this point there are only a couple of ways that meet our expectations. One is medical procedures, and the other option is to massage.
Q: What do you beg clients to never do to their skins? Any popular trends that you are for and against?
A: Over exfoliations and 12 steps skincare kill me the most.
Please remember that we need to maintain what we are supposed to have on our skin’s surface to protect us from the sun, allergens and dust from getting into our system. When you over exfoliate the skin, which is what we are told to do to keep our skin looking youthful, you are stripping NMF which eventually causes micro cracks on the skin’s surface. So, everything that touches the skin goes directly to the nerve ending which causes many reactions. I am noticing more people having issues with inflamed skin more than ever nowadays, mainly due to overuse of products that are too acidic and/or too alkaline. More than 80% of a client’s skin that I see are inflamed. And many people have been suffering through never-ending, vicious cycles of “next/better skincare” which only seems to make skin worse. Your skin becomes more susceptible to damage which ages the skin and creates all sorts of skin problems. As a result, one can incur various reactions which can include eczema. Currently, I am beginning to see many people who have developed “Perioral dermatitis” due to weakening of the skin’s health by these excessive products.
Q: Must have products for every woman over the age of 30?
A: Heavier moisturizer and a gentle cleanser regardless of your skin type.
Be stingy with your natural lubricant – don’t give it up so easily.