How Facial Devices Can Support Your Face as You Age
A research-backed look at the skin, muscles and structures beneath the surface — and how facial tools may support them
When we notice our face beginning to change, we usually look first at the skin.
Perhaps the jawline appears softer, the cheeks look a little flatter or fine lines remain after we stop smiling. Sometimes the face simply looks more tired, even when we feel rested.
It is easy to assume these changes are caused by the skin becoming loose. But facial ageing is far more complex — and much more interesting — than that.
Beneath the skin are facial-fat compartments, muscles, ligaments, connective tissues and bone. These layers work together to create the contours, expressions and character of our face. As they gradually change over time, they influence what we eventually see in the mirror.
Understanding this gives us a more informed and positive way to care for our face. Rather than expecting one cream, serum or device to do everything, we can choose skincare and facial tools according to the particular layer or concern we want to support.
Your face is more than its skin
The face is not a flat surface. It is a living, moving structure made up of several interconnected layers:
- Bone creates the underlying framework.
- Ligaments and connective tissues help support the facial tissues.
- Facial-fat compartments provide cushioning, volume and contour.
- Muscles allow us to smile, speak, blink and express emotion.
- Skin forms the protective outer layer we see and touch.
Scientific research describes facial ageing as an interaction between all these layers, rather than a change occurring only within the skin.
This is an important distinction. A moisturiser may help relieve dryness and soften the appearance of fine lines, but changes in the cheeks or jawline may also involve the muscles, fat compartments and underlying support beneath the skin.
Once we understand that facial ageing happens at several levels, it becomes easier to see why skincare and facial tools can play different but complementary roles.
The underlying framework gradually changes
Although we tend to think of the adult skeleton as fixed, the bones of the face continue to remodel throughout life.
These changes do not occur evenly across the entire face. Research has identified age-related changes around areas including the eye sockets, cheeks, jaw and central face. Over time, this can influence the support available to the soft tissues above.
These gradual changes may contribute to:
- A flatter-looking midface
- Less projection through the cheek area
- Changes around the eyes
- A softer-looking jawline
- More visible folds around the nose and mouth
This does not mean the entire facial skeleton simply shrinks. Different areas remodel in different ways. Some openings may widen, certain angles can change and particular areas may provide less support than they once did.
These changes happen slowly, but they help explain why the overall shape of the face can evolve even when body weight remains relatively stable.
Facial fat helps shape the natural contours of your face
One of the most interesting facts about facial anatomy is that facial fat is not one continuous layer. It is arranged in separate compartments at different depths and in different areas of the face.
Together, these compartments help create the natural curves and contours around the cheeks, temples, eyes and lower face.
As we age, the distribution of volume within these compartments gradually changes. Some areas may become less full, while others become more noticeable. This helps explain why the face can appear more defined in one area and softer in another — even when body weight has not changed.
You may notice:
- A little less fullness around the temples or cheeks
- Greater definition beneath the eyes
- More visible contours around the nose and mouth
- A softer transition between the cheeks and lower face
These changes are a natural part of the face evolving over time. More importantly, understanding where they come from helps us make better choices about how we support the skin and facial contours.
Skincare can help improve hydration, texture and the appearance of the skin, while tools such as EMS and Gua Sha support different aspects of the face. EMS focuses on facial-muscle stimulation and visible tone, while Gua Sha provides gentle massage and may temporarily reduce puffiness.
Rather than viewing facial ageing as simply “losing volume,” it is more accurate to understand it as a gradual redistribution of facial shape. The character of the face remains — it simply continues to evolve.
What happens to facial muscles?
We use our facial muscles almost constantly, often without realising it.
They allow us to smile, laugh, squint, blink, chew and communicate emotion. Unlike many muscles elsewhere in the body, facial muscles frequently attach to the skin and soft tissues. This close relationship is what allows a thought or feeling to become visible as an expression.
Over time, facial muscles may change in several ways, including their:
- Thickness and volume
- Length and resting position
- Tone and efficiency
- Patterns of contraction
- Relationship with nearby fat and connective tissues
It is tempting to say that all facial muscles simply become weaker with age, but the science is more nuanced.
Some muscles may lose volume or become less efficient, while others remain highly active or develop increased resting tension. Years of smiling, frowning or squinting can also contribute to expression lines becoming more established.
These changes do not happen independently. Muscle, fat, bone, ligaments and skin continue to influence one another throughout the ageing process.
Research Spotlight
Recent anatomical research describes facial-muscle ageing as a complex interaction between muscle contraction, surrounding fat, connective tissues and underlying bone. This challenges the simple idea that facial ageing is caused only by loose skin or universally weakened muscles. It also helps explain why supporting the skin and stimulating the facial muscles may offer different but complementary benefits.
What happens within the skin?
While many facial changes begin below the surface, the skin itself also undergoes significant changes.
Collagen provides strength and structure, while elastin helps the skin return to its original shape after it moves. Over time, collagen production declines and existing collagen fibres can become fragmented and less organised.
The skin may also become thinner and less efficient at holding moisture. Natural oils can decrease, and the protective skin barrier may take longer to recover when it is disrupted.
These changes can contribute to:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Reduced elasticity
- Increased dryness
- A more delicate skin surface
- Uneven texture
- Slower recovery
- Greater sensitivity to environmental conditions
Sun exposure is another major influence. Ultraviolet radiation accelerates collagen breakdown and contributes to uneven pigmentation and visible skin ageing. This is why daily sun protection remains one of the most valuable steps in caring for the skin over time.
Why changes may become more noticeable after 40
Many women notice that their skin and facial contours begin to change more noticeably during their 40s and 50s.
This is not necessarily because their skincare has suddenly stopped working.
During perimenopause and menopause, declining oestrogen levels are associated with changes in skin collagen, thickness, elasticity, hydration and barrier function. Skin that previously felt balanced may begin to feel dry or less resilient. Fine lines may become more noticeable, and the face may appear to lose some of its earlier firmness.
These hormonal changes occur alongside the gradual changes taking place in the deeper facial layers.
Understanding this can be reassuring. If your skin begins behaving differently, it does not mean you have done something wrong. It may simply need a routine that better reflects its current needs.
Hydration, barrier-supporting skincare, sun protection and carefully selected facial tools can all contribute to a more thoughtful approach during this stage of life.
Where facial tools may help
Facial tools are often grouped together as though they all produce similar results. In reality, they work in different ways and support different concerns.
This is one of the reasons results and expectations can vary so widely. The most useful question is not necessarily, “Which facial tool is best?” It is:
Which part of my skin or facial appearance would I most like to support?
EMS: supporting facial-muscle activity
Electrical muscle stimulation uses controlled electrical impulses to produce gentle muscle contractions.
This gives EMS a different role from topical skincare. A moisturiser or serum is applied to the surface of the skin, while EMS is designed to stimulate the muscles beneath it.
With consistent use, EMS may help:
- Stimulate facial-muscle activity
- Support muscle conditioning
- Improve the appearance of facial tone
- Support more defined-looking cheeks and jawline
- Encourage local blood flow during treatment
- Complement a skincare routine by focusing on a different facial layer
An eight-week controlled study of facial neuromuscular electrical stimulation reported improvements in skin elasticity, facial wrinkles, sagging, blood flow and aspects of facial contour on the treated side.
The findings suggest that facial-muscle stimulation may influence more than how the muscles contract. The movement and increased local circulation associated with treatment may also affect the appearance of the overlying skin and soft tissues.
EMS is most helpful when viewed as part of a consistent routine rather than an occasional quick fix. Like exercising other muscles, regularity is likely to be more important than using the highest intensity.
Microneedling: supporting skin renewal and texture
Microneedling works primarily at the skin level.
Very fine needles create controlled microchannels in the skin, prompting a natural repair response. Research supports its potential use for concerns including uneven texture, fine lines, wrinkles and certain types of visible scarring.
Its role is therefore different from EMS. Microneedling focuses on skin renewal and remodelling, while EMS focuses more directly on muscle stimulation and visible tone.
Gua Sha: supporting massage and relaxation
Gua Sha uses gentle manual pressure and gliding movements across the face.
It can help turn a skincare routine into a slower, more relaxing ritual. It may also temporarily reduce the appearance of fluid-related puffiness, particularly when used gently and consistently.
For many people, its value is not limited to what they see in the mirror. Taking several minutes to massage the face can also release some of the tension held around the jaw, forehead and brow.
LED: supporting light-responsive processes in the skin
LED devices use specific wavelengths of light to support different processes within the skin.
Red, blue and amber light are not simply different colours of the same treatment. Their potential effects depend on the wavelength, intensity, treatment time and quality of the device.
Red light is commonly associated with skin-rejuvenation research, while blue light is more often studied for blemish-prone skin. Amber or yellow light is frequently used in devices intended to support a calmer and more even-looking complexion.
LED does not exercise facial muscles in the way EMS does. Instead, it works through light-responsive activity within the skin, giving it a distinct role within a facial-care routine.
Why one tool cannot do everything
Facial ageing is a layered process, so it makes sense that different approaches produce different results.
Skincare can support hydration, barrier function and the appearance of the skin. EMS focuses on facial-muscle stimulation. Microneedling encourages a skin-renewal response. Gua Sha offers massage and temporary depuffing, while LED supports light-responsive processes within the skin.
No single approach needs to do everything.
The aim is to understand what each product or tool is designed to support and choose according to your own skin, priorities and lifestyle.
A person concerned primarily with dryness may benefit most from barrier-supporting skincare. Someone wanting to support facial tone may be more interested in EMS. Texture may lead another person towards microneedling, while Gua Sha may suit someone seeking a gentle and restorative ritual.
The right choice begins with understanding the concern — not following the latest trend.
A more positive way to understand facial ageing
Learning how the face changes is not about searching for flaws.
It is about recognising that the face continues to evolve throughout life. Its layers remain interconnected, expressive and responsive to how we care for them.
Once we understand what is happening beneath the surface, visible changes can feel less mysterious. We can make more informed decisions and build routines around what our skin and facial appearance need now — not what they needed 10 or 20 years ago.
Thoughtful skincare, sun protection, healthy daily habits and well-chosen facial tools can all play a role. The goal is not to erase every sign of life from the face. It is to support the skin and facial contours so we can continue to feel rested, confident and cared for.
That is what ageing well can look like: not fighting the face we see today, but understanding it better.
Continue learning
Not sure which facial tool suits your concerns?
Read: EMS vs Microneedling vs Gua Sha vs LED — Which Facial Tool Is Right for Your Skin? →
References
- Swift A, et al. The Facial Aging Process From the “Inside Out”. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2021.
- Cotofana S, et al. The Anatomy of the Aging Face: A Review. Facial Plastic Surgery. 2016.
- Mendelson B, Wong CH. Changes in the Facial Skeleton With Aging. Clinics in Plastic Surgery. 2012.
- Zargaran D, et al. Facial Skin Ageing: Key Concepts and Overview of Processes. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2022.
- Yi KH, et al. The Aging Process of Facial Muscles. 2025.
- Raine-Fenning NJ, et al. Skin Aging and Menopause: Implications for Treatment. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2003.
- Omatsu J, et al. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Facial Wrinkles and Sagging. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2024.