Rubber band therapy

Amidst the ever-evolving landscape of hi-tech skin gadgets, a new trend has captured the attention of South Koreans, with a promise of swift lifting and contouring effects. All that’s required is a simple pair of rubber bands.

The secret? Hang the rubber bands around your ears for about 10 minutes.

This therapy has earned public endorsements from celebrities like Seo In-guk, Myung Se-bin and Kim Ha-young, with a variety of related content available on YouTube and social media.

Actor and singer Seo shared on his YouTube channel that he stumbled upon this quick de-puffing method in a reel some time ago, and has since incorporated it into his routine whenever he feels his face is swollen from the previous night's drinking or upon waking up in the morning.

Actor Myung, while appearing on KBS reality show “Fun-Staurant,” wore rubber bands around her ears as part of her morning routine, coupled with a lymphatic circulation massage.

As the rubber band therapy went viral, a medical specialist offered her expert opinion that it could help enhance lymphatic circulation from under the ears down to the collarbone.

Dr. Lee Kyung-shil, a family medicine specialist, explained the benefits of hanging rubber bands around one's ears on her YouTube channel, PosiDoc Gyeongsil.

According to her, facial swelling is primarily due to lymphatic circulation disorders. The lymph nodes, which circulate more fluid than our blood, are crucial for transporting nutrients and oxygen to all organs and removing waste primarily through lymphatic circulation. Poor waste elimination can lead to increased body swelling and inflammation.

When muscles are tense or contracted due to activities like extended hours of sitting in front of computer or holding one's smart phone for a long time, lymph fluid circulation becomes impeded, causing edema or swelling. In particular, tension in the jaw muscles can lead to a thicker appearance in the lower jaw.

“The most effective and comfortable method for achieving a defined 'V-line' (or V-shaped slender jaw line) is massaging the ears, which helps alleviate muscle tension and swelling,” Lee said. “However, evenly applying this technique can be challenging, hence the use of a rubber band.”

The key is light stimulation: wrapping a rubber band around each of one's ears such that the lobes are lifted slightly is sufficient, she stressed.

Using rubber bands that are too small and tight can lead to increased tension, causing a counterproductive effect, she added.