Billed as “a must-have addition to your nightly routine”, when Kim Kardashian launched the Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap in July, the product sold out within 24 hours, going viral in the process.
Sold as part of her Skims shapewear empire, Kardashian took to social media to extol the virtues of the face wrap, saying: “It just snatches your little chinny chin chin.”
Hinting that she might have anticipated a backlash, Kardashian switched off comments on the social media post. That didn’t stop discourse from breaking out on the internet, though, with essays and think pieces discussing this latest evolution in non-invasive beauty treatment.
“Kim Kardashian’s involvement changes everything,” Lucie Vallee, therapist and body image content creator, tells The National.
“When someone with her massive platform endorses a product, it moves from a niche trend to more mainstream,” she explains. Someone with her status glorifying a product changes the conversation due to a “credibility gap”, she adds.
“Kim has access to the world's best plastic surgeons, dermatologists and cosmetic procedures. Her facial structure is the result of expensive treatments most people can't afford. Yet she's selling a $48 fabric wrap as her secret to a ‘snatched’ jawline.”
For Vallee, the face wrap embodies the “exhausting” expectation of women to constantly optimise. “The idea that we now need to wear beauty devices while sleeping represents a fundamental shift in how beauty standards operate.”
It may have garnered viral attention, but the Skims Sculpt Face Wrap isn't the first of its kind.
What is face shapewear and where did it originate?
In medicine, tight bandaging and compression garments have long been used post-surgery to aid recovery after essential and aesthetic treatments.
“In the medical field, compression garments have been known to improve blood circulation and reduce swelling, providing extra comfort,” says Dr Dragana Spica, a surgeon at Aesthetics by King’s College Hospital London Dubai.
“Post-surgery, recovery and comfort is of utmost priority. Wearing a compression garment after surgery is essential for optimal recovery with safety and care. It helps reduce swelling and bruising, improves blood circulation and healing and minimises the risk of skin irregularities. Compression garments protect surgical work, support healing and contribute to achieving the best possible post-surgical results.”
In the beauty world, tight facial wrapping began trending late last year when influencers began sharing their “morning shed” routine, whereby they removed on camera all the beauty aids and products they wear overnight, such as hair wraps, plus face, lip and eye masks. Vallee adds that the practice has been especially popular in “South Korean beauty culture and on social media platforms like TikTok”.
What is face shapewear meant to achieve?
The latest Skims product is described as a “face innovation” that is “made with signature sculpting fabric and infused with collagen yarns for ultra-soft jaw support”.
But what does that mean in terms of supposed results for consumers?
“‘Sculpting fabric’ sounds impressive, but it’s really just a fancy way of saying ‘stretchy compression material’ like spandex or similar fabrics that squeeze and lift,” says Dr Vikesh Vij, plastic surgeon at Kaya Skin Clinic. “As for the collagen-infused yarns, I’m sceptical. Collagen molecules are simply too big to actually get into your skin through fabric contact.”
Dr Spica adds: “The collagen-infused fibres primarily affect the superficial layers of the skin, offering a smoother look and feel. Collagen from the fabric does not penetrate deeply into the skin, so the benefits are mostly cosmetic and temporary.”
Some brands go beyond promises to tighten and define the chin and jawline area, linking their face-shaping products to aiding lymphatic drainage, the process by which the body’s lymphatic system removes excess fluid and waste from tissue, supporting immune function and reducing swelling.
“Gentle, manual techniques such as massage, hydration, movement and proper breathing support this natural process,” says Dr Najam U Saqib, specialist dermatologist at RAK Hospital. “These types of face wraps would only offer temporary support, not real stimulation. Some compression may offer a short-lived de-puffing effect by encouraging fluid movement, but this effect is fleeting and limited to superficial changes.
“If the wrap is too tight or worn improperly, it could actually impede lymphatic flow and circulation, undermining its intended effect.”
Can face shapewear alter your jawline?
Experts are agreed that face shapewear only offers a fleeting and temporary change to the shape of the face or to the appearance of skin tightness.
“No, nightly wear won’t create lasting changes to skin tightness or jaw definition,” says Dr Vij. “Skin elasticity is determined by internal factors like collagen, elastin and underlying facial structure – not external compression.”
He explains that, because the forces that cause jowls and jawlines to lose definition over time, such as natural ageing, collagen breakdown and facial volume loss, are external, there is little that surface compression can address. “Think of it like wearing tight socks, you get temporary indentations, but your leg shape doesn't permanently change. Real improvement requires procedures that address underlying tissue structure, not surface pressure,” says Dr Vij.
Dr Saqib, meanwhile, warns of downsides to wearing such a product night after night. “Tight compression may lead to skin irritation, pressure marks, disrupted circulation and even jaw-posture issues or joint misalignment, especially for temporomandibular joint sufferers. There are no clinical studies or robust scientific backing for these.”
Medical observations aside, the effects of face shapewear, which is predominantly marketed at women, from a body image perspective are harder to ascertain.
Vallee, who posts content to her 27,000 followers about body confidence, speaks to the pressure such gadgets add to women online. “The message is clear – your resting face isn't good enough. Your sleep time is wasted unless you use it for improvement. Your natural jawline is a problem that needs a machine to fix it. The negative reaction shows many women are seeing this pattern for what it is – an endless, profitable cycle designed to keep them always unhappy with bodies that are actually perfectly normal.”
What are the best ways to define the jawline and tighten jowls?
For those seeking a more defined jawline or who are unhappy with their jowl or neck area, non-invasive procedures such as lasering may provide the results that facial shapewear cannot.
“It can vary from case to case, and not all jawline enhancements require surgery,” says Dr Spica. “With the right combination of aesthetic treatments, a defined jawline can be achieved with a minimum downtime. However, for more pronounced or specific cases, surgical options such as a facelift, neck lift and/or liposuction may be necessary to deliver the desired results.”
