
New year, new you, new face: while some are booking Botox appointments, others are turning to alternative ways to tighten and sculpt their faces. The treatment goes by a host of names such as sculptural facials, face massage, facial lymphatic drainage, buccal massage, and more. But what they share in common is that these procedures fall under the umbrella of manual, non-invasive treatments that could potentially have the same anti-aging effects as commonplace neurotoxins Dysport and Botox or dermal fillers Restylane and Juvaderm.
“An increasing number of clients are turning to a more holistic approach,” says Susan Gonzalez, the lead esthetician at Kindred Studio in Grant Park. These procedures feel similar to a massage but reach the bones, muscles, fascia, lymph fluid, nerves, and circulatory system where tension can be held.
“Manipulation of the structures beneath the skin can give a more youthful and open appearance to the face,” she says. Professionals can work to release the tension and ultimately sculpt, lift, or relax the face for results. Here’s where to find treatments:
Practitioner and founder Jamie Leigh of this Roswell-based spa offers a variety of treatments including a Gua Sha facial ($255), connective tissue facial ($300), sculptural lift facial ($425), and buccal structural massage ($325) to help lift and tighten.
The Sculptural Facial ($425) at the Westside Provisions location has aesthetician Meaghan Kimble manually sculpting cheeks, lips, jaws, and more, plus a 10-minute buccal massage to target the inside of the mouth.

Photo courtesy of Susan Gonzalez
Trained by master facial masseuse Yakov Gershkovish, Gonzalez manipulates all 42 facial muscles to clear emotional blockage and stress in the Sculptural Facial Lift ($305). She also uses nerve stimulation to coax patients into a deep relaxed state to help release the tension that causes wrinkles.
A straightforward lifting and buccal massage ($125) by Tucker-based Kary Chen includes lymphatic drainage as well as buccal, scalp, and face massage.