Facelift by Fingers

So let me start with this: I used to think facials were nice. Like a cucumber-on-your-eyes, soft-music-in-the-background, “treat yourself” kind of thing. A monthly pat on the back for surviving the chaos of modern life.

But reconstructive facelift massage?

Buccal massage?

Manual lymphatic drainage?

I had no idea these things even existed. I thought “facelift” required scalpels. I thought “drainage” was something you called a plumber for. And now, here I am, rethinking my entire skincare philosophy thanks to one boutique studio in Los Angeles: Via Skincare.

And no, this is not one of those, “I went for a facial and came back looking 10 years younger” stories. It’s more like, “I went in for a facial and left feeling like someone had untied the knot between my jaw and my soul.”

Let’s Back Up: What Even Is Reconstructive Facelift Massage?

Here’s the short version: it’s magic.

The slightly longer version: it’s a hands-on, deeply therapeutic massage that targets the muscles, fascia, and connective tissue of the face—not just the surface. No machines, no needles, no yanking your skin into submission. Just the hands of a master (her name is Rose, more on her soon) reshaping your face in ways you didn’t know were possible.

This isn’t just rubbing your temples and calling it a day. Rose sculpts. She lifts. She releases years of tension that your face has been gripping onto like a stress ball in the middle of tax season.

And then there’s Buccal Massage, which sounds a little clinical until you realize it involves massaging the inside of your mouth (gloved hands, don’t panic). Wild, right? But here’s the thing: it reaches muscles you can’t access any other way. Especially useful if you clench your jaw, grind your teeth, suffer from TMJ, or live in modern society, where stress likes to hibernate in your face.

When Rose started working on my jaw from the inside, I won’t lie—I giggled nervously. Then, I felt this wave of release. Not just physical, but emotional. I didn’t even realize how much I’d been holding in my jaw until she let it go. It was like someone opened a window in my face.

And let’s be real, nobody’s talking about how much we store in our face. Not just puffiness or inflammation, but emotion. That weird tightness you get when you’re trying not to cry? That clenched smile you flash when someone asks if you’re okay and you’re not? It builds up. And unless someone gently coaxes it out of you, with fingers that know where to go, it just stays there.

Until one day you look in the mirror and think, “Why do I look so tired?”

This Isn’t Just a Glow-Up. It’s a Reset Button

Let me be clear: this is not about pretending you’re 25. This is not about freezing your face into submission or chasing some bizarre wrinkle-free ideal.

This is about letting your face move again. Letting it breathe again. Letting go of the emotional traffic jam that’s been sitting in your cheeks, temples, and jaw for way too long.

After my session with Rose, I looked different—yes—but more than that, I felt lighter. Like someone had removed a helmet I didn’t realize I’d been wearing. My cheekbones looked a little more defined. My eyes seemed more open. My skin glowed, but not in that post-product shiny way. It glowed like me.

And no, I hadn’t been Botoxed or peeled or zapped or suctioned, just touched, skillfully, in a way that made my body sigh with relief.

Let’s Talk About Lymph—Because Nobody Does

Now, let’s move on to the other hero of this story: Manual Lymphatic Drainage Facial Massage. Sounds science-y. Feels heavenly.

This treatment is like a detox smoothie for your face. It’s light, rhythmic, and oddly hypnotic. It wakes up your lymphatic system, which is responsible for carrying away waste and toxins. Your internal clean-up crew.

When this system slows down—due to stress, diet, lack of sleep, or just existing in a world with Wi-Fi—you might feel puffy, sluggish, or congested. MLD gently nudges everything back into motion.

I didn’t expect to love this part so much. I figured it’d be the “relaxing but forgettable” bit of the facial. Nope. Turns out, when your lymph starts flowing properly, your whole body feels different. Like someone flushed out the fog.

It’s especially good if you’ve had cosmetic procedures or surgery, but it’s just as powerful if you’ve been battling sinus issues, rosacea, general swelling, or just that feeling of being “off.”

And Rose doesn’t do this by rote. She listens. She reads your skin like a story. Every stroke feels intentional, like she’s following a map that only she can see.

Meet the Hands Behind the Magic: Rose Minasian

Here’s where I need to stop and talk about Rose—the founder of Via Skincare and the woman whose hands I now trust more than most of my skincare shelf.

She’s been doing this for over 25 years, and it shows. Not just in her technique, which is insane, but in her philosophy.

Rose doesn’t believe in rushing. She doesn’t believe in forcing the skin into compliance. She believes in listening to the body—because skin, as she says, is always telling a story.

She’s trained hundreds of estheticians, massage therapists, and holistic practitioners in her methods. And yes, some of them have gone on to open their studios, carry on her work, and spread the touch-first gospel.

But make no mistake: Rose is not trying to be an influencer. She’s building a legacy of hands-on healing. And that’s rare in an industry obsessed with before-and-afters and “glass skin.”

The Studio: A Soft Rebellion Against Fast Beauty

Walking into Via Skincare feels like entering a parallel universe. It’s quiet. It’s warm. Nobody’s rushing you. There’s no screen-blasting before-and-after photos. Just a sense of calm, and a promise that you’re going to be seen—not just as a face with “problem areas,” but as a whole human being.

Most clients come through referrals, and many of them are from the entertainment industry. But this isn’t about celebrity. It’s about trust.

Clients don’t just return because they “glow.” They come back because something shifts. Because this work isn’t superficial. It’s cellular. Emotional. Somatic.

What If You’re Not in LA?

Okay, I hear you. Not everyone can pop over to a boutique studio in Los Angeles for a buccal massage. But here’s the beautiful part: Rose teaches.

She trains professionals across the country. And those who’ve been trained by her carry her philosophy wherever they go. So, if you’re lucky, there might be a Rose-trained practitioner near you. (Just ask about Reconstructive Facelift Massage or Buccal Technique. If they light up and say “Rose taught me”—you’re in good hands.)

And if you’re a practitioner yourself? You might want to sign up for her classes. Because this isn’t just a technique, it’s a calling.

Your Face Is Not a Problem to Fix

I know we live in a culture where we’re supposed to panic at the first sign of a fine line. Where “aging well” has come to mean “aging invisibly.” Where self-care is often just code for “buy this serum.”

But Via Skincare reminded me that there’s another way.

That your face is not a canvas to paint over.

It’s a landscape. A living, breathing map of everything you’ve felt and lived through.

And with the right touch—skilled, intuitive, and deeply respectful, that face can come back to life in ways no product could ever promise.

So, if you’re tired of being told to “correct” yourself. If you’re done with the freeze-and-fill mentality. If you want to feel like your face again, not a version of it filtered through someone else’s ideal.

Go see Rose. Or someone she’s trained. Or just start with the idea that your face deserves more than a ten-minute cleanse and a prayer.

It deserves to be heard.

It deserves to be held.

And it deserves to be treated not as a project, but as something sacred.