Can Face Taping Actually Reduce Wrinkles? Even We Were Shocked By The Results

Another day, another TikTok beauty trend that has us calling up our dermatologists at warp speed. But on a scale from cute to cringeworthy (ahem, sunscreen contouring), this one hovers center: Ever come across face taping? 

The trick went viral after one user documented her results after sleeping with pieces of, yes, tape across her forehead. After just one week, her skin was noticeably smoother—the area was almost completely etch-free. Face taping has been around for years (many Hollywood stars use tape to lift their features before red carpet events), but can it really erase your wrinkles for good? Here, a plastic surgeon weighs in. 

Let holistic plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, M.D., set the record straight: “Putting tape on your forehead in general is not going to make wrinkles better,” he says in a duet video. “It’s just a way to remind yourself to limit the movement of your eyebrows.” You see, the forehead lines in question are technically a type of expression wrinkle, or wrinkles that happen when you activate underlying facial muscles. As vital skin components like collagen decrease over time (i.e., as you age), your skin isn't as able to bounce back from these movements. 

And minding your facial movements can certainly help prevent those expression lines from settling in. That’s not to say you should never raise your eyebrows ever again—just be mindful of how your face rests when you’re not actively engaging. If you need to tape your forehead down to encourage those muscles to rest, that’s fine; the tape can even keep your forehead from unconsciously crinkling up while you sleep (which is why the user sticks them on overnight). 

Just know that the tape alone is not going to magically erase those etchings. “It’s not going to reduce lines,” adds Youn. “It’s just a reminder not to make them yourself.” 

Yes, face taping can potentially help prevent unnecessary brow raising, which can keep forehead wrinkles from settling in. However, if you’re already dealing with those horizontal etchings, there are other avenues you can take. 

First up: Use smart topicals that help restore collagen, like retinoids and AHAs (such as glycolic acid or lactic acid). These can help replenish a smoother skin texture, as they encourage cell turnover, provide exfoliation, and help support collagen production. 

You’ll also want to keep the skin super moisturized, as improper hydration can lead to visible signs of aging. Youn even once shared that if you're in your 20s and even 30s, any fine lines on the forehead, under the eyes, and in the nasolabial folds (you know, those laugh lines) are often the result of skin in need of hydration rather than aging. All the more reason to slather on a quality hyaluronic acid serum and make sure your internal hydration levels are up to par.

If you’d like to give your skin a hydration kick, you may even want to think about skin-focused supplements, like mbg’s cellular beauty+.* The formula includes multiple cutting-edge botanical bioactives that support the skin's lipid layer and moisture levels internally, like phytoceramides, which have been clinically shown to improve said moisture levels.* 

It also includes astaxanthin, a potent carotenoid that has also been shown to improve skin hydration, increase elasticity, improve skin texture, and reduce wrinkles in as little as six weeks.* Ubiquinol CoQ10 and pomegranate whole fruit extract also make an appearance, both of which are chock-full of antioxidant power—and FYI, antioxidants help buffer the skin against photoaging by both absorbing UV rays and helping neutralize UV-induced oxidative stress.*