Face Tape: Your Guide to Face Taping and Face-Lift Tape

According to Norman Rowe, MD, of Rowe Plastic Surgery, face-lift tape is much more effective and generally safe to do in moderation. “Face tape works to create the illusion of a face-lift without an actual face-lift by pulling the skin around the eyes, neck, jawline, and cheekbones to sculpt the face,” he says. “The main aim is to tighten the skin with tape in the areas of the face to get that sharp look similar to celebrities’ and models’. As the effect is temporary, the majority of the success is due to successful placement and makeup.”

Dr. Rowe says he has seen an increasing number of young patients asking for chiseled jaws and angular faces. Face-lift tape has been a longtime Hollywood beauty secret—Hadid admitted to using face tape in an interview with Vogue in March—and TikTok has recently caught on. 

You won’t find face-lift tape at Sephora or Ulta—until recently it’s been a trick used only by professional makeup artists who source from speciality makeup and FX supply stores. But as the practice becomes more mainstream, brands are launching their own face-lift tapes, indicating that it may become its own beauty category in the near future. TheFaceTape and FX Eyes have built their brands entirely around face-lift tape and have found much of their success on TikTok. 

Unlike face taping, professional face-lift tape uses thin “medical grade” tape. Rowe cautions against using anything else: “Don’t use any additional adhesive besides the tape, as too strong of an adhesive can actually tear the top layer of skin off when removed,” he says. 

It’s a brief optical illusion and risks are minimal; hence why celebrities use face-lift tape for big events and red carpets. “If you’re using it minimally as a cosmetic or beauty tool, the risks are low,” Vasyukevich says. “Of course, there may be bruising, scarring, or bleeding depending on the length you keep the tape on. This trick has been used in the entertainment industry for a long while, and as far as I know, there’s never been any serious damage as a result of the practice. But I would emphasize always doing so in moderation.”

Of course, another potential risk is the face-lift tape actually falling off your face. According to Avedaño, staying power comes down to proper application. “Start with clean and dry skin,” he says. “I use an alcohol wipe to the area where I will be applying the tape. It’s important to make sure you’re applying the tape to the exact area on each side of the face before attaching the cord or band unless you’re correcting an eye that isn’t symmetrical to the other. Then you want to figure out the best position to correct the unevenness.”

Still, Rowe maintains that cosmetic work is the best way to achieve the look and suggests procedures like thread lifts, a laser fat reducer and skin tightener called Trusculpt, and Botox. For long-term results, the most effective is surgical procedures. “I commonly see neck lifts, face-lifts, and brow lifts, to get that ‘snatched’ appearance,” he says. “Overall, all treatments, nonsurgical or surgical, are extremely effective at achieving a similar look to face tape. It is up to the patient which route they would like to take since surgical is one-and-done, whereas nonsurgical patients can come in as many times as they want within reason to get their desired result.”