There’s no denying that we’re in the midst of a gadget boom, but it’s also good to bring our routines back to basics every once in a while. Bone tapping, also known as face tapping, is a useful, low-fi alternative approach that fans claim raises your wellness and skin-smoothing game – all without spending a single penny.
What is bone tapping?
Bone tapping is exactly as it sounds: fingertips are used to rhythmically tap along the cheekbones, forehead and jawbone.
“Bone tapping is based on the ancient Chinese principles of acupuncture,” explains cosmetic accupuncturist Sarah Bradden. Not only has she included it as part of The Bradden Method but she claims it is her best hack for slowing down the ageing process.
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“Instead of using needles, it utilises your fingertips. It involves tapping different acupoints with light-medium pressure with your fingertips several times. It’s a great way to keep your bones healthy, enhance skin vitality and boost collagen production.” All of which explains why face tapping has exploded on TikTok recently.
While beauty brands are jumping on the mind-body connection, popularising the idea that mental, emotional and physical health all impact each other, this has actually been a core tenet of Traditional Chinese Medicine over millennia. Much of this connection focuses on invisible meridian points on the face that are essentially energetic channels in the body. “Tapping on these acupoints restores the normal flow of energy (or Chi), which are felt to be responsible for health,” Sarah adds.
Does bone tapping actually work?
While the science around bone tapping is still thin on the ground, there are plenty of studies on how piezoelectricity plays a key role in bone health. Put simply, piezoelectricity is an electrical charge resulting from mechanical stress. A 2023 study published in the Materials, Chemistry and Physics Journal found that the piezoelectric effect enhanced bone tissue and, in doing so, maintained bone health and prevented bone loss.