'The internet told me to tie rubber bands around my ears to depuff my face, so I tried it.'

I love wine. However, it doesn't really love me back. That’s because even a single glass of grape juice will, without a doubt, leave my body dehydrated and my face looking more bloated than usual. 

But on a recent midnight TikTok session, my beauty-infiltrated For You page suddenly delivered a facial depuffing hack going viral in South Korea right now: the rubber ear band therapy. 

My interest PEAKED! 

What is the viral depuffing rubber band ear therapy?

All you need to do is wrap a rubber band (or elastic hair tie) around your ears and leave it for 10 minutes. Doing so is said to result in lifting and contouring effects. 

The hack was first brought to my attention in a viral TikTok video posted by New York City-based dermatologist, Dr David Kim, which has since been watched over 6.2 million times. 

"Biggest beauty hack in Korea right now," Dr Kim captioned the video. 

The comments section was flooded with viewers trying the hack out — and surprisingly seeing results. 

"I did it and it works. So weird," one person commented. 

@drdavidkim Everyone in Korea right now #dermatologist #dermatology #drdavidkimderm #beautyhacks #beauty #skincare #lymphaticdrainage #kbeauty #korean #learnontiktok #skintok ♬ original sound - Taylor Dean

The hack has also been endorsed by many highly esteemed South Korean celebrities and beauty enthusiasts. 

But why should this hack even work? And how much truth does it hold?

How does the rubber band ear therapy work?

It’s all got to do with the lymph nodes, which are crucial for transporting nutrients and oxygen to all organs and removing waste. 

Essentially, if there’s not enough lymphatic circulation happening in the body — for example, when muscles are tense or contracted — lymph fluid circulation is disrupted and this leads to an increase in body swelling and inflammation. In other words… bloating.

So, a handy and well-known hack for relieving a buildup of tension and swelling in the jawline for a more snatched V-line is by lightly massaging the ears. And that’s the role the rubber bands play. 

"The theory is that the compression from the rubber band helps redirect fluids, thus reducing facial puffiness," one of Australia’s most respected integrated facialists, April Brodie, told Mamamia. 

The key is to ensure the bands aren’t too small or tight as this can actually have a counterproductive effect and lead to increased tension. And increased tension equals… more inflammation. 

Still intrigued and sceptical, I decided to put it to the test to see if this simple hack could instantly give me that sculpted jawline. Here’s what went down.

Would tying rubber bands around my ears help depuff my face? 

Can wrapping rubber bands around your ears really depuff your face and jawline? 

After waking up with a puffy face, it was the perfect time for these rubber bands to work their magic. 

Unable to find any standard brown rubber bands lying around, I improvised with two hair ties. I wrapped them around my ears and went about doing house chores. 

Ten minutes later I excitedly checked back in… nothing. Did all that wine mean I needed double the help? Maybe. I decided to leave them on for a little bit longer. 

After another 10 minutes of my ears being trapped in hair ties, I sat in front of the mirror to examine my jawline. 

Left, right and centre. Nothing. 

Top, bottom and from all diagonals. Still nothing. 

No changes. Not even in the slightest. 

"There’s scant scientific evidence supporting the claim that wrapping rubber bands around your ears effectively reduces facial puffiness," Brodie explained. 

"Rubber bands are not designed to deliver the consistent, targeted pressure for proper acupressure. The lack of precision makes this method likely ineffective."

I disappointingly reached for my trusty Gua Sha tool stashed in my beauty fridge and began to massage my dehydrated face. 

Before (left) and after (right) trialling the rubber band ear therapy.

The takeaway

While the rubber band ear therapy didn’t work for me, I don’t think my unsuccessful singular attempt is enough to completely call this technique complete BS. However, don’t go tying your ears up expecting jaw-dropping (quite literally) results. 

Instead, there are other strategies you can opt for if your face is looking like it needs to de-bloat. Brodie recommended sticking to proven face-depuffing strategies, like cold therapy (a chilled jade roller or cold compress), lymphatic drainage massage using your hands and fingers, maintaining a low-sodium diet, staying hydrated with plenty of water and getting proper sleep each night (even better if you elevate your head with an extra pillow to prevent fluid accumulation in your facial tissues overnight). 

Focus on these and you can leave the rubber bands to other important things. 

Have you tried the viral rubber band ear therapy technique? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!

Featured image: Supplied.