01 · Neck and back of the head · lesson 2

Side of the neck: pinching through four zones

You tilt your head to the side — on the opposite side a dense cord stands out. You place four fingers under it and make gentle pinching movements with your thumb, working from bottom to top. The neck is roughly divided into four levels, with ten pinches on each.

Reps: 10 pinches at each of the four levels, bottom to top, then the same on the other side. About a minute and a half in total.
How often: Daily, ideally before the main face block — as a way to clear the drainage route. If the day was hard and your neck is like stone, you can repeat it in the evening.

How to do it right

The grip is soft: you take the skin together with the subcutaneous tissue rather than pressing your fingers in deep. Ten pinches at one level, then move up about two finger-widths. Keep your head tilted — that’s what makes the muscle accessible. Always repeat on the other side, switching the working hand.

Common mistakes

Don’t press into the anterior triangle of the neck, where you can feel the carotid pulse — that area is off-limits. Don’t pinch hard enough to bruise: the vessels here are superficial, and aggression gives you hematomas, not results. And don’t work only one side — asymmetric neck tone quickly shows up on the face.

Why it works

The main target is the sternocleidomastoid, with the scalenes lying beneath it. The deep cervical lymph nodes run in a chain along the SCM, and at the bottom, by the collarbone, is the venous angle — where the thoracic duct empties into the venous system. By breaking up hypertonus and fascial adhesions along the muscle, you relieve mechanical compression of the lymphatic vessels and restore drainage from the whole head.

Why this one

The side of the neck is the highway lymph takes to drain down from the face. While it’s clogged, any facial massage works at half strength: the fluid simply has nowhere to go. A single session on this area noticeably changes morning puffiness — your jawline gets sharper before you’ve even reached the face.

Why it is easy

The muscle shows itself: just tilt your head and it stands out under the skin — you can’t miss it. The movement takes no strength, only care, and fits easily into any moment of the day.

What you will see

This is the exercise after which morning photos stop being upsetting. Give yourself two weeks — and you’ll see your jawline emerge on its own, without a single injection.