When Nora Ephron wrote, “I feel bad about my neck,” it resonated with women everywhere. They thought, “Yes, finally!” Here was a woman widely admired for her intellect, admitting that no matter how much you understand about the pressures of the beauty industry or how much you wish to rise above them, there comes a moment when you realize you’re getting older—and you don’t like it. Nora was a dear friend and mentor to me, but it took me a long time to truly grasp what she meant.
For over a decade, I’ve been trying out beauty trends for Vogue. I’ve done everything from microblading and lash extensions to red lipstick, red hair, tooth whitening, and even mob-wife nails. I even dipped into the Gen Z trend of face glazing. Some experiences were eye-opening (tooth whitening is more complicated than I expected), while others were transformative (my microbladed eyebrows won compliments, and my face is still glowing). But nothing sent me into such a spiral as my assignment on face tape. Suddenly, it seemed like every social media feed was flooded with tapes—not the Scotch or duct tape kind, but ones promising to delay aging, give you a restful night’s sleep for a youthful look, or even reshape your face on the spot.
Fear of aging isn’t just about wrinkles, sagging skin, or thinning in unexpected places. It’s more than shifts in libido or feeling less desirable as you step into the role of an elder—a term feminism tried to reclaim but never quite refreshed. We fear aging because we fear death, and we fear death because it’s unknown. So we focus on what we can control: some of us exfoliate and layer on serums, others push through grueling workouts. We dye our hair and meticulously portion our food. Unless we choose to embrace aging with radical acceptance—a path with few mainstream examples in a culture that praises women for basics like letting their gray curls show after a facelift. To find a woman aging naturally without any interventions, you might have to travel to an organic farm in the Pacific Northwest.
My editors at Vogue provided me with an array of tapes—more than any one person could reasonably test—so I enlisted the help of my office colleagues. The mouth tape, a TikTok trend gone wild meant to encourage nose breathing for better sleep, lasted about half an hour before I tore it off, desperate to share some trivial thought with my husband. It felt like the tape made me urgently need to talk nonsense. I passed two types to my assistant Mia: VIO2 Unscented Mouth Tape, a clinical blue T-shaped strip, and Skin Gym’s millennial pink version shaped like a playful kiss. Mia claimed it helped her fall asleep instantly but later confessed she’s always slept soundly. Ah, to be 28 again.
Face taping is everywhere now—whether it’s mouth tape, kinesiology tape to prevent wrinkles, or elaborate sets that lift the face by pulling from the sides and fastening at the back like a ponytail holder. But tape has a long history in Hollywood, dating back to the golden age when Joan Crawford used surgical tape under her wig for a snatched look that would rival even Kris Jenner’s viral facelift. It’s remained a trade secret, used by savvy makeup artists for clients avoiding surgery or whose results are fading.In an era where beauty secrets are quickly exposed, it’s no surprise that face tape has moved from behind the scenes to become one of 2025’s hottest trends. Celebrities like Charli XCX have been spotted showing off their taped features, as seen at the 2023 Fashion Awards.
I used to consider myself someone who avoided cosmetic interventions. Aside from a painful and ineffective Kybella injection in my chin, I’ve skipped the minor tweaks that are now almost routine. I took pride in that stance, maybe even felt a bit smug about it—back in my twenties. But as I get older, accelerated by early menopause, I’m facing the reality of my changing face. Yes, aging brings wisdom and peace, but it’s hard not to look in the mirror with dread, especially when photos remind me of my younger, firmer self. I’ve handled gray hairs popping up on my head and chin, stretch marks spreading across my chest like purple roots, and even one breast drooping toward my navel with a sense of humor (though Hollywood tape can help with that too). But my face always gets to me.
So, I decided to try Skin Gym’s face tape for a week, which claims to relax facial muscles and prevent nighttime scrunching. My acupuncturist friend Russell seemed the perfect person to apply it, targeting my frown lines, crow’s feet, and smile lines. He took the task seriously, and once the rose-colored strips were on—easy to apply and cute—we both felt a sense of relaxation. Our expressive faces were forced into stillness. We settled in to watch a documentary about a cruise ship murder, aiming to unwind. But within an hour, Russell asked, “Does your face feel… insane?”
It did. The taped areas felt hot and cold, itchy and tingly, like letting Elmer’s glue dry on my hand as a kid. We ripped the tape off in frustration and scrubbed our faces with hot towels. First experiment: failure.
We also had to acknowledge that the smooth, wrinkle-free faces of celebrities like Kris Jenner probably weren’t from face tape alone. At best, they might be using the “Croydon facelift”—a super-tight ponytail that immobilizes the forehead. More likely, they’ve had deep-plane facelifts, a procedure that’s gaining popularity among younger patients. Instead of just pulling skin taut, this surgery repositions the underlying tissues, lifting the entire face like adjusting a sagging tube top for a more natural look, avoiding the over-stretched appearance of the past.
Fear of aging isn’t just about wrinkles or sagging skin. It’s more than fluctuating libido or fading desirability in some contexts. When I was young, I found a People magazine issue on plastic surgery before-and-afters, featuring stars like Cher and Michael Jackson. I was fascinated, keeping it by my bed for months, studying how and why their faces had changed.Once more, I found myself immersed in images of deep-plane facelifts, reading testimonials and studying the results until the faces started to blur. I looked at these individuals—mostly women, many not even 40—and wondered what drove them to it and how they felt walking out of their doctors’ offices. I nudged my husband: “Which photo do you think looks better?”
“I can’t see any difference,” he grumbled, playing the part of the typical straight man, oblivious to our immense efforts and unconcerned about his own journey into middle age. I pressed on—”Before, she looks so kind—I’d totally trust her with my child.” (I don’t have a child.) “After, it’s fine, but there’s something eerie about it, like she’s peering out from her own death mask.” Did I truly believe that, or was I just hoping it was true? Was it my genuine feeling or my deepest wish that all this effort might not be necessary just to exist in the world?
Naturally, the next step was to try the classic face-tape facelift. Celebrities like Doechii and Charli XCX have turned face tape into a bold fashion statement—Doechii wears it so often it’s become her trademark, while Charli XCX showed up at the 2023 British Fashion Awards with yellow duct tape pulling back her eyes. But usually, it’s meant to be hidden under flowing hair. Although my skin might be loose, I do have hair, so I went about lifting my eyes and tightening my chin with two discreet pieces under my jaw, secured with elastic at the back of my neck (you can get this look with the Mark Traynor Face Lift Double Kit). The outcome was puzzling—from one angle, it was the familiar face I once knew, returned to me. From another, my cheeks appeared to crease and bulge. Blame it on my inexperience or the flaws of analog beauty, but it was far from red-carpet ready. Even an old black-and-white film camera would have objected to my technique. When I took the tape off, it took my peach fuzz with it, as if to ridicule my vanity.
The following weekend, I obsessively searched for “med spa near me.” I learned about sugar threads that lift skin and boost collagen, 45-minute fox-eye treatments, and “subtle and radiant” dermal fillers. I researched Botox units and recovery times for deep-plane facelifts. I asked my mom if I should keep my buccal fat. I asked my stylist if he’d ever taped someone’s breasts over their shoulders (“I’ve done it all,” he nodded wisely, then mentioned that pop stars often tape their lower bodies “front to back” to stay smooth in tight unitards). I made the mistake of entering my number on a spa website and started getting regular texts asking if I’d tried the new vampire facial. I didn’t know what I was searching for, only that my tape experiment had introduced fears I never knew I had. I wondered if, by the time I finished this story, I’d have liposuction on my cheeks and chin and be visiting the Vogue offices with my face wrapped in ace bandages. Anything seemed possible.
Then I remembered Nora’s book, the one my mother and aunts quoted, which I was old enough to appreciate but too young to fully grasp. Could the answer lie not in a search for a “qualified nurse aesthetician” but in the pages of a book that’s been on my shelf since I was 20?
“We know in one part of our brains that we are all going to die, but on some level we don’t quite believe it,” she wrote. I wish I could tell her that I don’t believe she’s dead, and that when I read her words, she isn’t. I wish I could ask her if I’m too young or too old for Botox. I wish I could explain that every experience she said would happen, did—heartbreak, professional success and failure and success again and maybe more failure, probably more failure. I wish I could tell her thNow I find myself worrying about my neck too.
Then she says it: “Whatever flaws you see in your body at 35, you’ll miss when you’re 45.” I’ve passed 35, but 45 is still some years away. I have this window to observe my own transformation, notice how the world reacts, and figure out my approach. I’m not prepared to get a facelift yet. Apparently, I can’t stand having my mouth taped shut either. I’m both firm and drooping, lined and smooth, youthful yet aging with each passing day. I won’t find the solution tonight, and I don’t need to rush into any hasty choices.
So I tighten my ponytail and hope for the best.
In this story: hair by Sonny Molina; makeup by Mark Carrasquillo; retouching by Noizblur; manicure by Honey. Produced by Ted & Jane.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful and concise FAQs about face tape
Beginner Questions
1 What is face tape
Face tape is a special skinsafe adhesive tape designed to be applied to the face It works by gently pulling and lifting the skin to create a temporary smoother appearance
2 How does face tape make you look younger
It creates an instant lifting effect which can smooth out wrinkles tighten sagging skin and define your jawline and cheekbones mimicking the results of a mini facelift
3 Is face tape safe for my skin
Generally yes if you use tape made for the face and remove it carefully However it can cause irritation redness or allergic reactions for those with sensitive skin
4 Where do you even put face tape
Common areas are along the temples to lift the eyebrows beside the eyes to smooth crows feet and under the jawline to define it
5 How long does the effect last
The effect is temporary typically lasting only for the day or a specific event Its not a permanent solution
Practical Tips Application
6 How do I apply it without it being obvious
Apply it before your makeup Stretch the skin slightly in the direction you want to lift apply the tape and then gently press it flat Applying foundation and powder over it helps to camouflage it
7 Whats the best way to remove face tape
Always remove it gently Use a cotton pad with micellar water makeup remover or a little oil to dissolve the adhesive first then slowly peel it off in the direction of hair growth
8 Can I wear it every day
Its not recommended for daily use Giving your skin a break helps prevent irritation and allows it to return to its natural state
Common Problems Solutions
9 My face tape is visible under my makeup What am I doing wrong
You might be using tape thats too thick or not blending properly Try thinner transparent tape and use a makeup sponge to stipple foundation and powder over it building thin layers
10 The tape irritates my skin What should I do
Stop using it immediately You may be allergic to the adhesive You can try a patch test with a different brand