It begins like a regular facial. You’re lying on a spa bed with soft music playing, drifting toward relaxation as the esthetician massages your face. Then, suddenly, the gloves go on—and she reaches inside your mouth.
It might sound awkward, but it’s actually an intraoral therapeutic technique called buccal massage.
Buccal massage has roots in Eastern practices like Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. French facialist Joëlle Ciocco refined the holistic “inside-out” technique in the 1980s. Decades later, Yakov Gershkovich helped popularize the method across Eastern Europe through his trademarked Sculptural Face Lifting technique.
Born and raised in Ukraine, Olena discovered buccal massage during the early years of Gershkovich’s teaching career. She quickly fell in love with the technique and began studying both buccal massage and lymphatic drainage while still living in Ukraine.
“I was 30 when I first noticed signs of aging,” says Olena Gavrysh, founder of Pro Skin Studio in Ridgefield. “That’s when I discovered buccal massage, became a student of Yakov Gershkovich, and was certified in his Sculptural Face Lifting method. From that moment, it became a central part of my life.”
That training placed her among practitioners certified directly in Gershkovich’s method. When she and her husband moved to the United States 11 years ago, though, she struggled to find estheticians here who practiced it.
“I couldn’t find anyone in the area offering buccal massage,” she recalls. “I could do some things for myself, but it wasn’t the same. So I decided to offer it myself. I updated my training, attended classes in Brooklyn, took online courses, and trained with master instructors who traveled to New York. I’m always continuing my education so I can keep improving.”
So what is buccal massage, exactly? Often described as a natural facelift, the technique helps contour the buccal fat pad, reduce puffiness, and stimulate both collagen and elastin production. Licensed estheticians (and some massage therapists) work both externally and intraorally—inside the mouth—following the natural map of the face and focusing especially on the zygomatic region around the cheeks.
Working both areas together, buccal massage releases deep tension and encourages muscles, fascia, ligaments, and lymph to move more freely.
The approach makes sense when you consider the anatomy of the face. It contains more muscles than any other part of the body—and it’s also home to the strongest: the masseter. Running through the rear of the cheek, this muscle closes the jaw during chewing and is where many people carry a surprising amount of tension from clenching, chewing, or even talking.
As circulation improves and tension eases, the face can appear more sculpted, relaxed, and defined. Cheekbones look sharper, the eyes seem more open, and the jawline takes on a subtle contour.
These multifaceted beauty benefits make buccal massage a natural—and truly transformative—extension of esthetics.
But even before discovering the anti-aging effects of buccal massage, Olena understood the value of a skilled esthetician and proper skincare. At 23, she remembers getting her first facial after struggling with persistent irritation from years of what she calls “experiments” on her own skin.
“The quality of my skin was really awful,” she recalls. “It was dry, red, flaky. No one told me it wasn’t acne. I didn’t know how to choose the right products for my skin. I really didn’t understand it—and I completely destroyed the top layer of my skin.”
Olena met a skilled esthetician who explained her skin type, how to treat it properly, and recommended the right products.
“It took more than a year to repair my skin,” she says. “But once it recovered, I understood how important the proper products and treatments are.”
These two formative encounters—first with a proper facial, then with buccal massage—helped shape Olena’s career path. She saw how the two could come together and opened her first studio in the basement of her home in Connecticut.
When she outgrew that space, she opened a studio in nearby Orange. Later, when her friend Alena Riviere—owner of Riviere Lash & Brow Design—founded R Studios Beauty Collective, she invited Olena to join as the studio’s esthetician.
Tucked into Girolmetti Court, Pro Skin Studio is a calm, minimalist oasis—light-filled and airy, with soft white tones, clean lines, and touches of greenery.
Olena begins each session by chatting with clients about their history and concerns. From there, she tailors each treatment to address their specific skin needs and goals—whether that’s ultra-calming, deep cleansing, or anti-aging.
Many treatments incorporate non-invasive technologies. Microdermabrasion exfoliates the skin, oxygen facials deliver pure oxygen with vitamins and hyaluronic acid, and LED therapy triggers natural cellular repair.
Olena also works with an arsenal of what she calls “beauty devices,” which are an integral part of her treatments. Cooling cryo sticks help reduce puffiness, calm inflammation, and firm the skin. Gua sha promotes lymphatic drainage and circulation. Radiofrequency technology stimulates collagen and helps tighten the skin.
Her most popular treatment is a 90-minute combination of facial and buccal massage.
“As we age, everything slows—our bodies, our skin, all natural processes,” she says. “Buccal massage boosts circulation. In a way, it’s like fitness for your face—your muscles are exercising, toning, and strengthening. Many people want a more natural look, and this is a great alternative to injectables or surgery.”
Results can often be visible after the first session, but real change comes with time and consistency. Olena emphasizes that great skincare isn’t about a quick fix—it’s about understanding your skin, building a routine, and following a plan that evolves with it.
“Many people here are interested in skincare, health, and taking care of themselves,” she says of her Ridgefield clients. “They appreciate a more holistic approach to beauty, which aligns perfectly with the services I offer.”
When Olena first arrived in Connecticut, she couldn’t find a local esthetician who offered the treatments she had become accustomed to in Europe. Today, she’s the one clients seek out for results they can’t find anywhere else.
Pro Skin Studio is located at 19 Danbury Road in R Studios Beauty Collective. Visit proskinstudio.org to see the full menu and book an appointment, and follow @ProSkinStudio.CT on Instagram to watch a buccal massage in action—and see why clients travel to Ridgefield just for Olena’s expertise.