Working the muscle from both sides
Buccal massage means working the muscles of the cheek and jaw from inside the mouth as well as outside. The buccinator sits in the cheek wall; the masseter can be gripped between a gloved finger inside and fingers outside. Held between two surfaces, it releases in a way it will not from the outside alone.
It is not a facial. There is no steam, no extraction, no product. The result people notice is a jaw that closes more evenly and a face that feels lighter on one side than it did.
The hygiene question
Everyone wants to ask and almost nobody does. Hands are washed in front of you. A sealed pair of nitrile gloves is opened where you can see it and changed between sides. Water and a rinse are offered before and after. Nothing goes near your mouth that you have not watched come out of a packet.
If you would rather bring your own gloves, bring them and I will wear them.
What it feels like
Firm, strange for the first minute, then unremarkable. Most people describe pressure rather than pain. You set the ceiling and I check in throughout. This is not a treatment anyone should endure.
Afterwards the inside of the cheek can feel tender to the tongue overnight, like a bitten lip. Skip anything acidic or very hot for a few hours.