What is a Face Wrap and Why is Kim Kardasian Selling Them?

First, she taught us how to liquid contour our cheeks. Then came the body shapewear.
Now we have face shapewear? How sculpted is Kim trying to make us and is there any science to back up these claims? Let me break it down as your trusted cosmetic nurse.

Before we get into the science, I’ll give it to Kim for the aesthetic. I do find these chin straps oddly stylish, and I’ll admit  it would be kind of chic to sport one while sipping a martini al fresco style with a pair of Celine sunglasses. Reading the latest RUSSH obviously.

Billed as a high-compression, contour-enhancing accessory for your lower face, the SKIMS Face Wrap promises to snatch your jawline. I first heard about it when a client asked me over the weekend what I thought. As someone who spends their entire working week analysing facial anatomy and shape, I figured it was time to wrap my head around this head wrap.

Here’s the truth: compression won’t equal contouring. You can’t compress fat into nonexistence. You can’t wrap your way into a new bone structure. And no matter how firm the fabric is, it won’t stimulate collagen, elastin, or produce any long-term change.

Clinically, compression garments do serve a purpose after facial surgery. In that context, chin wraps help reduce swelling, support healing tissue, and minimise scar formation. But in isolation, on an unaltered face, a wrap like this won’t trigger lipolysis or stimulate dermal remodelling. The science just doesn’t support it. Its like putting a band aid on skin that hasn’t been damaged.

So why does it sometimes feel like it’s working? Because compression can temporarily shift fluid. Wear it long enough and you might see a short-lived de-puffing. Your jawline may look slightly more defined  the same way your waist appears smaller after taking off a corset. But as soon as the wrap is off and fluid redistributes, the effect fades.

And this is where we need to be careful. This kind of visual “result” plays beautifully on camera. Paired with filters, good lighting, and curated angles, it creates a believable transformation. But that belief can lead people to invest emotionally in a product that’s offering illusion over impact.

When marketing repackages momentary de-puffing as “sculpting,” it reinforces a false narrative that you can reshape your face with discipline and a bandage. And for a generation already hyper-aware of their front-facing camera angles, this feeds right into the beauty industrial complex: one obsessed with contour, control, and constant correction.

Sometimes a wrap is just a wrap. And that’s okay as long as we’re not confusing it with results.