Could Face Exercises Be The Answer
To A Healthier
And More Youthful Look?

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Have you been curious about face exercises? Do you wonder as I do if they could provide a more affordable and safer alternative to face lifts or botox?

A while back someone took a picture of me while I was unaware. When I saw it I was quite surprised at how old I looked. My face was relaxed and I was not smiling in the picture so this was just me, how I really looked without the benefit that a smile brings to the face or even good lighting. Needless to say I was quite disappointed with my appearance.

I have always thought I would not do face lifts or botox, the idea of either needles or surgery sends shivers through me. I had the idea that I would age naturally and gracefully by taking good care of my skin and protecting it from the sun. And for the most part it has paid off. I think my skin looks pretty good, not many wrinkles. the worst being the frown lines between my eyes from years of sinus headaches.

But that picture showed sagging skin around my mouth and chin. I have jowls, they run in the family (I do hate that word, jowls) and to me that is more aging than wrinkles. I found myself wondering if there was something I could do that was affordable and less invasive. I hit on face exercises.

Is Exercising The Face For You?

Exercising the face means following a routine that works out the facial muscles much more than we would during the course of a day and that's where the problem comes in. Not everyone is in agreement that working the muscles in the face is a good thing. The argument is that face exercises can stretch skin further causing more sagging and certain motions done repetitively can actually encourage wrinkles. Check out this article from Paula Begoun writer of "Don't Go to The Cosmetics Counter Without Me" and "The Beauty Bible" and read her thoughts.

So it just makes sense to check things out before preceeding.

Different Face Exercises and What They Do

There are a couple of different ways we can perform face exercises. One with movements of the skin through exaggerated facial expressions, Yoga Facial Exercises so popular right now are an example of this. Expect to make plenty of funny faces. The other way is through accupressure which involves gentle pressing and massaging facial skin.

The face unlike the body has muscles that attach from the bone directly to the skin. As we use a muscle all the time like when we frown, the frown muscle contracts and pulls the skin down and over time causes a wrinkle.

The drooping and sagging in the skin can be attributed to sun damage and the loss of elastin and collagen in the skin that comes from aging and which gives the skin it's resilience and suppleness. It can also be hereditary.

Face exercises are thought to help tone and tighten while enlarging the muscles and promoting the production of collagen along with providing increased blood circulation. All of this has the benefits of smoothing out the wrinkles and firming the skin and while it probably won't make you look 20 years younger 10 seems like a real possibility. The increased circulation may also help the skin look and feel healthier.

The downside is that as with most exercise it takes time and a commitment to a daily routine which can take up to 15 minutes depending on the program you choose to follow and also as with all exercise it is something that we should do regularly until results are achieved and then a maintenance program can be put into place.


Improvement can be seen in as little as two weeks on up to two months with the most impressive results being seen at about the six month mark. Results are said to vary depending upon condition of the skin and on the level of commitment to doing the exercises and there are no guarantees.

Interested? Check out these sites for more information. You will find information about facial exercise routines, yoga facial routines and accupressure for the face. They do all offer programs for sale but there is plenty of information also to help make deciding easier.

Carolyn's Facial Fitness

Happy Face Yoga

Face Lifting By Exercise

Check out the videos below. The first is for Happy Face Yoga and works on the upper part of the face.



I particularly like the face exercises from Faceworks. The one in the video below is a gentle stretch and hold. The video is a little slow to just watch. Try performing the exercise along with it. When completed you should feel it in the jaw area.



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