Are facial exercises really effective?
The latest skincare trend is fitness, but for your face.
We work on our bodies in the gym, flexing, lifting and tensing our muscles to keep them firm and strong.
Should our faces be any different? Proponents of facial exercise, sometimes called face yoga, believe that stimulating and strengthening the muscles of the face can help maintain contours and elasticity, and even make us look younger.
Even Meghan Markle, the queen of cheekbones, has revealed that she does facial exercises at home (at the palace?) to keep her face sculpted and glowing. But does it really work?
What is facial gymnastics?
Basically, that's exactly what it sounds like: doing repetitive movements and exaggerated expressions in order to activate and strengthen muscles.
Think of it as resistance training for the face—by strengthening the matrix that holds everything in place, sagging around the jawline and eyes might be less likely over time.
Facial aging is caused by a loss of elasticity, as well as the gradual shifting of fat pads between the muscles and the skin, which tend to slide downward over time.
The idea behind these exercises is that by strengthening the muscles, the fat pads will be more likely to stay in place, giving the face a fuller, more youthful appearance.
Does this work?
Maybe! A 2018 study showed that 20 weeks of daily facial exercises actually resulted in firmer skin and fuller upper and lower cheeks.
The protocol involved 30 minutes per day for the first 8 weeks of the study, then every other day thereafter.
The participants, sixteen women aged 40 to 65, felt they looked three years younger at the end of the study, while impartial dermatologists noted a slight but significant increase in cheek volume.
Given that this is the first and, so far, only credible academic study to measure the effects of facial exercise
This study should be taken as a cautiously optimistic indication that facial exercise probably has benefits, provided that significant time commitment and diet are maintained.
“I recommend doing facial exercises every day.”
We exercise our face every time we make expressions, and most people overuse certain muscles, which eventually weakens the opposing muscles.
When you frown often enough to create a crease, you overwork those muscles and weaken the muscles that lift and smile because you use them less.
Another rule is that muscles can only pull in one direction. So for every muscle that pulls down, there is an opposite or paired muscle that pulls up.
I try to teach how to do facial exercises to lift and rejuvenate.
This allows in-office treatments to last longer and, in many cases, can even help delay the need for treatment."
What are the best anti-aging facial exercises to do at home?
The two exercises that have been shown to be most effective are the "Cheek Lifter" and the "Eyebrow Lifter." For the Cheek Lifter, open your mouth into an O shape, pull your upper lip up over your upper teeth, and smile to lift your cheek muscles.
Then, lightly place your fingers on the upper part of the cheek, relax the muscles to lower them, then raise them, repeating several times.
For the brow lift, smile, then press three fingertips of each hand under your eyebrows to force your eyes open.
Try furrowing your eyebrows downward against your fingers, then close your upper eyelids tightly and roll your eyeballs upward. Hold this position for 20 seconds, then relax.
We recommend what she calls the invisible smile: "It's all the motions of a big smile, so big that your ears pull back, but without showing any teeth," she says.
"It lifts your jaw, makes you happy, and helps you be engaged and present. It's also the opposite of a frown, so you're not frowning and the corners of your mouth turn up."
Is there cheating?
Not exactly. But there is a different approach: stimulating the facial muscles through massage. "I really wanted the workout to mimic what you do in a gym."
So, each facial treatment includes a warm-up, followed by "cardio to drain and detoxify", then "sculpting, to tone and tighten the muscles."
Our trainers undergo an intensive three-week boot camp to learn and perfect deep tissue massage and muscle manipulation techniques, which are used with tools such as:
- the FaceGym Pro,
- the Face Ball,
- Guasha stone
- and the Gold Roller.
It is the unique combination of muscle work, tools and highly effective skin care that achieves spectacular results."
It is believed that all the work can be done with the hands - without microcurrent or rollers which, can give better results, and faster, than facial exercises alone ever could.
"It's very difficult for people to keep up with facial exercise because they have to do it for 20 to 30 minutes a day. Most of us barely have time to take a shower."
"When you're in your 20s, you don't even need to exercise and your muscle tone is maintained because your metabolism is so fast.
But five to 10 years later, your body doesn't maintain muscle tone anymore, so you have to exercise more. It's the same philosophy for skin. I just do the work while clients lie down."
The difference, he says, between active facial exercises, which can strengthen muscles, and passive facial exercises - delivered through massage - is that the former "can't help with elasticity or pores."
While the latter can. "You see the tone coming back," "and just like when you exercise, you increase your endorphins, you increase your immune system, and your skin becomes radiant thanks to the blood circulation."
You typically see your clients once a month or once a month, depending on your schedule and budget. "But when I start with most people, I ask them to come back a week after the first session, because like a trainer, I'm capturing muscle memory.
The more I get the blood in, the more their cheeks expand, and the more they work with me, the more resistant their skin and muscles become.
Just as the body looks better and feels less lethargic the more you exercise, so does the face."
The best approach is to combine regular facials involving microcurrent with an at-home regimen of muscle-stimulating massages, and if you have time to do facial exercises, go for it.
“I recommend facial massage to all my clients.” “It’s different from facial exercises, and it’s what I consider the laziest way to stimulate your muscles and skin.
It can actually change the shape of your face, lifting the forehead and jawline and sculpting the cheekbones.
It stimulates blood flow, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, resulting in a brighter, healthier complexion.
All my treatments include a facial massage, but I can't do facial exercises on clients - they have to do them themselves."
Need a little help with facial massage? Check out these facial tools below:
What makes a face look younger? What does a youthful face look like?
Did you know that people judge a person's age based on their face within the first five seconds of meeting them?
The reason for this is evolutionary - so that we can identify a "young" person to mate with.
WHAT IS THE INVERTED TRIANGLE OF YOUTH AND THE TRIANGLE OF AGING?
Lines and wrinkles are signs of aging, but aging also happens beneath the skin. Signs of aging exist in every layer of the facial structure, in the collagen, in the bone, in the fat, and in the skin.
THE MAIN WAY SOMEONE DETERMINES IF SOMEONE IS "OLDER" IS NOT BY WRINKLES, BUT BY THE SHAPE OF THEIR FACE.
The triangle of youth is the shape of a young face.
It is light and a little pointed at the bottom, the nasolabial folds are moderate and the upper part of the face - the eyes and temples - is full - there is no hollow under the eyes and no hollow on the temples.
The inverted triangle of youth
When we are young, facial features are defined, well-contoured, and the face is heavy on top and light on the bottom.
Gravity and aging have not yet begun to take their toll. This is commonly referred to as the triangle of youth.
As we age, the triangle of youth becomes inverted. Take a look at the photo of a mother and daughter below.
The big difference is not their skin, but the shape of their face.
The Triangle of Aging
As we age, facial bones change, soft tissues (such as muscles) sag under gravity, and skin sags and falls downward.
The fat pads on the face move downward. The fat pads under the chin become more prominent, causing a bulge between the neck and chin, also known as a "double chin."
Most people are not born with a double chin, they acquire it as they age. Fortunately, there is a new injection called Kybella that melts away double chin fat.
It is available in 2ml vials in the US, and most customers need 2 or 3 treatments of 2 vials each.
The effect of increasing the size of the lower face can be described as the age pyramid. The age pyramid is inevitable.
Aging is also unique to each person. Genetics plays a significant role in aging.
How your mother and father age can provide insight into how your face may change over time.
If you look more like your father and he is aging better than your mother, congratulations, you're lucky!
Other factors such as sun exposure, smoking, drugs, diet and exercise can play a role in determining when aging begins and how quickly it progresses.
Skin care plays a role, but it cannot reverse fat pad loss or bone loss that occurs with aging because it only works topically.
Aging skin
Young skin is soft, supple, smooth, well hydrated and rich in cells that renew themselves relatively quickly.
As we age, we experience a loss of facial glands, which leads to decreased oil production, contributing to less skin hydration.
We lose collagen and elastin, which can lead to the formation of dynamic wrinkles, such as expression lines, frown lines and crow's feet.
Sleeping on one side of the face repeatedly also contributes to this phenomenon.
Due to repeated facial movements, dynamic wrinkles eventually become static wrinkles that become etched into the skin over time.
Additionally, sagging may occur because the skin is no longer able to bounce back as it did in our youth.
There are two great serums for combating aging facial skin. The first is SkinMedica's TNS Essentiam Serum, which contains growth factors, and the second is SkinMedica's HA5, which contains hyaluric acid.
Many factors influence skin aging, including lifestyle and genetics.
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Lifestyle choices such as sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and stress can lead to dark spots, rough skin and wrinkles, as well as the premature onset and progression of aging.
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Genetics affect all layers of the skin and contribute to thinning, dryness and loss of skin elasticity during the aging process.
FAT PADS AND AGING
Facial fat pads are located below the surface of the skin and help provide volume, contour, and fullness.
As we age, our fat pads become thinner and begin to sag. As a result, our face is no longer as round and firm as it was in our youth.
Hollows form under the eyes, sagging skin can cause deeper wrinkles around the nose and mouth, loose skin can cause the jawline to sag, and fat can accumulate under the chin, leading to a "double chin."
The loss and downward movement of fat pads can also make the face appear deflated and sunken in the cheeks.
MUSCLES AND AGING
The facial muscles are located under the fat pads of the face.
They are in repeated motion when we eat, laugh, smile and frown.
As we age, gravity takes its toll on us. Our faces lose fat, and the repeated activity of our muscles can lead to the deep wrinkles you start to see.
As a result, wrinkles begin to appear. Crow's feet form at the outer corners of our eyes, and creases form between our eyebrows.
The muscles in your face also weaken over time. Loss of muscle tone and thinning skin can make your face look loose and sagging.
Your jawline begins to lose its contour and your profile becomes less defined.
BONES AND AGING
The bones in our face form the foundation for our muscles, fat pads, and skin.
This bone structure gives us the unique shape and contour of our face.
A youthful bone structure is characterized by full, high cheeks (as in the triangle of youth), defined brow ridges, and less deep-set eyes.
As we age, we begin to experience facial bone loss. This type of loss changes the shape, size, and contour of our face.
Thus, the areas around the eyes become wider, the angle of the brow bone decreases and the jawline is less sculpted.
TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR SIGNS OF AGING
The aging process has an impact that goes beyond the wrinkles and facial lines that form on the surface of the skin.
Aging affects multiple layers, including bones, muscles, fat pads, and skin.
It's important to understand this because it will help you and your primary provider decide which treatment option will give you the best results.
The goal of aesthetic treatments is to help restore facial volume and correct age-related shadows inherent in facial aging.
Talk to your primary care physician today about a complimentary facial evaluation to discuss personalized treatment options based on your facial structure, genetics, and aging process!
With us you will learn how to be at your best without overdoing it.
SCULPTRA AESTHETIC
Sculptra Aesthetic is a great option for those who want to restore their youth triangle and have a slim face!
The optimal placement of Sculptra is at the temples to restore youthfulness to the face. This minimizes nasolabial folds and makes the overall shape as close as possible to the triangle of youth.
Remember that a young face is full on top and light on the bottom. Jowls, sagging and heaviness are not present in the lower part of a young face.
To restore a youthful face in most clients, 2 to 3 treatments of 2 bottles of Sculptra each are generally recommended. These should be spaced approximately 6 weeks apart.
Bruising and swelling are possible, but these usually go away on their own within a few days.
Sculptra results are not immediate, full results are usually visible after about 60 days.
After the first year, we recommend touching up one vial every year.
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