Do Facial Exercises Work? Yes!

Some people think facial exercises work, some say they make things worse. Interesting to note the people claiming the latter usually haven’t tried them – how would they know? I actually have, so let’s start by debunking the most common opposing viewpoint. Some claim facial exercises will actually deepen the wrinkles you already have, and give you a few more for good measure. Wrong. While it’s true smiling, wincing, frowning, etc., can certainly contribute to wrinkling, it’s really gravity and natural loss of elasticity that wreaks havoc on your skin.

Keep these muscles toned and there will be far less sagging of the skin. Why? Because facial muscles respond to resistance training as any other muscle would. This is neither an Anatomy nor Physiology article (though I’ve studied both extensively at the university level and could certainly facilitate a discussion on it) so I’m not going to get into the scientific explanation. Simply put, the facial muscles aren’t any different from any other muscles in your body – apart from the fact we don’t actually pay any attention to them whilst in the gym.

• How do I apply resistance? By gently pressing with your fingers – or by using one of the resistance tools currently on the market.

• Obviously there’s a limit to how much improvement one can make. Meaning, starting at 70 will not get you a 30 year old face – ever. Fifty-five, maybe, and hey, that’s still damned impressive. You want to start YOUNG and stay that way. But if you’re already mature, there’s no harm in starting now. You will see improvement, regardless.

• How often do I have to do the exercises? Every day. Yeah, you really do. Slack off and you’ll see nothing. Same results you’d get if you ate bon-bons and sat on your sofa all day long. You don’t need to feel the burn, but you need to put some effort into it.

• How long does the routine take? About 20 minutes or so, if you do them all at once. That’s how long it takes me, anyway. You might choose to do more or less.

• How long before I see results? I started to see results in about a week – but it will vary for each person.

• Which exercises should I do?I actually just do those I’ve managed to google up. I pay special attention to eyelids, but you really need to pay attention to each area. There are some women who sell books and DVD’s offering their techniques for a reasonable price. Some of these teachers include Eve Fraser, Carol Maggio and Carolyn Cleaves. Some offer a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.

1. Use a light touch – always. Only exert as much pressure as needed to get resistance, you should’t be feeling strained, or have a bad headache when you’re done.
2. Give yourself a facial massage each day, this really makes the skin look healthy as your circulation improves.
3. Toss an ear massage in there – it really does make your skin glow. I don’t know how, it just does.
4. Take the time to wash your face one extra time each day, as some people do have SMALL breakouts when they start this. I had a few pimples at first, but nothing that bothered me.

Notice I'm not saying toss your creams away. No, I'm saying use them together. There's no reason you can't have the best of both worlds!

xx Isabella