Facial exercises may reduce some signs of aging, according to a new study from dermatologists at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Researchers found that a group of middle-aged women looked about three years younger after they followed a 20-week facial exercise program. This is the first scientific study to test the premise of facial exercise improving appearance. Murad Alam, vice chair and professor of dermatology, worked with Gary Sikorski of Happy Face Yoga, who trained the study participants in his 30-minute facial exercise routine. Participants — a group of women 40 to 65 years old —learned and performed 32 distinct exercises, each one for about a minute. They were instructed to repeat the exercises at first every day and then every other day for five months. Over the course of the 20 weeks, the 16 participants who remained in the study were enthusiastic about their results, finding improvements in almost all of their facial features. An independent panel of dermatologists backed up their personal evaluations, rating their “after” photographs as, on average, three years younger than their “before” photographs. “Now there is some evidence that facial exercises may improve facial appearance and reduce some visible signs of aging,” says Alam. “The exercises enlarge and strengthen the facial muscles, so the face becomes firmer and more toned and shaped like a younger face.” Here are a few of the Happy Face Yoga exercises: The Cheek Lifter: Open your mouth to form an “O,” and fold your upper lip over your teeth. Smile to lift cheek muscles up, then put your fingers on the top part of the cheek before releasing the cheek muscles to lower them. Lift the cheeks back up, and repeat by lowering and lifting 10 times. Happy Cheeks Sculpting: Smile without showing your teeth. Purse your lips together, and then smile — forcing the cheek muscles up. Place your fingers on the corners of the mouth and slide them up to the top of the cheeks, holding for 20 seconds. The Eyebrow Lifter: Press three fingertips under each eyebrow to force your eyes open. Smile while trying to push your eyebrows down against your fingers. Close your eyes and roll your eyeballs up to the top of your head, holding for 20 seconds.
FAQs
Facial Exercises Fight Appearance of Aging? ›
The dermatologists found an improvement in cheek fullness and estimated the age of the participants at 51 years of age at the start of the program and 48 at the end of the 20-week study. Furthermore, all the participants felt improvement in their own facial appearance at the end of the study.
Can facial exercises reverse signs of aging? ›The dermatologists found an improvement in cheek fullness and estimated the age of the participants at 51 years of age at the start of the program and 48 at the end of the 20-week study. Furthermore, all the participants felt improvement in their own facial appearance at the end of the study.
How to reverse the signs of aging on your face? ›The strategies aimed at preventing photo-aging include sun avoidance, sun protection using sunscreens to block or reduce skin exposure to UV radiation, retinoids in order to inhibit collagenase synthesis and to promote collagen production, and anti-oxidants, particularly in combination, to reduce and neutralize free ...
Can facial exercises make you look better? ›Research has found face yoga may be effective in improving the structural appearance of your face by strengthening the muscles of the cheeks and face. Practitioners report a younger appearance as well.
Can exercise make your face look younger? ›Yes, say some researchers from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. The researchers say regular facial exercises may strengthen the muscles just below your skin and produce fuller upper and lower cheeks. This can lead to a more youthful appearance.
Can a saggy face be fixed with exercise? ›Some research shows that facial exercises, and exercise in general, can help reduce the appearance and severity of jowls by making the facial, jaw, and neck muscles better able to hold their shape. A 2021 review concluded that there is limited evidence that facial exercises can aid with facial rejuvenation.
What are the disadvantages of facial exercises? ›Facial exercises can actually cause you to do something you don't want, which is to move your face repeatedly in a way that can cause new wrinkles or stretch skin of the face.
Are there any facial exercises that actually work? ›"The first thing to know is that there really aren't any good, rigorous, scientific studies that verify claims that face workouts are effective," says Suzanne Olbricht, an associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
How long does it take to see results from facial exercises? ›Experts say that face yoga's anti-aging effects may take three to four weeks before results can be seen. You also have to be consistent with facial yoga exercises 6 days to 7 days a week. Do the exercises for 20 minutes to 30 minutes a day.
Do double chin exercises really work? ›While there's no scientific evidence that chin exercises work to get rid of your double chin, there's anecdotal evidence.
What exercise ages your face faster? ›
Plastic surgeon warns this 1 type of exercise ages your face faster. The “repetitive beating that your face is taking” from this exercise can lead to a "gaunt, old" look the doctor says. A New York plastic surgeon has gone viral for cautioning that lots of running can prematurely age the face.
Can facial exercises reshape your face? ›So, while facial exercises may strengthen your muscles, if what you're after are slimmer cheeks, rhythmic smiling alone won't get you there. Spiegel notes that “spot reduction,” or working out a particular area of the body to lose weight there, does not work. Other experts agree.
Will facial exercises really work? ›The only healthy, nonsurgical way to reduce facial fat is overall weight loss achieved through diet and exercise. In fact, working out your facial muscles can have undesirable effects, such as making you appear older.
Does exercise reverse the aging process? ›For years researchers have promoted exercise for “promoting health span and giving people extra disease-free years“ and ultimately “slowing down the degenerative process.” However, according to new research, experts have found that consistent aerobic exercise may not only slow down the effects of aging, but ultimately ...
Do facial exercises get rid of wrinkles? ›“Now there is some evidence that facial exercises may improve facial appearance and reduce some visible signs of aging,” says Alam. “The exercises enlarge and strengthen the facial muscles, so the face becomes firmer and more toned and shaped like a younger face.”
Can sagging face reverse? ›Can Sagging Skin Be Reversed? Collagen and elastin, the compounds that give skin its youthful shape and appearance, reduce production as you age, leading to saggy, loose skin. While the aging process can't be reversed, you can dramatically reduce jowls with the following procedures: Facelift (surgical)