If you understand the principles of ageing, and the manner in which the body loses firmness and elasticity with age, you’ll also understand that the skin undergoes something similar. In much the same way that doing exercises can tone and strengthen the muscles in your body, anti wrinkle exercises for the face can also contribute to a more youthful complexion. If you’re considering any kind of anti wrinkle treatment, you may also want to consider some facial exercises to uplift your skin.
How Do Facial Exercises Work?
Facial exercises or facial yoga do exactly that – give your facial muscles a workout to strengthen them and improve their tone and tightness. And, just like exercises for the rest of your body, they need to be done consistently in order to show results.
As we get older our skin loses elasticity and firmness. And, where it may once have been taught and tight, it starts to sag and lose that youthful firmness. The fat pads below the surface of the skin start to get thinner and move further away from each other which contributes to a loss of volume in the face. This is what creates a more hollow look to the face that makes us look older.
By doing facial exercises and anti wrinkle exercises for the face we can strengthen the facial muscles, allowing them to hold up better, plumping up the areas that might appear flat. By being consistent, following the correct technique you can compensate for the loss of facial volume and improve the youthfulness of your face.
Do Facial Exercises Work?
Well, according to the results of study, they seem to hold a lot of promise and researchers are certainly interested in further studies to investigate the results. In an initial study that was carried out among a group of 27 who were between the ages of 40 and 65, the participants were found to look an average of three years younger once they had finished their program.
The participants were given two sessions of 90 minutes where they were shown which facial exercises they needed to do, under the guidance of a facial exercise expert. Once they were familiar with the techniques, they had to complete the exercises at home for 20 weeks on their own. No specific products or equipment was used, and the results were purely as a consequence of completing the exercises.
The women were tasked with completing 30 minutes of 32 different facial exercises over a period of 30 minutes for the first eight weeks, followed by 30 minutes of exercises every second day. There was a drop rate of 11 participants, so only a total of 16 women completed the program.
How Were The Results Assessed?
The participants had their photographs taken at three stages of the anti wrinkle exercises for the face: before, during and after. The photographs were taken at week zero, week eight and week 20. Two dermatologists, unknown to the participants, were then given the task of analysing the photographs according to a facial aging scale so that the process was standardised. Once this was done they were asked to guess the ages of the participants, based on the outcome of their photographs.
Interestingly enough they were not told which photograph was taken at what stage of the facial exercise program. The most noticeable observation by the professionals was found to be in the fullness of their cheeks. Ultimately, at the end of the study the professionals’ assessment was that the women looked to be an average of three years younger at the end of the program, than when they started out. Interestingly, these results were achieved over the completion of a 20 week program that was done consistently by the women.
While the researchers noted that they didn’t compare results with a control group, they are interested to do a follow up study and to compare the results.
How Does It Work As An Anti Wrinkle Treatment?
If you were in any doubt as to the efficacy of these facial exercises, those in the know say that there is an explanation as to why it works.
Through exercises such as facial yoga, the muscles of the face receive more increased blood flow which results in more oxygen reaching them. This means that they are nourished and detoxified.
The benefits may include
- Plumper facial muscles
- Increased muscle tone in the facial muscles
- A sculpted, firmer and smoother facial complexion
While the primary change involved the increase in strength in the facial muscles researchers believe that the exercises may also contribute to an increase in collagen, which is why they are particularly interested in a follow up study. While the jury is still out, it is worth giving facial exercises a try although professionals do want to remind you that it shouldn’t be considered a substitute for any anti wrinkle treatments or products that are currently working for you, and should be integrated as an add-on technique.
If you’d like to find out more about anti wrinkle exercises for the face, or professional treatments that can make you look and feel younger, please contact us for a confidential appointment: (02) 8599 7161.
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