There are 60 different muscles in your face, all of which, respond well to firming and toning exercises. Facial exercises or facial “yoga” can rejuvenate the aging face, apparently by encouraging underlying muscle growth. So, if your jowls are sagging or your chin is hanging loose, give yourself a non-toxic and non-invasive facelift that’s a great natural alternative to Botox and even surgery.
Scientific study suggests facial yoga exercises provide a natural facelift
Just like saggy arms or thighs that require exercises for firming, so too, do saggy jowls, cheeks, chins and droopy eyelids. A study published in JAMA Dermatology concluded that facial exercises improved the facial appearance of middle-aged women. The result was a younger appearance with fuller upper and lower cheeks, reports the Northwestern Medicine study.
Women aged 45 to 60 were asked to perform various facial exercises for 30 minutes a day for the first eight weeks, then, every other day for 12 weeks. Dermatologists estimated the ages of the women before, during and after the study, via photographs taken, and noticed a substantial improvement. By building muscle that fills out the face, it counteracts the wrinkles and sagging skin that inevitably come with age suggests lead study author Murad Alam, M.D.
Here’s what you need to do for your skin to reap the benefits of a natural facelift. Complete a selection of exercises daily for about eight weeks. After that just a few days a week to maintain the results. The following facial exercises were developed by Gary Sikorski of Happy Face Yoga, coauthor of the study.
Cheek lifter
This exercise will lift and firm the cheeks.
- Smile, then open your mouth to form a long “O”.
- Now fold your upper lip over your front teeth.
- Smile again to lift your cheeks.
- Now place your index fingers on the top of the cheeks just under your eyes.
- Relax your cheeks.
- Smile again to lift those cheek muscles back up. Do ten of these pushups.
- On the tenth pushup hold your cheek muscles as high as you can and imagine your cheeks are moving up towards the ceiling.
Sikorski suggests also taking your index fingers and moving them an inch away from your face and up over your scalp area. This way you can visualize your cheeks moving up. Hold for 20 seconds. Additionally, if you tighten your buttocks it will push your cheeks even harder.
Saggy chin and droopy jowls
This exercise will tighten the muscles under your chin, toning saggy cheeks and droopy jowls.
- Smile and open your mouth to make an “ahhh” sound.
- Fold your lower lip and corners of your lips into your mouth and hold tightly.
- Extend your lower jaw forward.
- Now lift your lower jaw slowly to close your mouth. Pull your chin up about an inch each time you scoop, tilting your head backward.
- Open and close your jaw for ten repetitions.
- On the final rep, your chin should be pointing towards the ceiling. Keep this position for 20 seconds.
Eyebrow lifter
This exercise helps smooth out wrinkles in your upper eyelids and also helps lift your eyebrows.
- Smile and then press three fingertips under each eyebrow to force them open.
- Keep smiling while trying to frown
- Now hold and breathe deeply, continuing to smile.
- Release and relax and repeat three times.
Upper eyelid firmer
This exercise helps smooth wrinkles and fill in deep hollows of the upper eyelids.
- Smile and place your fingers in each inner and outer corner of both eyes.
- Now squeeze your eyes tightly together.
- Roll your eyes up towards the ceiling.
- You will feel your eyelids stretching as you continue to look up with your eyes squeezing together.
- Keep smiling and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat two times.
Egg white and cornstarch for a natural facelift
If you’re looking for an all-natural face mask that treats fine lines, wrinkles and temporarily tightness and tones the skin, then look no further than your refrigerator. An egg white mask is an effective solution for improving skin tone and elasticity thanks to the proteins found in the egg whites. But since it’s only a temporary fix, you’ll want to use it in conjunction with facial exercises.
Ingredients:
- 1 cold fresh egg white
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions:
- Combine the egg white (from one cold fresh egg) and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Whisk the mixture together until no lumps remain.
- Use your finger or brush to apply the mask to your clean face and throat area.
- Allow mask to dry for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Rinse mask off with warm water. Pat dry.
When it comes to facial exercises, consistency is key. Repeat exercises daily for eight weeks and then a few times a week to maintain your natural facelift.
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