Facial Exercises: A Daily Workout For Your Face

All of us do it. We peer into the bathroom mirror and see only our flaws: deepening laugh lines; that trace of a double chin; a single wrinkle making its way across your forehead. And while many of us daydream for a few minutes about plastic surgery or Botox, most of us go back to our daily lives without much more thought to those imperfections — until we’re confronted with another mirror.

With the rise of social media, where only “perfect” images are put on display, it’s no surprise that younger people are getting plastic surgery at a much higher rate than any other age group. A 2017 study by The American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that more than 200,000 teens had plastic surgery last year. 200,000 teens that think they need to “fix” something… something that’s heavily influenced by countless internet feeds of celebrities with augmented cheeks and lips.

But is it possible that, like our bodies, our faces can stay in shape with a daily workout? Most people who think of facial exercises relate them to the mid-80s and early 90s, when a plethora of books and videos came out to demonstrate how to use facial exercises for natural facelifts — that is, to firm the facial muscles without plastic surgery. But in reality, facial exercises have been around for as long as women have been alive.

According to Elizabeth Weingarten’s Slate article, “Face Exercise: Cheeks of Steel” facial exercises can be dated back to Cleopatra and have been used by women throughout the centuries to stave off the impact of gravity and time. So why do we rarely hear about facial exercises, if at all? Well, to be honest, they’re kind of odd looking so most people do them in private. “Face workouts…are taboo both because they look idiotic, and because women (and men) prefer to hide the things they do to prevent the ravages of age,” explains Weingarten.

No one can convince you that the exercises work, but they’re worth trying for yourself. After all, what do you have to lose? The exercises are both free of cost and pain-free, both of which are good enough reasons in my book. Here are a few exercises you can try the next time you find yourself with a moment alone:

Reducing a Double Chinn
It’s important to note that a double chin likely means you need to lose weight (read the latest groundbreaking research) overall; however, this exercise may help speed up the chin/neck slimming process. First, tilt your head back, and then open and close your mouth slowly. Repeat 10 times.

Firming Cheeks and Neckline:

Push your chin forward, then bring your lower lip up over the top one. Curl the sides of your mouth upward. Tip your head back and push your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Hold for 10 seconds.

Lifting Your Forehead:

Take your middle and index fingers and place them against each eyebrow, as though you’re saluting with just two fingers. Place your thumbs on your temples. Push down on your brow with your fingers and use the muscles of your forehead to push them back up.

What do you think of facial exercises? Have you tried them? If not, do you think you might give them a whirl?