Yoga, much like going to the gym, revitalizes your body and provides a sense of well-being. Yoga-inspired exercises help strengthen facial muscles and keep your skin looking youthful.
According to Saed News, due to various facial expressions that are part of daily habits, like frowning, the skin gradually loses its original form. Many turn to surgery and injections to get rid of these lines and wrinkles. However, face yoga claims that it can create lifting effects on the face without surgery or expensive skincare products. Some dermatologists support this claim. Deborah Longwill, a dermatologist, says: "The goal of face yoga is to increase blood circulation and oxygen delivery to the skin, which ultimately results in glowing and rejuvenated skin."
Benefits of Face Yoga
Minimizes tension lines
Strengthens facial muscles, widening the eyes, lifting the cheeks, and firming the jawline
Increases blood circulation in the skin, leading to a glowing complexion
Smooths fine lines and wrinkles
Combats the effects of gravity
Potential Risks of Face Yoga
However, some believe that face yoga, as an anti-aging regimen, may have the opposite effect. Some experts say that distorting the face through these exercises may lead to more wrinkles. In fact, many facial wrinkles result from repetitive muscle activities like frowning or smiling, and regularly stretching and exercising facial muscles may also create wrinkles and fine lines.
5 Face Yoga Exercises
Here are five exercises used in a JAMA Dermatology study. It's best to start with five minutes of practice each day and eventually incorporate it into your skincare and self-care routine, reaching up to 15 minutes daily. If you're concerned about the risks, keep the exercises to a minimum.
Cheek Lifter: Open your mouth and form an "O" shape. Place your upper lip over your teeth and smile to lift your cheek muscles. Gently place your index fingers on top of your cheek muscles, directly under your eyes. Release the cheek muscles to lower them. Then smile again, as if pushing the muscles toward your eyes. Repeat 10 times. On the last repetition, lift the muscles as high as possible and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat this three times.
Cheek Sculptor: Smile without showing your teeth and push your lips outward as if trying to display them as much as possible. Try to smile with the corners of your mouth until you feel a slight stretch and burn in the corners. Place your index fingers at the corners of your mouth and push the muscle upward, along the cheekbone, toward your eyes. Once you reach the top of your cheekbone, hold for 20 seconds and tighten your cheek muscles. Smile with the corners of your mouth while doing this. Repeat three times.
Brow Lifter: Place the tips of your three middle fingers under each eyebrow and press to force your eyes open. Lower your eyebrows against your fingers while smiling and holding. Then close your eyes and roll your eyeballs toward the top of your head. Hold for 20 seconds and smile. Release and repeat three times.
Jaw and Neck: Open your mouth and make an "Ahhh" sound. Pull your lips and corners of your mouth inward and push your lower jaw forward. Slowly scoop your mouth with your lower jaw and lift your chin about 2 centimeters each time you scoop, tilting your head back. Open and close your lower jaw 10 times. On the last repetition, your chin should be pointing toward the ceiling. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat three times.
Temple Booster: While closing your jaw, press the tips of your fingers to your temples, clench your teeth, and tilt your chin upward. Focus on your temples, imagining moving your ears backward. Hold for 10 seconds, then clench your back teeth and hold for another 10 seconds. Your temple muscles should flex with each clench. Relax and repeat three times.
