Facial Exercise Central

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Face Exercise Instructions

4 Exercises You Can Do To Help Get Rid Of Necklines

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necklines

No matter how smooth your face is, if your neck has visible wrinkles or sagging skin, your age will start to show.

It is common that we lose elasticity on the skin of our neck as we get older. The skin tends to get thinner and have a crepe type appearance. This is caused by environmental factors, such as sun damage, free radicals and lack of moisture.

Strengthening the muscles in your neck by exercising, will help combat the signs of aging. It is a healthy way to tighten and smooth the skin and help get rid of necklines.

These exercises should be done at least once a day, but twice a day is ideal. Try to get in the habit of doing them in the morning and before you go to bed at night.

Let’s take a look at several key exercises that will help firm this delicate skin on your neck:

1. Tilt Back

This exercise requires you to sit down and tilt your head up towards the ceiling. After your head is in place, move your jaw forward and hold for five seconds. Repeat this motion ten times. You should be able to feel the muscles in the front of your neck getting tighter as you do this.

2. Pucker Up

This neck exercise is similar to the one above, but it targets different muscles in the neck and face.

Sit down with your back straight and point your chin upwards towards the ceiling. Slowly form your lips in a kissing motion by pouting your mouth. Hold this position for a few seconds and repeat two times.

3. Neck Stretch

You may be familiar with this exercise, because it is commonly used to relieve tension in the neck. Performing this neck stretch, will actually tone and tighten the muscles in the neck, chin and throat.

Simply place your chin on your chest and slowly rotate your head to one side, going all the way around. Repeat this motion five times, then circle around in the opposite direction five times. Not only will you be smoothing out wrinkles, you will relieve muscle tightness in your neck and shoulders as well.

4. Baby Bird

This exercise is recommended in “The Yoga Face” by Annelise Hagen, The Baby Bird movement targets sagging jowls and will help firm them up if this exercise is performed regularly.

For this exercise, tilt your head back and look upwards. Push the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and then swallow. Next, tilt your head to either side and swallow again. Repeat this motion on the opposite side. You should repeat this motion three to four times on each side.

Conclusion

By incorporating the above exercises into your daily routine, you should start to see a visible difference in your neckline. You should also actually be able to feel the skin getting firmer and appear smoother.

In addition to exercises, be sure to use proper skin care and sunscreen and avoid overexposure to the sun. Eat a healthy diet that contains vitamins and nutrients.

You should also make a point to stay hydrated by drinking enough water. Doing so, will reduce future sagging and damage to the delicate tissue on your neck area. Skin that is hydrated is plumper, firmer and shows less signs of aging.

It only takes a few minutes a day to perform these exercises. The best part is that they are free! No need to pay for expensive plastic surgery. Just stick to your regimen and you will see improvement over time.

For further reading, check out: Anti-Wrinkle Fruits – 4 Best Fruits To Reduce Wrinkles and 4 Step Easy Skincare Routine For Busy People.

Image: Flickr

10 Minute Facial Exercise That Will Help You Look Younger

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Image: sean Kong

Whether we like it or not, our skin would age. The good news is, there is a way to delay this process. Forget about Botox and surgery; there is a non-invasive way of doing it – facial exercise.

What is facial exercise?

Facial exercise, which is also known as facial toning and facial yoga, is a popular method of skin rejuvenation. Proponents of this method claim that by ‘working out’ our facial muscles, we can change our facial contours such as increase our facial muscle tone and volume.
This is not an entirely new concept. In fact, it was believed that Cleopatra and the Empress of the Imperial Court in China have used facial exercise in order to maintain their youthful appearance. However, it was only in the 1950s that the practice of facial yoga started to propagate.

How does facial exercise make you look younger?

A number of fitness celebrities have been endorsing facial exercise as a way of reversing skin aging. But do these exercises really work?
Some doctors, especially plastic surgeons, are not convinced that these facial movements actually help in preventing or minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. According to them, working the facial muscles may actually emphasize those deep lines such as crow’s feet and frown lines.
Cynthia Rowland, the creator of Facial Magic, has a different take on it. According to her, facial exercise works and the key to achieving desired results is through contracting the right facial muscles. In her practice, Rowland teaches her students isometric techniques that contract the muscles. These techniques help in creating muscle contractions to lift the face.
For Rowland, facial exercise works because the facial muscles are attached to the skin. When you contract the muscles, you are forcing oxygenated blood into the skin’s tissues, making them look plump again.
People who have tried facial exercise also claim that it works. You can find a lot of people in discussion boards/forums who are saying that facial yoga works for them.  

10-Minute Facial Exercise Routine

Facial exercises are best done in a place and time where and when you are fully relaxed and free from any form of distraction.
Unlike other methods for reversing skin aging, it doesn’t take too long to do the facial exercise. In fact, you can do several techniques even if you only have 10 minutes to spare each day. Below are examples of facial exercise techniques that you can do in that short amount of time.
For the forehead
For best result, apply a small amount of moisturizer on your forehead and your fingertips.

  1. Place both of your hands on your forehead, with your fingers spread out between your eyebrows and hairline. Applying mild pressure, gently sweep your fingers outwards across your forehead. Relax and repeat this for 10 times. 
  2. Staring straight ahead, pull your forehead tight (imagine that you’re trying to bring it on top of your head). Hold this position for 10 seconds then repeat.

For the eyes

  1. Close your eyes then raise your eyebrows as far as you can. Relax and then repeat. 
  2. Place both of your middle fingers at the inner corner of your eyebrow. With your index fingers, apply gentle pressure to the outer corners of your eyebrow. While your fingers are at this position, look at the ceiling and raise your lower eyelid. Relax and repeat this for 6 times.

For the cheeks

  1. Smile as hard as you can while having your fingers on top of your cheekbones. Hold your grin while you push as hard as you can. Relax for few seconds and then repeat. 
  2. Puff out your cheeks as much as you can and then tap them for 30 seconds. Relax and then repeat.

For the neck
Keep your neck in a neutral position by looking straight ahead. Turn your head to the right, making sure that your chin is in line with your shoulder then gently tilt it backward. Hold this position for 30 seconds before returning to the neutral position and repeating this to the other side.

Facial exercise is a simple yet effective way of preventing and minimizing fine lines and other signs of skin aging on your face. Try it for yourself and see how your 10-minute facial exercise routine can make a difference.

Why You're Never Too Old To Begin Facial Exercises

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Image: David Amsler

All of us go through the aging process. But a lot of women dislike aging because of the changes it brings on the skin. One of the most common skin-related complaints is wrinkling. These lines that appear on the forehead and outer corners of the eyes and mouth happen because of the reduction of the skin’s elasticity and thickness.
There are several treatments and remedies to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. These include cosmetic procedures like Botox injections, the use of anti-aging creams, and doing regular facial exercise.
Facial exercise is a simple yet effective way to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Unlike cosmetic procedures and the use of anti-aging products, facial exercise isn’t expensive. You can do it within the comfort of your own home either on your own or with the help of another person. Plus, it is not invasive compared to some cosmetic procedures.
While testimonials have proven how effective facial exercises are, some women especially older women are hesitant to try them thinking that they’re too old for it. This isn’t true as facial exercises are created for everyone regardless of age.

Why You’re Never Too Old For Facial Exercises

As we grow older, our skin undergoes several changes including having more fine lines. Giving facial exercise a try regardless of your age is a better option than waiting for a miracle to happen to improve the look of wrinkles and other signs of skin aging.
There are several women who can prove that age doesn’t matter when it comes to doing facial exercise. A perfect example is Eva Fraser. Fraser is considered to be as one of the proponents of facial exercise. She’s already 50 years old when she went to Germany to meet Madame Hoffman who is believed to have devised a method of exercising the facial muscles.
Fraser’s persuasion had made Hoffman, who was already in her 70s that time, to provide her the training that she needed. After being trained in London, Fraser developed her own facial exercise program which is now available in various formats including books, videos, and DVDs.
These women are proofs that no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to begin doing facial exercises.

Facial Exercises for Beginners

There are tons of facial exercise routines that you can try. But for beginners, the following can be a good start:
For the Forehead
To reduce the wrinkles on the forehead, begin by lying down and looking up at the ceiling. Open your eyes as wide as you can and lift your eyebrows while you do this. Hold this for 2 seconds before release. Repeat for 10 times.
For the Eyes
One of the most common signs of aging are fine lines around the eyes. These lines can be reduced by toning the muscles around the eye area. To do this, simply press your two fingers at the temples and lightly pull them back. While at this position, rapidly open and close your eyes. Do this for 5 times.
For the Cheeks
For the cheek area, try to fill your mouth with air then slowly release it. Repeat this for 10 times.
For the Mouth
Reduce the appearance of fine lines around your mouth with this facial exercise: say “AH”, “EE”, “OH” exaggeratedly by opening your mouth as wide as you can. Do this for 10 times.
For the Chin and Neck
This facial exercise is intended for toning the muscles in your chin and neck area. Begin the exercise by sitting with your back and neck straight. Once you’re in this position, slowly tilt your head back and look up at the ceiling. Move your lower lip over your upper lip. Hold this position for 5 seconds before releasing it. Repeat this for 5 times.
Aging is inevitable but this doesn’t mean that you can’t do something with the skin changes brought by it. If expensive and invasive facial treatments are not your thing, then give facial exercise a try. This can be done anytime and anywhere whether you’re in your 30s or in your 60s.

How To Improve Skin Tone With Exercise

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Image: tommerton2010

A person’s skin tone speaks a lot about her. It’s often a reflection of her lifestyle, habits, and even health. Several factors can affect a person’s skin tone. These include genes, age, sun exposure, diet, and skincare routine.
Genes
The person’s genetic makeup is an unalterable factor and one of the primary determinants of her skin tone.
Age
The effect of aging on melanocyte activity and the cumulative effect of ultraviolet exposure leads to the appearance of hyperpigmentation spots. These spots, which can appear white or yellow, can result to mottled, older skin appearance.
While hyperpigmentation is common in aging women, hypopigmentation can also occur. This results from the reduction of melanocytes. After the age 30, a person starts to lose 6-8% of her melanocytes every decade. This reduction in melanocytes also means a reduction in the protective capacity against the harmful UV rays.
Sun Exposure
Unprotected sun exposure can lead to hyperpigmentation as it stimulates the production of melanin. These hyperpigmentation spots can appear as darkened patches, ranging from brown to black in color.
Aside from being a major contributing factor to hyperpigmentation, sun exposure can also exacerbate existing dark spots, making them appear darker.
Diet
Although people’s skin tone vary depending on ethnicity, a study published in the American Journal of Public Health shows that diet plays a role in the improvement of skin tone. The researchers found similar effects across different cultures. They found out that a good diet is associated with attractive skin tone.
The study, which involves 35 students, showed that subjects who were able to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables over a specific period of time have a change in skin colour, leaning towards a healthier golden glow compared to those who consume less fruits and vegetables.
Skincare Routine
Your skincare routine can also affect your skin tone. Using products that aren’t suitable to your skin type can cause skin darkening. For people with oily skin, the use of oil-based skincare products can lead to sallow skin. This appears as yellowish tint that makes a person look sickly and older than her actual age.

Improving Skin Tone With Exercise

The idea behind facial exercise is simple. It lies on the premise that facial muscles are like other muscles in the body. The more you work them out, the leaner and tighter they become. For the proponents of facial exercise, regularly doing it can lead to improvement in skin tone and facial lift.
According to a facial exercise expert, working out your facial muscles can help improve their strength. These exercises highly benefit aging women especially that aging brings about certain changes in the skin like lost of collagen. Facial exercise helps counteract these effects by increasing heat and microcirculation in the skin.
With the improvement in blood circulation and strengthening effect, facial exercise leads to plumper skin. Plumping up volume loss turns out to be a good way to get rid of the spots that usually come with collagen loss. This boost in microcirculation from facial exercise also affects skin complexion, helping one achieve a healthier glow.

Facial Exercise For Starters

If you want to improve your skin tone without using chemicals or getting under the knife, you can try the following facial exercise routines:
1. Fish Lips
To do the Fish Lips, begin by sucking in your lips like a fish. Do this while you purse your lips. While your lips still pursed, smile as hard as you can. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Relax before you repeat the process for three times.
Another way of doing the Fish Lips is by sucking in your cheeks, pursing the lips, and then trying to hold the pose while wiggling the cheek muscles up and down.
2. Kiss Face
Begin by pouting your lips. With pouted lips, try to smile as hard as you can. Hold this position for 10 seconds before you relax. Repeat this three times.
There’s another way of doing the Kiss Face: with your lips pouted and trying to smile as hard as you can, try to move your cheek muscles up and down.
3. Whistler
The Whistler begins by making an “O” with your lips (think as if you’re about to whistle). While on this position, try to smile as hard as you can. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat for three times.
You can also do the Whistler by making an “O” with your lips, smile as hard as you can, and while on this position, wiggle your cheek muscles up and down.

Try doing these routines regularly and see how they can improve your skin’s plumpiness and skin tone.

How To Get That Non Surgical Facelift Without Using Product

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Image: Dima Bushkov

Women in particular have long been searching for the fountain of youth. While this is yet to be found, women in history have found ways to preserve their youth – from Cleopatra with her daily donkey milk baths to the daily white wine baths of Mary, Queen of Scots.
In modern times, science has made it possible to keep the youthful glow without getting into any milk or white wine baths. There are facelift surgeries and anti-aging products.

The Risks of Facelift Surgeries

Also known as rhytidectomy, facelift surgeries are cosmetic procedures designed to make one look younger. This is done by reshaping the lower third of the face and by removing the excess facial skin. With some facelift surgeries, the underlying tissues are involved to achieve plump and healthy-looking skin.
While many can attest that these procedures are effective, they come with certain risks. These include complications like bleeding, bruising, infection, inflammation, redness, scarring, and damage to the nerve muscles. With these and other things that come with invasive procedures, more women are now considering non-invasive ways to achieve the youthful glow.

The Cons of Using Anti-Aging Products

In response to the growing need of non-invasive solution for achieving youthful skin, skincare companies have come up with anti-aging products.
There are tons of anti-aging products that one can choose from. There are those that promise to lift, tighten, and contour the face. There are also those that claim to provide results overnight or in just a few minutes.
Anti-aging products may be non-invasive solutions for achieving young-looking skin but they can be pretty expensive, with some products costing hundreds of dollars each. Also, not all of these skincare products live up to their promises.
If going under the knife or using anti-aging products is not your thing, then you still have another option to achieve your desired facelift. This one is inexpensive, doesn’t require surgeries, and above all, have been attested by many women to be effective in achieving young-looking skin. This non-invasive procedure is called facial exercise.

Facial Exercise: Non-Invasive Way to Achieve Non Surgical Facelift

Facial exercise involves movement of the different facial muscles with the aim of toning them. This is based from the premise that since facial muscles are not just attached to the bones but are also to the skin and other facial muscles, moving them can lead to toning other muscles and the skin. This then leads to a firmer look and young-looking skin.
The following facial exercises are among the best ways to minimize facial wrinkling and sagging without undergoing surgery or paying for expensive facelift creams:
For the Eyes
The skin around the eyes is very delicate. It is prone to wrinkling as you age. The wrinkles can appear around the eyelids and as the time goes by, these creases can go deeper. To keep this from happening, you can do the following facial exercises:

  • Begin by placing your fingertips on your temples. With eyes closed, look up and down as far as possible, with your fingertips providing resistance to the movement. For best results, repeat this for 10 times, twice a day.
  • Start by closing your eyes and visualize yourself in total calmness. Stretch your eyelids as far as possible without opening your eyes. Hold this pose for 5 seconds and then release. Repeat this for five times a day.

For the Forehead
Doing facial exercises regularly can tone the muscles on your forehead. The following routines can prevent and reduce the appearance of frown lines:

  • Place your index finger just above your eyes. Try to pull it down while you raise your eyebrows. Repeat this for 5 times a day, for several days in a week.
  • Grin as wide as possible and bring your eyebrows up. Hold this for a few seconds before repeating it. For best results, repeat this for 10 times in a day.

For the Cheeks
Well-toned muscles around your cheek area can give you a more youthful look. You can achieve this by trying the following facial exercises:

  • With your mouth closed, suck your cheeks towards your teeth and hold it for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat this for 10 times.
  • In an upright position, begin by twisting your lips inwards. After you do this, puff your cheeks and try to smile in this position then relax. Repeat this for 10 times.

For the Lips
Facial exercises can firm the muscles surrounding your lips. They help prevent and get rid of the fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth. The following exercises can help:

  • Begin by sitting upright with your lips pursed then try to lift your lips towards your nose. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then release. Repeat this for 5 times.
  • Start by sticking your index finger in your mouth. Suck it as hard as possible and then slowly remove it. Repeat this for 10 times.

For the Neck
The neck area requires specific routine to keep its skin firm and young-looking. The following exercises can help you achieve that:

  • In an upright position, put your index finger on your neck and then gently pull the skin downward as you slowly lift your chin. Do this for 10 times.
  • Start with your head lift back, with chin pointing towards the ceiling. With lips closed, do the chewing motion for 30 seconds. Take a rest for 10 seconds before doing it again. For best results, do this for 20 times.

There are certainly a lot of ways to keep your skin young-looking without splurging on products or exposing yourself to certain risks with invasive procedures. Facial exercises are among your best options. They are simple, non-invasive, and more practical ways to achieve the youthful glow. Try doing the suggested facial exercises and you’ll notice the difference in no time.

A Guide To The Muscles Of The Neck & Face

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A Guide To The Muscles Of The Neck & Face

Image: Illya Zorya

The muscles of the face and neck are among the vital muscles of the body. Without them, movement and certain body functions like swallowing and chewing will be impossible. Hence, knowing what these muscles are and what they do is important as it can help us make better choices for both our health and body.

Muscles of the Face

The facial muscles is a unique muscle group. Unlike other muscles in the body that are connected solely to bones, most facial muscles connect the bones to the skin. This unique connection of muscles to bones and skin enable certain vital body functions.  For example, the muscles zygomaticus major and orbicularis oris make it possible for us to make different facial expressions and move our cheeks and lips when we speak and eat.
The simple acts of biting and chewing also involves several facial muscles. These include the mastication, masseter, and temporalis muscles. The mastication muscles move the mandible while the masseter and temporalis muscles move the jaw during chewing.
Facial muscles are responsible for tongue movement. Four sets of extrinsic muscles work together to move the tongue into any direction.
Eye movement is also made possible with facial muscles. Six extrinsic eye muscles work together in great accuracy and speed to enable eye movement and rotation. Inside the eyes is another set of muscles that make it possible for us to dilate the pupils and focus on objects.
The facial muscles are not limited to those that can be found in the eyes, cheeks, and mouth; they can also be found inside the ears. Stapedius, the smallest muscle, controls the movement of the stapes to help control the amplitude of sound waves coming from the external environment.

Muscles of the Neck

The muscles of the neck play an important role in the gross motor movement of the head and neck. These muscles, the sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius, work together so we can move our head in every direction that we want.
By working in pairs, these muscles enable us to flex or extend our head and neck. And by working individually, these muscles enable head rotation or neck flexion either to the left or right.

Taking Care of the Face and Neck Muscles

Just like the rest of the muscles of the body, our face and neck muscles can also lose their elasticity and flexibility in the long run. And just like the rest of our muscles, they need to be ‘worked out’ to keep them from sagging.
It’s when the muscles of the face and neck start to sag that the signs of aging become more apparent. This is where facial exercise becomes beneficial.
Facial exercise is created out of a basic premise that the facial muscles are just like the other muscles of the body. If they are not ‘moved’ regularly, they can sag and make you look old.
Facial exercise advocates advise doing it for at least a minute on a regular basis (the earlier, the better) to make the most of its benefits.
For starters, here’s some examples of facial exercise routines that can be easily done at home:

Forehead exercise: Place your hand on the side of your forehead, just near your temple. Make sure that your thumb is positioned nicely at the lower hairline while the pinky finger at the end of your eyebrow. Use your pinky finger to gently pull your skin towards your hairline. While your skin is taut, move your eyebrows rapidly up and down.
Another way to exercise the muscles of your forehead is to raise your eyebrow as high as possible while you pull the skin taut. Hold it for 5 seconds then repeat gain. You can repeat this routine for 5 times each day.
Cheeks exercise: Start by placing an index finger on the middle of your cheeks. Then, start making small but firm outer circles. While you do this, make an “O” shape from your lips, extending it as far as possible. Pull your lips back and do it again.
Neck exercise: While tipping your head back, slide your lower lip over your upper lip. Hold it for 5 seconds then relax. Repeat it for five times.

The facial gestures and head movements we do each day may seem so simple but behind them is a network of muscles working together to make them possible. So take care of them. Simple routines like the ones outlined above can benefit not just your facial muscles but as well your skin.