Image: Timothy Krause
Facial exercises have existed for years. In fact, it is believed that Cleopatra had tried it herself. The people advocating facial exercises believed that facial muscles are just like other muscles of the body. If you do not work them out, they will sag and will make fine lines and other signs of skin aging more visible.
These facial exercises make use of certain techniques that target different areas of the face and the neck. When done regularly, these exercises can help improve the appearance of sagging skin and eliminate signs of skin aging such as eye wrinkles, hog jowls, double chin, and the dreaded turkey neck.
However, despite the growing number of women trying out these facial exercises, there are still those who are hesitant to give it a try primarily because of the myths about them. Here are some of those interesting myths:
Myth 1: Facial exercise cannot change the structure of the face.
Facial exercises can actually change the structure of the face though the changes do not happen overnight. Unlike cosmetic surgeries, facial exercises have this gradual effect on your facial structure. How fast you can see these changes depend largely on how frequent you do the exercise. Also, the desired changes will only start to appear if you consistently focus on that area that you’d like to improve.
There are facial exercises to get rid of your double chin, improve your skin tone, strengthen the cheek muscles, and reduce the appearance of fine lines around the mouth.
Myth 2: Facial exercise takes too long.
It actually doesn’t take that long to do facial exercises. For the first month, it is recommended to do it for 20 minutes every day and then 2 to 3 times a week for the subsequent months.
The good thing with facial exercise is that you can do it wherever you are. You can do the 20-minute facial exercise while watching TV or while listening to podcasts. You will hardly notice the time when you do that.
Myth 3: Cosmetic procedures are better than facial exercises.
Many people are attracted to cosmetic procedures because the effects are immediate. What many are not aware of is that these procedures don’t provide long-lasting results. Face lifts, for instance, can provide great result for the first 18 months but because they can cause scarring, there’s a huge chance of getting back the sagging facial skin.
Another downside of cosmetic procedures is the cost. Getting under the knife again to get rid of the baggy skin require additional costs and time off from work. As with facial exercises, you don’t have to constantly shell out money as it usually just require a one-time fee. Plus, you don’t need to go on leave when you do the facial exercise as you can do it whenever and wherever is convenient for you.
Myth 4: Facial exercises are painful.
This is not true unless it’s done incorrectly. In facial exercises, you only make use of your fingertips to apply gentle pressure on certain areas of your face. The pressure should just be right, not too firm to cause discomfort or pain.
In contrast to what many believe, facial exercises do not damage the sinuses. If you massage your sinus area, you may feel some stuffiness for the first few days. This is completely normal. In the long run, the stuffiness will dissipate.
Myth 5: Facial exercises worsen the sagging of the skin.
Facial exercises can actually improve, not worsen the sagging of the facial skin. Regularly doing it can help you achieve a younger-looking and more toned skin as it strengthens the facial muscles and improve blood flow to the face, feeding the underlying tissues and skin cells with oxygen and their-much needed nutrients.
Facial exercises provide many women and even men with an opportunity to improve the appearance of their skin without going under the knife, breaking their banks, or wasting their time. It has existed for years and it’s still here for a reason.