Understandably, a common question often asked by people looking for help before they spend their hard-
earned cash on a facial exercise program, is “Do facial exercises work?”
When deciding if exercising the face really works, there are several factors to consider. Firstly, let’s take a look at what the facial fitness experts say.
Deborah Crowley, who developed her FlexEffect program in the late seventies, insists that exercising the face “is not a magic bullet.” Deborah goes on to say that although face exercise won’t put every defect right, everyone,
regardless of age, will benefit to some extent from facial fitness workouts. She suggest the people who gain most from facial building are those like herself, who start out early. She started exercising her own face after it became gaunt due to competitive body-building. She found that using resistance exercises on her face added fullness and a more youthful look.
Louise Annette, author of Ageless If We Dare, used a variety of face exercises on and off without having exceptional results, which led her to develop her own program. Her “Ageless if We Dare” book is currently unavailable, but at the time of writing Louise is working on a new program which hopefully will be ready by the time you read this. If Louise’s “before and afters” are anything to go by, it is evident facial exercising does work; but some trial and error until you discover the right face exercise program may be involved.
Cynthia Rowland, owner of Rejenuve, and creator of “Facial Magic” is emphatic in claiming non-surgical face exercises really work, but only of genuine help when all parts of the face are exercised, as opposed to trying to spot correct the parts of the face you feel are most needy.
There have been few studies on the effectiveness of facial exercise treatment, other than testimonials provided by individuals, which especially online, are often passed off as bogus and of no help. However, Deborah Crowley performed a small independent study on the efficacy of facial exercises with Eureka Physical Therapy in California. Participants, who were females with an average age of 45, showed a 35 percent increase in facial muscle strength after two weeks.
The best way to decide if facial exercises work, is to do a little detective work of your own. Firstly, take a look at people who do exercises for the face on a regular basis. If you have any friends who have been involved in a facial yoga class, or doing an at-home facial fitness routine, you have an ideal subject to study. If not, you will need to rely on online resources.
Deborah Crowley is in her early sixties; at the time of writing in 2011, she would easily pass for a woman aged around 45 to 50. Eva Fraser, a London beautician, did not discover facial exercise until she was 50 years of age. According to many sources who have met Eva while having treatment in her London salon, she continues to look around 50 years old today, although she is approaching her mid-80s.
There is substantial evidence that facial exercises help get rid of lines, decrease deeper wrinkles and provide definition to an aging face. However, it is also evident the exercises must be practiced regularly, and trial and error may be involved in finding which face routine works best for you.
General skin care and ensuring the skin is well-hydrated is also important. Some personal care must also be included in the mix, if you smoke or have an unhealthy diet, facial exercise may help improve lines, but will not be enough to eradicate signs of aging which may be caused by bad habits.
Do Facial Exercises Work for Older People ?
The earlier you begin exercising the face, the better. However, most of us probably won’t start until signs of aging are fairly evident. When you start at a later age, for example in your 50s or even 60s, you can still expect to see excellent improvements, but it is likely to take longer than if you had started in your 30s or early 40s.
To find out more about the efficiency of facial exercises, see “facial exercises cause wrinkles.”