When it comes to enhancing our appearance, it seems like everyone is always chasing shortcuts and fad fixes. From the massage belts of the 1950s to the vibrating weights of today, these techniques can get pretty weird. The latest fad?
Face yoga.
Devotees swear that with the right facial stretches and poses, you can banish wrinkles, tighten sagging skin and even depuff your eyelids. And they claim this is all thanks to increased blood circulation.
But is this fact or fiction? And even if it works to a degree, are you better off with face yoga or facial plastic surgery?
Face Yoga Is Hardly New
While it is having a moment, facial exercises are not some revolutionary idea. Look at archives of old magazine ads and you will see that devices for exercising the face have been around for the better part of a century, and simple exercises have been done for hundreds of years.
Ultimately, research has yet to back the claims of face yogis or anyone else claiming that working out the face muscles treats a variety of cosmetic issues. And it isn’t as though they haven’t had the chance to study the effectiveness of these approaches in the last 100 years.
Aging Isn’t Just about Muscles
Another problem with the idea that face yoga is the key to youth comes down to what factors contribute to facial aging. Muscle tone is one part of the equation; other factors include facial volume from collagen and elastin and skin laxity resulting from sun damage. Increased circulation doesn’t produce collagen and elastin, nor does it reverse sun damage.
Should You Give Face Yoga a Try?
Ultimately, face yoga isn’t going to be transformative, but so long as you aren’t doing anything crazy, it shouldn’t hurt. It can feel good, help manage conditions like TMJ and be a good part of your self-care routine. Go into your practice with realistic expectations and have fun with getting to know your facial muscles and body better.
Effective Facial Rejuvenation
If you want more from your facial rejuvenation approach than watching yourself make silly expressions and getting a good jaw stretch, you will want to turn to proven treatments and preventative measures. While the best approach will vary between individuals, you should consider the following:
- Invest in quality skincare products and establish a skincare routine that incorporates moisturizers, cleansers and broad-spectrum SPF.
- Try out non-surgical treatments that are designed to increase collagen and elastic production, such as RF microneedling and fractional CO2 procedures.
- Get a microlift to address signs of aging in the lower half of your face.
- Look into a brow lift for your forehead and eyebrows. You can choose to go surgical or start with injectables to accomplish this lift.
- Try facial fat transfer to enhance facial volume.
Ultimately, there are many effective options that, while not free like face yoga, deliver visible results. Depending on the procedure, these results can last months or even years. So save facial yoga for getting in a good stretch and stick to cosmetic treatments for enhancing your looks.
Serving the Orange County and Los Angeles area since 1980, Facial Aesthetic Concepts is an award winning cosmetic surgery center with experienced facial plastic and plastic surgeons who are exclusively trained in facial, breast and body plastic surgery. Facial plastic surgery which includes a facelift, microlifts, browlift, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty and otoplasty, as well as “mommy make-overs” and breast enhancement are some of the core competencies of their surgical team.
