are facial exercises necessary?
Posted on March 18, 2008Filed: Beauty
If
you stroll around Barnes and Noble's beauty section you will find that
quite a few books have been published on facial exercises- everything
from how to lose your chicken neck to contradictory side that facial
exercises make aging lines appear worse! With all of the information
that these books provide, and the contradictory stance that they have,
how do you know what it right?
There are 44 muscles in the face, so it is not odd to believe that moving them and exercising them will change your face to a degree. One book told instructed one to push the fingertips up and against the brow bone to lift the eye area. While another promised how puckering up lips in an exaggerated kiss while holding back the skin at the corners of the mouth, would give you fuller lips and better cheekbones. ON the other hand, there were books that contradicted the former, not to exercise these facial muscles , in fact, it is the exercising of these muscles during everyday living that has contributed to the little lines showing up in the first place. These books revealed that repeated movement of my eyes over time are the cause of crowfeet and laughing is what actually causes laugh lines, SHOCKING!. The books called for as little extra movement as possible.
So how does one decide what is right? We say, try the exercises out- doctors say that laugh lines and crowfeet our a result of the skin, not the muscles, so actually exercising the muscles won't hurt (but they suggest not pulling too hand on the skin), and may over time actually make winkles appear less because the muscles underneath are stronger. We say smiling is the best exercise you can do!
Here are several exercise to try, and decide for yourself:
Forehead
- Place your index fingers just above your eyes and pull down while trying to raise your eyebrows, hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
Eyes
- Raise your lower eyelids without moving your upper ones, hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
Cheeks
- Push your lips out and make a round shape, stretching forward, now smile as wide as possible, hold for 10 seconds, than resume the round shape and hold for 30 seconds, repeat 10 times.
Lips
- Suck on your finger as hard as possible for 30 seconds and then slowly remove it, repeat 10 times.
- Hide your teeth with your lips and then make a small 'O' shape, keeping the lips as tense as possible smile as wide as possible, hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
Neck and Chin
- Looking straight ahead place the index finger and thumb on your neck and gently pull the skin down as you lift your head, hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
- Keeping your mouth closed and your teeth together press the tip of your tongue against the bottom of your lower teeth, gradually increasing the pressure to the count of 10, hold for 6, and slowly release. At the same time, use 2 fingers at the hollow of your neck as resistance, gently pressing in, repeat 10 times.
- Jut your lower lip out as far as possible, place your fingers on your collarbone and point your chin as high as possible and then pull the corners of your mouth down, hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
- Place your thumb behind the bone just under your chin, press tongue against your lower gums and pretend to touch your tongue to your thumb, hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
- Tighten your chin muscle as firm as you can by pushing your lower lip up and out as though pouting. Tighten as hard as you can so chin turns white and dimpled. hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
- Begin looking straight ahead with your chin level. Turn your head to the right so that it is even with your right shoulder and then push your head backwards. Hold 6-8 seconds. Return head to forward position with chin level. Turn your head to the left, even with your left shoulder, hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
