With over 2 billion views on TikTok alone, face yoga (#faceyoga) is the latest anti-aging practice to gain traction on social media.
The promise of being able to soften wrinkles and lift cheeks and chins without resorting to more invasive and expensive procedures such as Botox injections means that those looking to regain a youthful glow and firm jawline on a budget can Very attractive for those thinking.
Famous face yoga instructor Danielle Collins says on her website that face yoga “focuses on tightening and relaxing facial muscles to achieve a natural-looking overall facelift.” says.
But will it work?
So far, there is scant scientific evidence about whether the daily practice of puckering, bulging, and massaging your facial muscles remains effective even after many years.
Little research has been done on this topic, and the one study that showed positive results in a group of middle-aged women was very small, with 16 participants over 20 weeks. did.
Northeastern Global News spoke to a physical therapy professor who is also a yoga instructor and a nurse specializing in cosmetology to find out why facial yoga can give you a glow, at least in the short term, and whether the effects last for a long time. I heard about it.
don’t call it yoga
Whatever its advantages or disadvantages, face yoga isn’t actually yoga in the traditional sense, says Neha, an associate professor at Northeastern University who studies the health benefits of yoga and has been practicing yoga for many years.・Mr. Gothe says:
There are many types of yoga, including Ashtanga, Kundalini, and Hatha, but “face yoga is not one of the documented ones,” Gothe says.
Face yoga is the name of a series of exercises aimed at stretching the muscles of the face and giving it a youthful look.
Collins says on her website that face yoga “helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles while lifting the skin and promoting a youthful glow.” By enjoying targeted facial exercises, acupressure, and massage techniques, face yoga promotes increased blood circulation, collagen production, and improved skin health. ”
“Facial yoga actually has a lot of similarities to massage and acupuncture. It is more effective to massage the
Massage, she says, can improve blood circulation and give you that healthy glow that practitioners report.
Gothe says many forms of exercise and reverse yoga poses, such as downward dog, create the same effect by drawing blood toward the face.
Little evidence, lots of testimony
There are many testimonials of face yoga’s more lasting effects, with sites like the Happy Face Yoga DVD showing some people noticing improvements in their appearance in just a few weeks.
According to an article in Business Insider, actor Gwyneth Paltrow’s website Goop touts the benefits of facial yoga, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, told an interviewer in 2014 that she uses it to tone her cheeks and jawline. He reportedly said that he did facial yoga.
So far, there is little scientific evidence to judge results, but a small study of middle-aged women who did facial exercises for 20 weeks found that “midface and lower facial fullness improved.” ”JAMA Dermatology reports.
A paper published in 2018 says further research is needed to “separate the causes and effects of exercise-related changes” to see if it applies to the general population.
Are there any disadvantages to face yoga?
Jennifer Lisciotti, a graduate of Northeastern University’s nursing program and an esthetics and beauty services provider, says some of the face-slimming benefits of face yoga may be temporary, meaning it moves lymph fluid in the tissues. , says this may be a result of reducing facial swelling.
Although face yoga is designed to target muscles, “that’s only part of the equation,” she says.
“As we age, we lose bone. We lose collagen and elastin in our skin. The fat pads in our cheeks shift downward. The tissue moves downward and inward. The orbit also expands a little bit and rotates a little bit downward and inward,” Ricciotti said.
Sandy Miranda, owner of Thumbtastic Fitness and Massage Center in Falmouth, Mass., said she incorporated facial yoga into the free online classes she taught at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Honestly, it reminds me of my mother,” Miranda says. “Every morning she would look in the mirror and pronounce her vowels as ‘AEIO U.’ She said, “It helps keep her skin taut.”
“When I teach yoga at the beach, I sometimes add in (face yoga),” Miranda says. “Maybe it will help.”
In any case, she says: “It was the most fun class I’ve ever taught.” We laughed together as we watched their faces contort during the exercises.
Even face yoga believers say it takes time to see results, but they’re more subtle than Botox or fillers.
But because it’s relatively inexpensive to buy books and DVDs about face yoga or watch instructional videos online, many people give facial exercises a try, especially since they don’t seem to have any negative health effects. I am.
One of the most well-known face yoga instructors, Collins also teaches her followers about practicing positive affirmations, improving posture, and proper nutrition that doesn’t include foods high in sodium and other foods that can cause bloat. There is.
With a holistic approach to self-care, Collins says face yoga “has the added benefit of feeling good from the inside out and boosting your well-being.”
Future studies that include a significant number of participants and a control group may paint a more scientific picture of the benefits of face yoga.
