Facial exercises have gained popularity in recent years, with claims that they can reduce wrinkles and improve the skin’s appearance.

But do facial exercises actually do anything? In an article by Valerie Monroe, she explores the potential benefits of facial exercises and consults with a plastic surgeon to get their perspective on the matter.

Monroe begins by sharing questions from readers who have heard about the benefits of facial exercises. One reader mentions that they know someone who does face aerobics and has incredible skin with no lines or wrinkles, while another reader wonders if facial exercises could help counter the effects of aging on their face, especially while undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Monroe then turns to plastic surgeon Alan Matarasso for his professional opinion on facial exercises. Matarasso acknowledges that while there isn’t much clinical proof to support the effectiveness of facial exercises in reducing wrinkles or strengthening the face’s supportive structure, he acknowledges the existence of a study sent to Monroe by a reader.

The study mentioned in the article suggests that a regimen of at-home facial exercises maintained for 20 weeks did seem to improve mid-face and lower-face fullness. However, Matarasso believes that the study’s limitations significantly reduce its validity. The study used a small sample size of middle-aged women, many of whom dropped out, and there was no control group. The women in the study were self-selected, meaning they were likely more inclined to consistently do the exercises and may have had a satisfying outcome.

Matarasso explains that the face is composed of around 43 tiny muscles, each smaller than the length of the end of a pinky finger. While facial muscles may become stronger with exercise, they wouldn’t hypertrophy (enlarge) to the extent that larger muscles in the body do. This means that facial exercises would not have the same effect of stretching and lifting the skin as exercises that target larger muscles.

Matarasso even suggests that some repetitive movements from facial exercises may actually encourage wrinkle formation. For example, there is a puckering exercise in face yoga that mimics the movement responsible for vertical lines above the upper lip. While Matarasso acknowledges that facial aerobics could temporarily increase blood flow to the complexion, he clarifies that any aerobic activity would have a similar effect.

In conclusion, facial exercises may not be as effective as some people claim. The lack of clinical evidence and the limitations of the available studies make it difficult to determine their true benefits. While facial exercises may have some short-term effects, such as temporarily increasing blood flow, they are unlikely to significantly reduce wrinkles or lift the skin in the same way that exercises targeting larger muscles do.

The Bottom Line:

Facial exercises have gained popularity for their alleged ability to reduce wrinkles and improve the skin’s appearance. However, there is limited clinical evidence to support these claims. Plastic surgeon Alan Matarasso explains that the small size of facial muscles makes it unlikely that exercises would have the same effect on the skin as exercises targeting larger muscles in the body. Additionally, some repetitive movements from facial exercises may even encourage wrinkle formation. While facial exercises may have some short-term benefits, their long-term effectiveness is questionable.

Key Points:

– Facial exercises have gained popularity for their alleged ability to reduce wrinkles and improve the skin’s appearance.
– Plastic surgeon Alan Matarasso explains that facial muscles are smaller and wouldn’t hypertrophy (enlarge) to the extent that larger muscles do, making it unlikely that facial exercises would have the same effect as exercises targeting larger muscles.
– There is limited clinical evidence to support the long-term effectiveness of facial exercises in reducing wrinkles or lifting the skin.
– Some repetitive movements from facial exercises may actually encourage wrinkle formation.
– While facial exercises may have some short-term benefits, such as temporarily increasing blood flow, their true effectiveness in reducing wrinkles is questionable.

Source Article: https://www.thecut.com/article/do-facial-exercises-actually-do-anything.html