Face Yoga: Is Exercise Good for Your Face?

17th March 2020
Facial Procedures Atlanta, GA

For millennia, the search for the Fountain of Youth has been a quest. History is full of stories about explorers looking for this mythical fountain in the hopes of staying young forever. Scientists and researchers put in long hours studying the aging process and searching for ways to delay it. Still, time marches on, aging takes its toll and it usually appears first in the face. But, if exercise is good for keeping your body in good shape and youthful, could the same hold true for your face?

What Lies Beneath

When you exercise your body, your muscles become firm and toned. Your body begins to look tighter, trimmer and sleeker. You also have 43 facial muscles, so it stands to reason that if you exercise these muscles, something will change.

Researchers from Northwest Medicine in Chicago studied the effects of facial exercise on 27 women. The study lasted for five months and the results were encouraging. For the women who stuck with the program, standardized facial aging scales rated their looks as three years younger than when they first entered the program.

Good, But Not Perfect

The researchers surmised that facial exercises, when done correctly, can result in a more youthful look for some women. However, to attain a truly younger look, it may be necessary to augment the exercise with minimally invasive treatments, such as dermal fillers or Botox injections. Exercise is good, and it will keep the facial muscles toned and firm; but more may be needed to produce the results of the degree most people would want.

The research has revealed that facial aging is not just about skin condition. It also involves deeper structures. Loss of volume in fat and muscle during aging also has an effect that makes you look older. Targeted exercise, while not entirely effective, does seem to improve the volume of upper and lower cheeks. The resulting look is a modest improvement.

For complete rejuvenation, you may want to consult with a plastic surgeon. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Mark Mitchell Jones to find out which additional treatments may be needed to produce the youthful look you deserve.

Posted on behalf of Dr. Mark Mitchell Jones, Atlanta Plastic Surgery Specialists, P.C.