Face Yoga: The Anti-Aging Sport for the Face

Do you still remember Jim Carrey? The actor was the king of facial acrobatics in his heyday. It was incredible how he could contort his muscles into grotesque grimaces. He was thus - admittedly unintentionally - the co-founder of a trend that is becoming increasingly important today: Face Yoga. Sounds a bit absurd? Well, the main thing is that the effect occurs. This fascinating method has its origins in the realization that the facial muscles, like the muscles in the rest of the body, benefit from targeted training. In short, a variety of exercises activate the different muscle groups between the neck and forehead: from gentle stretches to targeted contractions.

Activating the muscles after an accident

Now, before you think to yourself that this is all new-fangled mumbo jumbo, let's take a quick step back. Face Yoga has a serious background. In a car accident, Fumiko Takatsu, a Japanese woman, was seriously injured. Besides numerous physical damages, she also suffered some injuries on her face. When she was released from the hospital, her features were clearly asymmetrical. The doctors told her that she would have to live with it. But instead of seeing herself as a victim, Fumiko Takatsu thought about how she could reactivate the traction of her face and "force" her countenance back into its old position. That was the birth of her "Face Yoga Method". Incidentally, a method that today has found an extremely prominent ambassador in Meghan Markle (or officially Meghan, Duchess of Sussex).

Training for every day - even at work

So what exactly is face yoga? It's a well-known fact that skin loses elasticity over the years. The result: fine lines and wrinkles. The cosmetics industry has played a major role in ensuring that many faces are nevertheless younger, fresher and smoother. But everyone can integrate something into their daily routine with Face Yoga, which is completely natural and can also be done on the side at work. If there is no mirror nearby - because visual movement control is important - the monitor camera is also sufficient. And you're ready to go.

26 muscles that need training

To do this, you need to know that the face is made up of 26 muscles; they help you laugh, cry or show amazement - AND they are the basis for tight skin. This is because as we age, muscle and subcutaneous fat tissue diminishes. As a consequence, wrinkles form. Facial yoga trains these muscles again and thus contributes to a firmer skin appearance. The effectiveness was also confirmed by a study published in the specialist journal "Jama Dermatology": participants had to perform 32 different exercises for 20 weeks. Afterwards, the dermatologists evaluated certain individual features on the women's faces. The outstanding conclusion: the participants looked up to three years younger.

An entire training world called Face Yoga

To describe the individual movement sequences in detail here would go beyond the scope of this article. In the 48grams editorial team, we always look for specific exercises on the Internet. Behind the search terms "face yoga exercises" then hides a whole training world. Give it a try, dear readers. Nevertheless, here is an example: The really unpopular drooping eyelids result from the fact that the musculature at the eyes slackens. But if you open your eyes wide several times (IMPORTANT: without wrinkling your forehead), everyone quickly feels how the muscles around the eyes are being strained. Conversely, this means that muscle building takes place here and drooping eyelids slowly disappear.

Excessive training reverses the positive effect

However, what must also be mentioned at this point: It is essential that, the principle of moderation must apply. As with any other exercise routine. Excessive training quickly reverses the positive effect - because the overuse in turn increases the risk of formation of new wrinkles. An effect that occurs primarily in the forehead area, including the often-discussed frown line. It is equally crucial to understand that face yoga is not equally suitable for everyone. People who already have pronounced facial expressions - whether due to frequent laughter, smiling, or other facial movements - should approach the use of Face Yoga only very thoughtfully. The risk of deepening wrinkles must definitely be taken into account.