Facial exercises (face fitness) are a simple and, most importantly, effective way, according to cosmetologists, to tighten the oval of the face in a few months at home and without injections. The main advantage of face fitness is its rejuvenating effect.
If you already know what face fitness is and what its benefits are, scroll to the middle of the article and go straight to practice: 5 simple exercises and several secrets for preparing and restoring your skin are waiting for you, which will help you achieve results faster.
If you are getting acquainted with face fitness and facial exercises for the first time, we will tell you what it is, what its benefits are, who should not do them and how not to harm yourself.
Why do you need face fitness?
Face fitness is a set of exercises for the face that helps to relax hypertonic muscles and tone other relaxed ones, thereby normalizing balance.
The effectiveness of face fitness has been confirmed by American scientists. As part of a study at Northwestern University in the United States, women 40–65 years old performed face and neck exercises for 30 minutes a day for 20 weeks.
Scientists noted that as a result, the subjects’ skin tightened in 18 out of 20 study areas, and the women themselves looked an average of three years younger. Exercises in the cheeks and chin area were especially effective.
Alena Rossoshinskaya's approach
In Russia, when the combination of words “face fitness” is mentioned, women most often remember the method of Alena Rossoshinskaya. She developed her own program of exercises that tighten and sculpt her face.
A lawyer by training, Alena became interested in fitness and additionally completed training at the Faculty of Physical Rehabilitation.
In the present, Rossoshinskaya is an active trainer, a teacher of the program about a healthy lifestyle “Fitness for the Face” on the online channel, the author of 5 books promoting face fitness, an expert and an ardent fan of osteopathic principles of influence.
Alena has organized her own studio, where they conduct classes using her methods, and actively promotes her own methods of influence. Rossoshinskaya conducts training and education in the UAE, where she now lives, in cities in Europe, America, the Middle East and Russia.
Face fitness: benefits for the face
The benefits of facial exercises don’t end there.
• Skin color and texture become smoother due to improved microcirculation.
• Wrinkles appear less deep.
• The face swells less.
• Double chin and jowls become less noticeable.
• The oval and contours of the face become clearer.
And most importantly, doing such gymnastics is simple, and it does not take much time.
Cosmetologists recommend performing facial gymnastics at any age. Before 30 years - as a prevention of early signs of aging, after 30 - to improve skin tone and reduce wrinkles, folds and sagging.
We will tell you how to prepare your skin for face fitness, what simple facial exercises will help you achieve noticeable results, and what secrets will increase the effectiveness of beauty gymnastics.
Our tissues need water
There are many factors that influence muscle loss and reduction. It is important for each of us to consume enough clean water. Average calculation: 30 ml per kilogram of weight. At a young age, we are 70-80% water, and the older we get, the smaller this percentage is. And even if you drink the amount of water your body needs every day, but at the same time drink 5 more cups of coffee a day, you safely “neutralize” this water and remove it, so dehydration continues. Accordingly, our bones, our muscles, and ligaments lose water, but our tissues need it constantly. Therefore, for the beauty of your face, it is important to follow a drinking regime.
❌ Face fitness: contraindications
• Cosmetologists do not recommend doing gymnastics when there are abrasions, burns, cuts, acne or other damage on the face. Wait for complete healing.
• Do not do facial exercises if you are prone to nervous tics, pinched facial nerves, etc.
• Postpone face fitness if you are sick with a viral or infectious disease.
• Face fitness is not recommended for people with diseases of the lymphatic system.
Ready?
Below you will find 5 simple facial exercises. Do them every evening for 20–30 minutes, and within two to three weeks you will notice the first results.
Tip: Take several “Before” selfies from different angles on the first day. Every week on the same day, take new selfies from the same angles and record the date. Noticeable progress will help you not stop halfway towards your goal.
Facebook building with Evgenia Baglyk
Evgenia Baglyk has created her own course of facial exercises, which is extremely popular among women who want to preserve beauty and youth for a long time. The system has proven itself to be the best: many note the onset of a fairly quick effect.
You can see the most popular exercises from Evgenia Baglyk by visiting the YouTube channel of the author of the system:
Regular face building allows you to achieve the following goals:
- Getting rid of existing wrinkles and preventing the appearance of new ones;
- Getting rid of “bags” under the eyes;
- Increased elasticity of the zygomatic muscles;
- Getting rid of double chin and nasolabial folds;
- Creating an attractive oval face.
Advice! Do exercises to your favorite tunes!
FACE FITNESS. STAGE 1: PREPARATION
The first secret that will help increase the effectiveness of face fitness is proper skin preparation. Don't skip this step. You will pre-warm up your muscles, just like before a workout, and make them more receptive to subsequent exercises.
- Tie your hair up or tuck it behind your ears to give you a clear view of your face and neck.
- Sit in front of the mirror without tilting or throwing your head back. Straighten your back. Place your feet so that both feet are flat on the floor, parallel to each other. This will relieve tension from your back and neck.
- Using gentle movements, following the massage lines, apply a light moisturizer to your face and neck.
- Massage your neck with light circular movements. Pay special attention to the back surface, where clips are most likely to form.
, the OK Beauty Hydrating & Balancing moisturizing facial cream is perfect . It contains amino acids, peptides and hyaluronic acid, which will make the skin softer, therefore more receptive to further manipulation. Peptides help fight wrinkles, so the cream will enhance the effect of facial exercises.
What procedures are recommended for different ages?
Up to 25 years
Up to 25 years, the skin is elastic and quickly recovers from any changes - be it cuts, abrasions or sudden changes in weight. True, elasticity does not protect against increased sensitivity and violent reactions to surges of hormones in the body. As a result, pimples and acne appear on the skin. Jet Peel gas-liquid peeling will help remove these defects. This unique procedure removes the top layer of the epidermis, cleansing the skin and preventing blockage of the sebaceous glands. And oxygen saturation of the skin has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. You can also perform a non-injection mesotherapy procedure using anti-inflammatory and other medicinal drugs. This technique is an excellent prevention of scar formation on the skin.
From 25 to 30 years
After 25 years, natural processes slow down in the skin, as a result it begins to lose moisture. Over the years, this process will only intensify. Therefore, after 25 years, regardless of type, the skin needs additional hydration and nutrition. If you do not maintain the water balance in the skin, then such troubles as deterioration of complexion, dryness and flaking, and a decrease in restorative properties will appear. An excellent prevention of dryness will be mesotherapy procedures - biorevitalization, hyaluronoplasty, the essence of which is that hyaluronic acid and various beneficial vitamins and amino acids are introduced into the skin. Thanks to this, the skin is saturated with moisture. Peels effectively remove the dead skin layer, allowing it to breathe and glow with youth.
From 30 to 40 years
With age, the process of renewal of epidermal cells slows down. The cell replacement cycle lengthens from 26-28 days to 40-45 days, that is, the skin’s ability to restore its structure is noticeably reduced. The level of hyaluronic acid continues to decrease, causing the skin to lose its natural moisture. Collagen and elastin fibers become thinner, causing the supporting structure of the skin matrix to weaken and the skin to lose its elasticity. Thus, mature skin becomes less hydrated, thinner and looser. But if you take proper and constant care of your skin, you can minimize age-related changes. Mature skin constantly needs hydration, so it still needs mesotherapy treatments based on hyaluronic acid. Plasma therapy also perfectly moisturizes the skin - a procedure based on the introduction of a person’s own plasma, enriched with platelets, into the skin. In order to even out the relief of mature skin and smooth out wrinkles, botulinum toxin injections, contouring with hyaluronic acid preparations, long-acting fillers, such as Radiesse, Ellanse, are used, which stimulate the production of type 1 collagen, creating the effect of unsurpassed lifting and velvety skin. To renew the skin, doctors recommend laser rejuvenation, fractional thermolysis, and thermolifting procedures. All these procedures also perfectly tighten and tighten the skin.
From 40 to 50 years
Over the years, hormonal changes in the body occur.
In the female body, the level of estrogen - female sex hormones - decreases. So, one of them, estradiol, among other functions, regulates the work of the enzyme collagenase, which breaks down collagen. That is why during menopause, when estrogen production stops, the destruction of collagen threads and skin aging occurs more intensely. Skin aging is also associated with the action of free radicals, which have a damaging effect on cell membranes and the intercellular matrix of the dermis. External factors - temperature changes, atmospheric conditions, poor lifestyle - also do not add youth to the skin. The latest research has proven that the skin of smokers fades 4 times faster. Therefore, you should always try to lead a healthy lifestyle. And visiting a cosmetologist should be a golden rule. Laser rejuvenation and thermolifting procedures will always help keep your skin toned. Using Dermal radio wave optical thermolysis, you can remove eye hernias and tighten your eyelids. Essentially, DROT is blepharoplasty. Only without surgery. Long-lasting fillers (Radiesse, Ellanse) will restore the structure of elastin and collagen, even out the skin texture and make it velvety. Placental preparations - Laennec, Melsmon - will give the skin an extraordinary inner glow. Well, the main procedure in this beautiful age period should be a non-surgical deep Altera lift. 50 plus With the current level of development of cosmetology, there is no need to be afraid of natural aging of the skin. At the same time, the latest generation technologies tighten the skin without surgical intervention. Altera, the latest achievement in the field of non-surgical cosmetology, will always help you look much younger than the age written in your passport. Self-absorbing threads have also long been an alternative to plastic surgery. After they are introduced into various areas of the face, the beneficial substances contained in the threads are released, which begin to produce young collagen and elastin. The good thing about threads is that their tension can always be adjusted. With their help, almost any problem is solved - nasolabial folds, wrinkles around the eyes are removed, the forehead is smoothed, the double chin disappears, and in general the whole face takes on a harmonious appearance. And to improve metabolic processes, courses of cellular and plasma lifting, as well as the introduction of placental drugs, are recommended. All of them slow down the aging process and cause the hands of the “biological clock” to spin in the opposite direction.
FACE FITNESS. STAGE 2: FACIAL EXERCISES
Perform facial exercises slowly and thoughtfully. Do not press too hard on the skin or pull as if you are trying to remove it. This way you can provoke new foci of hypertonicity. Touch the skin gently and pull gently.
Second secret: before starting the exercises, apply a few drops of massage oil to your palms and fingertips. Oil with caring components will have an additional effect on the skin directly during fitness. With it you will achieve results faster.
In addition, without oil, you can injure the skin during tension and massaging movements and create new areas of hypertonicity, which will be more difficult to get rid of. Add a few drops whenever your fingers and skin become too dry.
OK Beauty Prep & Care oil with camellia, wild rose, cherry pit, jojoba and a complex of plant extracts is perfect It additionally nourishes and moisturizes the skin, relieving inflammation and redness, so after exercise it will be even softer and smoother.
When should you start?
The golden rule of self-care is: “The sooner, the better.” After all, prevention is always more effective than dealing with the consequences. As a rule, women do not find time to take care of themselves: at first it seems that the first signs of aging are still far away, then work and family take up too much energy. And now the reflection in the mirror ceases to please: wrinkles, “nasolabial”, crow’s feet in the corners of the eyes.
It is best to start doing facial fitness at 18–20 years old. Then the effect will gradually accumulate, and by 30 you will look much younger than your peers. The creator of one of the facial fitness systems, Alena Rossoshinskaya, claims that she should have started “yesterday”: the sooner you start the exercises, the more pronounced the result will be. However, it is never too late to start exercising: in any case, you will quickly notice the positive effect.
Advice! Try to do the exercises while in a good mood. This will make them even more effective.
It is best to start doing facial fitness at 18–20 years old. Then the effect will gradually accumulate, and by 30 you will look much younger than your peers
Exercise against nasolabial folds and for cheek tone
- Stretch your lips and fold them as if you were saying something between “O” and “U”. You should feel a stretch.
- Place your palms on your cheeks so that your fingers point to the back of your head and the base covers your nasolabial folds.
- Lightly massage the skin in a circular motion, keeping your palms on your cheeks for 20-30 seconds. Raise your palms and relax your muscles. Make a “tpr” sound with your lips to release any tension.
- Repeat 10–15 times.
"Cat"
Photo: AiF/Eduard Kudryavitsky
Starting position: lips are relaxed, tongue is stuck out as far as possible. Twist your tongue upward as if you were lapping up water, like a cat. It is very important to feel tension while performing the exercise. Repeat 25 times. Do not purse your lips, make sure there are no creases on your face.
Result: a clear oval face without a double chin.
Exercise against “jowls” and sagging chin
- Bend your index and middle fingers into a hook shape and pinch your jawline under your lips. Do the same with your other hand.
- Swipe from the lips towards the ear, lightly pressing on the bone. Move both hands parallel.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
❗ Remember: we only work from the base of the chin to the beginning of the neck. Do not touch the area below. The thyroid gland is located there; massage in this place may be unsafe.
Exercise to strengthen neck muscles
- Get up from the chair, lower and straighten your shoulders. Relax, but keep your neck and back straight.
- Tilt your head back slightly, reaching your chin up. Don't tilt your head back too much.
- Extend your tongue towards your nose. The muscles of the cheeks and eyes remain relaxed.
- Stay in this position for 10–15 seconds.
Face fitness: beginner mistakes
Remember what mistakes most beginners make and watch your actions. This is especially important in the first weeks, while the hands and face remember the movements.
- Keep your shoulders down. Do not strain them, do not lift or pinch your neck.
- Don't slouch. The back should be straight. Do not lean towards the mirror or lean back against the back of a chair or wall.
- Don't strain your face. Relax your forehead, cheekbones, mouth and chin. Take turns tensing only those muscles that are mentioned in the exercises.
The condition of the facial muscles and their effect on health
Muscles are an integral part of the human musculoskeletal system. Moreover, the condition of the muscles determines not only our appearance, but also our state of health. This means that, wanting to always look cheerful, fit, young and attractive, you need to try to keep your muscles in good shape - and you should pay attention not only to the body, but also to the face, because the face is the calling card of a person.
Wait to resort to the help of cosmetologists and surgeons - you can easily improve the condition of your face on your own. Just be patient and take your time - after all, you should do facial exercises regularly. And soon you are guaranteed to notice significant improvements in your appearance - and for this you don’t even have to endure unpleasant cosmetic procedures and spend fabulous money.
To perform exercises for the facial muscles you will need:
- mirror,
- special products for cleansing and moisturizing facial skin,
- as well as the desire to look better.
Do you have everything you need? Then let's get started!
Face fitness: recovery after exercise
Just like after regular fitness, after facial exercises, the skin and muscles need rest.
Apply the nourishing mask with light massage movements to relieve any remaining tension. For recovery after facial fitness, a dense nourishing mask OK Beauty Hydrating & Balancing .
- Apply the mask in a thick layer.
- Massage the skin, moving along the massage lines, as when preparing for exercise.
- Leave the mask on for 10–15 minutes. During this time, you can lie down with your eyes closed and listen to music or an audiobook to relax not only your face, but also your nerves.
When the mask is absorbed, you will feel how much softer the skin has become and how easily the facial muscles now move.
Repeat these exercises every day for two to three months, and you will notice how much smoother, firmer and tighter your skin becomes. The “jowls” will become smaller, deep expression wrinkles will be smoothed out, and the skin tone will become more even. Face fitness is an excellent alternative to salon procedures.
Find a moisturizing cream for preparing for face fitness , a primer oil for doing exercises and a nourishing mask for restoring the skin after in the OK Beauty catalogue.
How everything works
The facial anatomy of each person is complex, individual and unique, like the skin pattern on the fingers. There are mimically gifted people who innately have additional facial muscle fibers, and they know how to control them. If such physical talent coincides with artistic talent, they become brilliant actors.
There are more than 100 muscles in the head and neck. Conventionally, they can be divided into:
- muscles of the neck and surrounding areas;
- chewing muscles;
- muscles of the mouth and tongue;
- oculomotor muscles.
Muscles are also divided into skeletal and facial muscles. What is the difference? The former, as a rule, have strong ligaments, are covered with dense fascia and are attached to the bones, causing them to move. An example of skeletal muscles on the face is the masseter, pterygoid, and temporalis.
The facial muscles are special: they have no ligaments, no dense fascia, and they are attached at one end to the bones of the skull, and at the other they are woven into the skin or intertwined with neighboring muscles. Some of the facial muscles have no attachment to the bones at all, only to soft tissues. The movements of the facial muscles are controlled by the facial nerve.
If skeletal muscles are divided into flexors and extensors, then some of the facial muscles are divided into levators, which lift the skin upward, and depressors, which pull it down. There are also circular muscles - sphincters, which narrow the natural openings (eyes and mouth).