This article was medically reviewed by Troy A. Miles, MD and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Dr. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by a residency at the Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship at the University of California, Davis. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the North Pacific Orthopaedic Society.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Feel like your skin is looking a bit saggy or wrinkled, but don’t want to look into surgical options? Doing facial exercises, or facial yoga, helps strengthen the muscles in your face, which can leave your skin looking younger and fresher. In this article, we’ll walk you through working all the muscles in your face, including your mouth, jaw, and forehead. We’ll also give you some exercises for your neck and jowl area. Keep in mind that experts recommend doing facial exercises 6 to 7 times per week for best results.[1]
Things You Should Know
- Work your mouth and jaw by smiling widely, or by pushing up on the corners of your smile with your fingers.
- Smooth out lines and wrinkles on your forehead by pulling on your forehead and doing brow lifts.
- Work your neck and jowl area by tilting your head up and moving your mouth and tongue.
- Do facial exercises 6 to 7 times per week for best results.
Steps
Forehead and Eye Exercises
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1Pull on your forehead with your index finger to smooth lines. Put your index fingers just above each of your eyes, then pull down on your eyes while trying to raise your eyebrows. Repeat 10 times to help firm your forehead.[2]
- This exercise helps smooth out wrinkles and fine lines.
- You can also push up on your eyebrows with the palm of your hands.
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2Do brow lifts to strengthen your forehead. Using two fingers in a peace sign, and place your fingernails over each eyebrow. Gently push that skin down with your fingers, then push your brows up and down. Repeat the up and down motion with your brows 10 times.[3]
- Do 3 sets of 10, take a short rest, then do another 3 sets of 10.
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3Stretch your eyelids to smooth lines and wrinkles. Sit down and close your eyes. With your lids relaxed, use your index fingers to lift up your eyebrows. While lifting, keep your eyes closed to stretch your eyelids as far as possible. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then relax and repeat 10 times.[4]
- Your eyelids are easy muscles to work, and don’t need much resistance. Using your fingers can help you stretch them out, removing wrinkles and giving you stronger eyelids.
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4Do an eye squeeze to prevent crow’s feet. Pull your lips downward so that your facial muscles tighten, then pull your lips to one side. Squeeze one eye shut for one second, then repeat 10 times, holding your lips to the side. Then do the other eye. Do 3 sets of 10 for each eye, take a short rest, then do another 3 sets of 10.[5]
- Because it uses so many different muscles, this exercise can help to stretch out your entire face, not just your eyes.
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5Stretch your face while holding your eyes to build muscle. Make a C around your eyes using your thumbs and index finger. Make sure your index finger is over your eyebrow and thumb against your cheek. Shut your eyes, and slowly squeeze your eyelids close together. Relax the tension without opening your eyes. Repeat squeezing and relaxing your eyelids 25 times.[6]
- This will help to build the muscles around your eyelids to give you more awake-looking eyes.
Mouth and Jaw Exercises
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1Lift your cheeks with your fingers. Smile as wide as you can, then open your mouth slightly and flare your nostrils. Wrinkle up your nose as far as possible, then slowly draw your upper lip as high as you can, and hold for 10 seconds. Leave your mouth slightly open, and place one finger under the eye on the cheekbone. Curl your upper lip slowly upward, keeping finger pressure on your face. Hold for 10 seconds, then slowly return to the original position.[7]
- This exercise works the muscles around your upper lip to help prevent sagging and keep a strong lip contour. Doing it properly will help you have a stronger smile that shows more of your upper teeth.
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2Give your lips more color with a lip exercise. Open your mouth slightly, making sure your upper and lower lips are relaxed. Bring your lower lip forward until it makes contact with your upper lip. Bring your upper and lower lips inward to your mouth. Exert pressure, then relax.[8]
- This is a simple exercise that will help increase the blood flow to your lips and make them look bigger. It will also give the fleshier parts a healthier, livelier, and more natural color.
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3Strengthen your mandibular with a jaw exercise. Keep your mouth slightly closed, and separate your teeth as much as you can without opening your lips. Bring your mandible, or your lower jaw, forward slowly. Go as far as you can, stretching your lower lip upward, and hold for 5 seconds. Slowly return your jaw, lips, then teeth back to their original position.[9]
- An exercise like this will help to prevent a double chin and prevent aging grooves on the lower part of your face.
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4Target your lips with an OO-EE mouth. Open your mouth, then purse your lips together so that your teeth are separated and not showing. Say “OO,” using an exaggerated movement to purse your lips together. Change sounds to “EE,” again using an exaggerated motion to stretch your lips into the proper shape. Do 10 reps between “OO” and “EE,” then repeat for 3 sets.[10]
- You can also replace “EE” with “AH” for a slightly different workout.
- Moving your mouth to some basic sounds can help you target the lips, as well as the muscles between your upper lip and nose.
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5Suck on your finger to firm up your lips. Put your finger in your mouth, and suck on it as hard as possible. While doing that, slowly remove your finger from your mouth, keeping your lips in the same position. Repeat 10 times.[11]
Neck Exercises
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1Tilt your head back and mouth the word “yum.” Stand up straight and tilt your head back to look up at the ceiling. Place 1 hand directly underneath your chin, then mouth the word “yum” silently. Do this for 30 seconds, then slowly lower your head back down.[12]
- Mouthing the word “yum” works your jaw and the upper part of your neck. It helps tighten the muscles directly beneath your jaw to prevent sagging and wrinkles, especially in your jowls.
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2Tilt your head side to side. Stretch and strengthen the side of your neck with this exercise. Start with your head facing forward, then slowly turn your head to 1 side, feeling the stretch in your neck. Hold the position for 60 seconds, then turn to the other side.[13]
- Use your hand to feel along the side of your neck. In the correct position, you’ll feel the taut tension of your neck muscles being stretched during this exercise.
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3Place your hand under your chin and open and close your mouth. With your head facing straight forward, put your hand into a fist and slide it directly underneath your chin. Open your mouth fully, pushing down on your fist, then close your mouth. Repeat that for 30 seconds.[14]
- The force of your fist helps release tension underneath your chin.
- This exercise also helps tighten up the skin underneath your neck to prevent sagging jowls and double chins.
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4Tilt your head and touch your tongue to the top of your mouth. Tilt your head back slightly so your eyes are pointed toward the ceiling. With your mouth closed, lift your tongue up to the roof of your mouth, then slowly lower it back down. Repeat this 10 times.[15]
- This exercise engages the area just beneath your jaw.
Sample Exercises
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References
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-doing-facial-exercises-help-you-look-younger-face-yoga/
- ↑ http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com/exercises/facial-exercise-to-tone-the-face-muscles/
- ↑ http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com/exercises/facial-exercise-to-tone-the-face-muscles/
- ↑ http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com/exercises/facial-exercise-to-tone-the-face-muscles/
- ↑ https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/face-yoga
- ↑ https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/face-yoga
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4190816/
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4190816/
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4190816/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8343673/
- ↑ http://www.fitnesshealthzone.com/exercises/facial-exercise-to-tone-the-face-muscles/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z4WgeARuGs&t=26s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICGC1fG8Xmk&t=61s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z4WgeARuGs&t=83s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICGC1fG8Xmk&t=119s
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-doing-facial-exercises-help-you-look-younger-face-yoga/
- ↑ https://www.aarp.org/disrupt-aging/stories/solutions/info-2018/face-exercises-natural-aging.html
About This Article
Exercising your facial muscles may help tone your face and minimize fine lines and wrinkles. To exercise the muscles around your eyes, first place your index fingers on the outer corners of your eyes and your middle fingers at the inner corners of your eyebrows. Then, apply pressure upward and look up toward the ceiling. Hold for 10 seconds, release, and repeat 6 more times. To exercise your lower face muscles, first make an “O” shape with your mouth and hide your teeth with your lips. Now, smile widely while still hiding your teeth. Relax and repeat this 6 times. To exercise your forehead muscles, first place both of your hands on your forehead with your fingers spread out between your hairline and eyebrows. Then, pull your fingers out across your forehead in opposite directions. Repeat this 10 more times. Do your facial exercises for 10 minutes every day for the best results. To learn more from our Orthopedic Surgeon co-author, such as how to keep your face looking clean and healthy, keep reading the article!
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