What is the consensus on facial exercises? Any opinions?
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Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:21 am

This isn't exactly a skin product question, but it relates to facial care. There are several books on facial exercises that look tempting. My face isnt sagging, but if it works, why not? Some swear by it, others say it doesnt work. Anyone have any opinions before I waste my money? And if a believer-what were the results and how long do they last?

free skin care · Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:31 am

I've heard many have had great results, but unfortunately I tried it and since I have TMJ problems it just aggravated the pain in my jaw. I'd love to be able to try this though because I think it would be extremely beneficial. Hopefully some others that have had great success will chime in. Very Happy

free skin care · Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:22 pm

I took a Cynthia Rawlings facial exercise course, and can say without a doubt that while I was doing the exercises, I had great results. The only problem for me, was, keeping them up - I gave up after a couple of months and intend to start back again .....one of these days Razz

Anya

free skin care · Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:08 pm

I can relate to anya. While I was doing facial exercises I did notice an improvement. Like anya I did them for several months and gave them up. Last year I bought this little gadget "Face Flex." It is now sitting just above my computer collecting dust. Bad Grin

The Face Flex did a good job of firming the jaw line. I do believe facial exercise tone nicely if done regularly.

free skin care · Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:50 am

what sort of facial excercises have you been doing? Must admit I've never heard of such a thing as a facial excercise course... Please share more Smile

free skin care · Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:38 am

Hi Ruth,
I did a 2 hr workshop given by Cynthia Rowland (sorry I got her name wrong in my original post) Embarassed

You can check out her website for before and after pics, more info. etc.

http://www.facialmagic.com/FM_Home.htm

Anya

free skin care · Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:32 pm

About 2.5 years ago a friend introduced me to a "face aerobics" video. While we were doing it together (for about 6 months) I did see improvement although like others here I fell out of the habit. I know some say that this will cause facial lines but I did not see that. I'm 50 and I do Not have a sagging jowl line etc.

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:49 am

thanx anya... can't see myself keeping it up for more than a few days, not the best at sticking to excerise of any sort Laughing

Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:50 am

I can say, without a doubt, facial exercises do work. Years ago I practised yoga and facial exercises were part of the routine. I was younger then and not concerned but at age 50 I could see areas of my face sagging. I decided to research different "authors" of facial exercise books, went to library and checked out a couple. I decided to use Carole Maggio's "Facercise" becuz I felt and saw results within a few days (felt them the next day). Yes, you must study the exercises and do them correctly but you will get the hang of it eventually. Doing it in front of a mirror is best till you really feel the muscles in a specific area stretching--just like we exercise our bodies. There are many muscles from the neck all the way up to the top of the head. And like all forms of exercise, you must keep up w/them but after a period of time (depending on personal gain) you only need maintenance routines. And what's great is, you can do many of the exercises while driving in your car, sitting and watching TV, just about anywhere once you know exactly how to do them. I've got TMJ and unlike the other person on forum who had problems from the face exercises, I found it helped. Again, they need to be done correctly. I also purchased the "Facial Flex" exerciser from QVC and have found it really does nothing by itself. It focuses on only a couple areas of muscles around mouth and that's it. It's fine as an add-on to the rest of the exercises, but doesn't do much on it's own. For one use of Flex exercise routine, you literally need to do over hundred movements till you feel any lactic acid burn (that's when you know the muscle is being worked). That's too much time for me. On TV they make you believe it'll lift your entire face and neck area--what a joke! Something I noticed yrs ago when Jane Fonda was the exercise queen w/all her videos, etc. I was really into working out and used her videos. I always wondered why her body looked absolutely great but her face was so "old" looking. Well now I know it's becuz she wasn't working out the muscles of the face and they need it just like any other part of the body. She opted for a facelift in later life. Yoga appeared to be the only form of exercise that included the face. Anyway, I've had such great success w/facial exercises, not to mention your skin color looks wonderful as soon as you start to exercise all those muscles that have been neglected for so long. You're getting blood flow moving and that's always beneficial. And don't be fooled by anyone that says exercising the face won't help cause it simply makes no sense. I only wish I would have thought about a sagging face way back then and kept up w/facial exercises --I'd probably look 20 yrs younger! :) Anyway, hope this helps and sorry if it's "long winded" but I wanted to stress how much improvement you'll see if you start and stick w/a facial exercise program. There are several really good exercises to be found on internet, books, etc. I chose Carole Maggio cuz it was one at library that I easily understood and got results quickly so I stuck w/her and purchased her book. Hope this helps.

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:28 pm

Please don't laugh (or at least please don't make fun) -- I've actually changed the shape of my nose by doing facial exercises. I have a pug nose that I hate, and I created my own exercise to make it look more streamlined and thinner. WHile I don't look like I've had a nose job, it is noticeable.

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:52 pm

Wow karmicarchitect - that is a very big change from doing facial exercises! Can you tell me what you did? How long did it take you? Do you still do it to retain its shape? I would love to make my big nose look even a bit thinner! Laughing

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2005 11:42 pm

I'm altogether tooo lazy to do the facial exercises so I got one of those Babyliss Facial Toning Systems and that does all the exercises for me. It really works too.

Sat Nov 05, 2005 8:43 am

Hi Karmicarchitect,

I won't laugh at all. It's totally true...you can change the shape of your nose w/facial exercises specifically designed for the nose. There are also exercises for shortening the length of the nose. Great for you!

free skin care · Sat Nov 05, 2005 10:48 am

sernx wrote:

Wow karmicarchitect - that is a very big change from doing facial exercises! Can you tell me what you did? How long did it take you? Do you still do it to retain its shape? I would love to make my big nose look even a bit thinner! Laughing

I'll give it a try:
gently pinch your nose with your thumb on one nostril and your index finger on the other. Press only enough to give some resistance -- do not completely flatten your nostrils. Flare your nostrils against your finger/thumb. Repeat ad nauseum.

There may be more sophisticated nose exercises out there, but this is the one I've been doing since adolescence, and it has worked really well for me.

free skin care · Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:32 pm

Thanks! That sounds fairly simple, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. You aren't suppose to flatten your nostrils at all?

Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:06 pm

I need exercises to help narrow my wide nose.
I also need exercises to help lift my nose and make it look higher.

Where did you get those exercises from?

Please tell me what books and videos to purchase.
Thanks!

Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:30 pm

[quote="karmicarchitect"]Please don't laugh (or at least please don't make fun) -- I've actually changed the shape of my nose by doing facial exercises. I have a pug nose that I hate, and I created my own exercise to make it look more streamlined and thinner. WHile I don't look like I've had a nose job, it is noticeable.[/quote]

Thanks for that karmi :)

Carole Maggio's Facercise and Deborah Crowley's Flex Effect do not contain any exercises to make the nose look slimmer. And these are the top two programs for facial exercise. Bravo on your "discovery". I will start doing the exercises now! (I have a wide flat nose).

Does anoyone have any other exercises?

Can someone please give me a list of exercises to purchase as I have already checked the Internet and these are the only two ones I have found.

free skin care · Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:42 am

sernx wrote:

Thanks! That sounds fairly simple, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. You aren't suppose to flatten your nostrils at all?

Just don't flatten your nostrils *completely*...you just won't to provide some resistance to the muscles.

It didn't feel like I was doing much until I had done it a while; eventually my nose became very muscular. (For you biology-oriented folks, the transverse portion of the nasalis muscle becomes prominent while you are doing the exercise. From Gray's Anatomy:

"The transverse part (compressor naris)...(has) fibres pass(ing) upwards and medially and expand into a thin aponeurosis. At the bridge...the aponeurosis of the paired muscles merge with each other and the aponeurosis of the procerus...The alar part (dilator naris) arises from the maxilla *below* and medial to the transverse part..." (*emphasis mine))

How I think it works:
It seems like when I provide resistance to the alar part while trying to flex it (or dilate the nostrils), it causes the transverse part to lengthen.

free skin care · Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:38 pm

They do work amazingly, but the problem is you have to do them for say ur whole face an hour a day....EVERY DAY....YIKES.

Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:25 am

Maria Isabel wrote:

Carole Maggio's Facercise and Deborah Crowley's Flex Effect do not contain any exercises to make the nose look slimmer. And these are the top two programs for facial exercise.

Reply:

C. Maggio's facercise does have an exercise for the nose..it's called the "Nose Shortener" and it most definitely does work. Perhaps the book you're looking in is her first and maybe it doesn't contain this exercise but her most recent, updated book does. I use it and it definitely works.
The point of mentioning any author, etc. is to state that facial exercises do, in fact, work. It's just somewhere to start...like an exercise program for your figure. Eventually you'll find what "personally works best for your particular needs".

Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:45 pm

Thanks! That sounds fairly simple, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. You aren't suppose to flatten your nostrils at all?
------------

Just don't flatten your nostrils *completely*...you just won't to provide some resistance to the muscles.

It didn't feel like I was doing much until I had done it a while; eventually my nose became very muscular. (For you biology-oriented folks, the transverse portion of the nasalis muscle becomes prominent while you are doing the exercise. From [u]Gray's Anatomy[/u]:

"The transverse part ([i]compressor naris[/i])...(has) fibres pass(ing) upwards and medially and expand into a thin aponeurosis. At the bridge...the aponeurosis of the paired muscles merge with each other and the aponeurosis of the procerus...The alar part ([i]dilator naris[/i]) arises from the maxilla *below* and medial to the transverse part..." (*emphasis mine)

How I think it works:
It seems like when I provide resistance to the alar part while trying to flex it (or dilate the nostrils), it causes the transverse part to lengthen.
---------------------------

Thanks for that Karmi -- that was very informative!

Are you a doctor? You sound very knowledgeable!
Thanks![/quote]

Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:03 pm

cat1523 wrote:

C. Maggio's facercise does have an exercise for the nose..it's called the "Nose Shortener" and it most definitely does work. Perhaps the book you're looking in is her first and maybe it doesn't contain this exercise but her most recent, updated book does. I use it and it definitely works.

Hi cat1523, thank you for your response.

I have emailed both the authors, Carole Maggio and Deborah Crowley (of Flex-effect) and they both told me they do not know of any exercises to help slim down a wide nose without shortening the tip.

My problem is I don't want to shorten my nose -- I want to help lift the tip and bridge of my nose.

Cat1523, could you kindly type out the nose exercises in Carole's updated book, if you could type them here for me?

Thanks!

Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:53 pm

"American beauty expert Carole Maggio has produced a book Facercise (Boxtree) that shows you how to use your fingers as 'weights' in which to use against your facial muscles as resistance.

She recommends the 'nose shortener exercise' for car journeys (apparently noses get longer as we age) where you use the forefinger to push the tip of the nose up and hold firmly in place and pull your top lip down over your teeth. Repeat 35 times. "

(what I found online)

Fri Jul 14, 2006 4:48 pm

hey ppl. im new here and i read about the discussion on facial exercises. what caught my attention was the nose shortening technique. i would really like 2 know how i could lengthen the tip of my nose. my nose is straight and rounded at the tip (side view of my face) but my nose is short and from the front view my nostrils show 2 much. is there any exercise i can do 2 make my nose longer?

Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:14 am

"Gently pinch your nose with your thumb on one nostril and your index finger on the other. Press only enough to give some resistance -- do not completely flatten your nostrils. Flare your nostrils against your finger/thumb. Repeat ad nauseum.

There may be more sophisticated nose exercises out there, but this is the one I've been doing since adolescence, and it has worked really well for me."

This exercise didn't work for me.
It made my nose wider and bigger by making my nostrils bigger and rounder.

What a disaster ....

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