Facial Exercise: Share the Process and Results
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Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:24 pm

An update on the facial crisis!

I've made an appointment with a nutritionist, privately, bypassing the doc. I asked about going to see the doctor first, to get a blood test done for vit/mineral deficiencies, etc - she said maybe a better way round was to see her first, then she could give me pointers on what to say to the doctor if she thinks further tests are necessary.

In the meantime, my face and neck are behaving strangely. I'm in my fourth week off since facial exercising. Last week they weren't looking too bad, but this week - awful! I'm not imagining it. There's a lot of fluctuation, and when I'm tired, the whole lot sags, loads.

My impression is that before facial exercises, if I was tired, I would look puffy, and tired, of course. Now, I look very tired, and sag loads. Depressing.

The worsening face is possibly due to doing a 5K run Sunday morning. I've done that distance regularly before (I know, it's not much to seasoned runners but it's plenty for me!) but not in the past few months since having such sleep disruption. Feels like I've spent the rest of the week recovering, but also having to work late (at desk at home) several evenings which doesn't help! Even though my sleep is actually improving a bit.

A word re massage. My instinct was to do some facial massage, or go for a facial massage, during this period of complete rest from facial exercising. But interestingly Sean, on the FE forum, suggested that even massage is stimulating the face, so best to avoid that too, which I am.

I wonder how long my face will need to rest for before the muscles recover?! My face is actually acheing right now, weird! Which means I'm tired, so off to bed!

Dotty x

free skin care · Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:09 am

Vor wrote:

The less we move our faces, the fewer wrinkles we get.

Not so - been doing facial exercises for YEARS now. Don't know where I'd be w/out them.

This is from Deb's site (FlexEffect)

Mark E. McGovern, M.D., FACC, FACP
Miami, FL

"...I have been doing FlexEffect for over a year. My results, to say the least, have been fantastic. I practice them about 20 -25 minutes almost every day.

From a scientific standpoint, facial exercises unquestionably work. Much as an applied program of bodybuilding strengthens and enlarges the skeletal muscles, as well as tone and tighten the overlying skin, facial exercises do the same. The skin and muscles in the face sag with time. A regular applied program of facial exercise will strengthen and lift them, and tome and tighten the overlying skin as well.

Unfortunately, there are still many surgeons that refute claims of the efficacy of facial exercises. It may simply be that they are not familiar with the programs or techniques. It's unimaginable to think, from a physiological point of view, that the effects of weight training stop at the neck."

**************
(Gidget) I exercise my entire body - I can't imagine not exercising my face. If you haven't tried it I would suggest looking into one of the many programs out there and finding one for you.

Good luck
Gidget wave

Sun May 08, 2011 8:17 am

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has tried any machines for facial exercises and about the results?
There is slendertone face which I'm interested in buying has anyone use the specific machine and seen any good results?

According to the comapy:

Slendertone Face delivers a natural face lift from the inside out.
- Facial muscles are the only muscle group in the body directly linked to the skin. When these muscles start to waste, they are unable to support the skin so inevitably the face starts to sag and wrinkles appear, advancing the ageing process.
- By toning and building these muscles, the skin and face structure is lifted and plumped – smoothing out the surface and reversing the typical signs of facial aging: loss of volume and shape, wrinkles and lines.

free skin care · Sun May 08, 2011 9:36 am

There is a thread especially about that device you should read, but this thread is about manual facial exercises:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=35537&highlight=slendertone

So its worth while posting there, but lots of people did say it was good for general toning from the looks of things.

Margaritis wrote:

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has tried any machines for facial exercises and about the results?
There is slendertone face which I'm interested in buying has anyone use the specific machine and seen any good results?

According to the comapy:

Slendertone Face delivers a natural face lift from the inside out.
- Facial muscles are the only muscle group in the body directly linked to the skin. When these muscles start to waste, they are unable to support the skin so inevitably the face starts to sag and wrinkles appear, advancing the ageing process.
- By toning and building these muscles, the skin and face structure is lifted and plumped – smoothing out the surface and reversing the typical signs of facial aging: loss of volume and shape, wrinkles and lines.

free skin care · Sun May 08, 2011 6:48 pm

I don't have any facial toning machines or suction cups or anything. I'm going about it the old fashioned way - fingers and hands and all kinds of funny faces.

I've been at this I think three years this June. My how time flies. I would not stop for anything. Muscles are muscles. My body looks better: toned and lifted from working out - I agree with something Gidget posted: Muscles don't stop at the neck. I like that statement. Very Happy

In support of machines - if it does what you need and keeps you on track and helps the muscles of your face Go For It.

free skin care · Mon May 09, 2011 1:47 am

Thats a famous slogan from Tal Reinhart - muscles don't stop below the neck!

sister sweets wrote:

I don't have any facial toning machines or suction cups or anything. I'm going about it the old fashioned way - fingers and hands and all kinds of funny faces.

I've been at this I think three years this June. My how time flies. I would not stop for anything. Muscles are muscles. My body looks better: toned and lifted from working out - I agree with something Gidget posted: Muscles don't stop at the neck. I like that statement. Very Happy

In support of machines - if it does what you need and keeps you on track and helps the muscles of your face Go For It.

free skin care · Mon May 09, 2011 5:23 am

Hi TM... It's a valid statement in the argument for facial exercise and massage. I know you are a strong proponent of exercising the facial muscles.

The reasoning by some physicians that your face will fall apart because you exercise the muscles is old-style thinking. Without it muscles get slack, sag quicker, lose their tone. Plus there is the interplay of muscles and bone that facial exercise helps. I always look to Eva Fraser in her 80's as a prime example of how facial exercising has kept someone youthful and invigorated well into the golden years.

The fear also has to do with skin manipulation with some derms and PS saying not to manipulate the 'delicate' skin. My skin loves facial massage. That's part of the reason for the suction cups that some EDSers use.

free skin care · Mon May 09, 2011 5:45 am

You betcha I'm a proponent of them, I just wish I had done them sooner rather than waiting to my 50's thats for sure.

Eva is actually against aggressive handling of the face, but I do think she's a wonderful testimony to what can be achieved. I started out with her exercises in her studio with the lady herself in London and she was inspiring. I've since moved on to other things exercise wise, and really wish the word would get out there as there's lots more benefits than disadvantages in my mind to facial exercising.

sister sweets wrote:

Hi TM... It's a valid statement in the argument for facial exercise and massage. I know you are a strong proponent of exercising the facial muscles.

The reasoning by some physicians that your face will fall apart because you exercise the muscles is old-style thinking. Without it muscles get slack, sag quicker, lose their tone. Plus there is the interplay of muscles and bone that facial exercise helps. I always look to Eva Fraser in her 80's as a prime example of how facial exercising has kept someone youthful and invigorated well into the golden years.

The fear also has to do with skin manipulation with some derms and PS saying not to manipulate the 'delicate' skin. My skin loves facial massage. That's part of the reason for the suction cups that some EDSers use.

Tue May 17, 2011 1:42 pm

I followed a link from google saying Caroln's facial fitness and flexffect. I Hope some of you will voice your opinion. I read on the flexeffect forum you can trade in your program you are using now and get half off the newest flexeffect. I have Carolyns program and I like it. I've read over the website and read alot of the forum it looks really good but don't want to let go of the program or all the bother if they are really about the same.

Thanks in advance.

free skin care · Tue May 17, 2011 8:48 pm

Hi Tony1 - I haven't used Carolyns so I can't give a comparison but I know many love it. I like many programs and have a variety that I draw from or rotate through. There are differences in each. I wouldn't give up any of them. Currently I'm using facial yoga which can be found on you tube (many free videos). I love Carole Maggio and have the new FE. I would not trade in Carolyn if you like it.
If you want to add another program at some point I'd encourage that if it keeps you going and keeps your face working. There are many freebies out there if you look. AgelessSexy Seventy has an all-purpose exercise that I love -quick and easy - you can do it at stoplights - takes no hand manipulation.

Tony1 wrote:

I followed a link from google saying Caroln's facial fitness and flexffect. I Hope some of you will voice your opinion. I read on the flexeffect forum you can trade in your program you are using now and get half off the newest flexeffect. I have Carolyns program and I like it. I've read over the website and read alot of the forum it looks really good but don't want to let go of the program or all the bother if they are really about the same.

Thanks in advance.

free skin care · Wed May 18, 2011 4:27 am

I have both programs and use both according to my needs but also add to it which is what most people do. If you like CFF’s program then stick with it, but to me it did give me some results but it wasn’t sufficient for my purposes and I needed something more. I really do like the new FE. Carolyn does a lot of work to her website, and I used to get quite annoyed because I’d read a really good article on there, and then go back and the article was different or would vanish. When the new FE came out I jumped on it simply as it had the dvd demoing everything and I’m a visual learner so that was crucial to me, but I really like how she’s done stuff for both bone and skin. I remember reading Carolyn’s site and she had an article on there about bone basically saying bone couldn’t be changed through exercise, and she’s since changed it to say her exercises do work bone. So its kind of frustrating. Also I have to say that whilst Carolyn’s cs is good, its also at times a bit annoying in that you have to just “keep the faith” and do the exercises as recommended and there’s nothing really else she’s open to. Also I didn’t get the usual newsletter from her this year, so she’s probably whacked me off the list which is a bit wrong (but then I did voice my opinions openly on another forum that I felt some of her stuff she says she’s designed is just borrowed from other people (aka Maggio, Bennett etc).

I love the Ageless70 exercise Sister is talking about though and its definitely worth giving ago alongside the program your doing, but in essence I definitely think CFF and FE are worlds apart but that both are good!

Also FE has the forum which in my mind is worth money in itself and the support there is fantastic. The trainers are all personable and give advice freely which I like!

Tony1 wrote:

I followed a link from google saying Caroln's facial fitness and flexffect. I Hope some of you will voice your opinion. I read on the flexeffect forum you can trade in your program you are using now and get half off the newest flexeffect. I have Carolyns program and I like it. I've read over the website and read alot of the forum it looks really good but don't want to let go of the program or all the bother if they are really about the same.

Thanks in advance.

free skin care · Wed May 18, 2011 9:41 am

I've used several facial exercise programs over the course of 10 years or so. My favorite, hands down, is Carolyn's Facial Fitness.

I used Flex Effect for 2 years - with the last year on the newest version. While it did provide muscle build, my personal experience was that I didn't like how my face shape was changing. I have an oval face and the jawline was becoming too broad or squarish. I did everything that had been suggested, including taking longer breaks and finally I completely stopped the exercises to let things settle and went on a quest to find another program that offered build and massage, but wouldn't alter my facial shape as I like the oval shape I have. I've been using the CFF program for almost a year and I'm very pleased....it does provide an "elegant build" but hasn't bulked up my lower face.

I believe all facial exercises, if done correctly, offer many benefits but it's important to find one that you will do consistently...with attention to a nutritious eating plan, rest, and lots of water.

free skin care · Wed May 18, 2011 9:44 am

This is an important point: using any exercise or program as your needs dictate. I appreciate this with the arsenol I have. Also TM (having used both) says Carolyns and FE are very different programs - You may find it valuable to have a second Facial exercise source.

Yes - I definitely recommend checking out the very simple but effective AgelessSexty70 exercise.
~Sis

TheresaMary wrote:

I have both programs and use both according to my needs but also add to it which is what most people do. ).

I love the Ageless70 exercise Sister is talking about though and its definitely worth giving ago alongside the program your doing, but in essence I definitely think CFF and FE are worlds apart but that both are good!

free skin care · Sat May 21, 2011 6:37 pm

JenJ wrote:

I've used several facial exercise programs over the course of 10 years or so. My favorite, hands down, is Carolyn's Facial Fitness.

I used Flex Effect for 2 years - with the last year on the newest version. While it did provide muscle build, my personal experience was that I didn't like how my face shape was changing. I have an oval face and the jawline was becoming too broad or squarish. I did everything that had been suggested, including taking longer breaks and finally I completely stopped the exercises to let things settle and went on a quest to find another program that offered build and massage, but wouldn't alter my facial shape as I like the oval shape I have. I've been using the CFF program for almost a year and I'm very pleased....it does provide an "elegant build" but hasn't bulked up my lower face.

I believe all facial exercises, if done correctly, offer many benefits but it's important to find one that you will do consistently...with attention to a nutritious eating plan, rest, and lots of water.

Hi Jen - I have heard many times of that happening with FE; the bulky lower face, overbuild etc. I have also known people who have switched around and changed the lower face exercises for that very reason (that would be me Laughing

). I like my jawline (so long as I can keep it firm) I don't want to create a change there, I just want the lift. Carole Maggio has done that - and Facial Yoga. Still have favorite FE though.

free skin care · Sat May 21, 2011 10:42 pm

I have been debating on whether to purchase CFF. I viewed three of her exercises on youtube. They are basically FE exercises with different hand and finger positioning. Are a lot of her exercises similar to FE exercises? Are there any creative exercises that you haven't seen in another program? Thanks for any advice.

free skin care · Sun May 22, 2011 12:52 am

I think the rule of thumb re fascial exercises should be that never to work on the " depressors" muscles as these muscles will bring the face dwon as they get stronger, in my opinion. Botox is now also used to paralyze ( partially) these muscles and it results in a lifted face look.

free skin care · Sun May 22, 2011 5:57 am

Hi Jen

Thanks for mentioning this. There is always ways around this, and if anyone else out there is experiencing similar please can you let us know on the FlexEffect forum where we're happy to help.

It doesn't happen for everyone, but I've known others to report the same as Jen is doing and solved it for them (and its very easy once we determine the causing factors i.e. lower face muslces being mostly fast twitch response, overbuild, etc).

Sadly whilst a small number seem to respond in the same fashion Jen is describing, there is a large number who do not and so its not something Deb wrote about in the book as it was already a large enough volume and we didn't want to scare people off with information overload.

Jen going to PM you, as would like to know how you believe we can help others in the same situation as you.

Regards

Sean

JenJ wrote:

I've used several facial exercise programs over the course of 10 years or so. My favorite, hands down, is Carolyn's Facial Fitness.

I used Flex Effect for 2 years - with the last year on the newest version. While it did provide muscle build, my personal experience was that I didn't like how my face shape was changing. I have an oval face and the jawline was becoming too broad or squarish. I did everything that had been suggested, including taking longer breaks and finally I completely stopped the exercises to let things settle and went on a quest to find another program that offered build and massage, but wouldn't alter my facial shape as I like the oval shape I have. I've been using the CFF program for almost a year and I'm very pleased....it does provide an "elegant build" but hasn't bulked up my lower face.

I believe all facial exercises, if done correctly, offer many benefits but it's important to find one that you will do consistently...with attention to a nutritious eating plan, rest, and lots of water.

free skin care · Sun May 22, 2011 6:01 am

Hey Daler, good response, but in truth the reality is to work all the facial muscles. You often find that there is a relationship with the muscles themselves, for example when one contracts, its relationship muscle extends. Same with body (think tricep and bicep).

daler wrote:

I think the rule of thumb re fascial exercises should be that never to work on the " depressors" muscles as these muscles will bring the face dwon as they get stronger, in my opinion. Botox is now also used to paralyze ( partially) these muscles and it results in a lifted face look.

free skin care · Sun May 22, 2011 1:36 pm

I too have heard that, but never seen it. I suspect like most things - we're our own worst critic. I do know when I did solely Ageless and CFF that my lower face wasn't as good as it was when I did FE, but its by no means overbuilt. I wonder if my lower face muscles are just plain old lazy and don't work half the time because I've not had overbuild there (would like to see it once on myself though). I've built up monkey mouth sometimes but that was from doing overkill with mouth exercises. I'd love to see photos though so I can better understand what overbuilding looks like as they never put them on the site so you just got to take their word for it, so if you have pictures Jen I'd love to see it to better understand what it is.

sister sweets wrote:

Hi Jen - I have heard many times of that happening with FE; the bulky lower face, overbuild etc. I have also known people who have switched around and changed the lower face exercises for that very reason (that would be me Laughing

). I like my jawline (so long as I can keep it firm) I don't want to create a change there, I just want the lift. Carole Maggio has done that - and Facial Yoga. Still have favorite FE though.

free skin care · Sun May 22, 2011 3:14 pm

packratmack wrote:

I have been debating on whether to purchase CFF. I viewed three of her exercises on youtube. They are basically FE exercises with different hand and finger positioning. Are a lot of her exercises similar to FE exercises? Are there any creative exercises that you haven't seen in another program? Thanks for any advice.

Hi TheresaMary, Can you please answer this question for me? I would really appreciate it. I just want to know if the CFF program is different enough from the FE program in order to make it worthwhile. The three exercises I viewed were very similar to FE exercises. Thanks again.

free skin care · Sun May 22, 2011 4:18 pm

TheresaMary wrote:

I think though a lot of Carolyn's stuff is borrowed from other systems and she puts her own twist on it.

I was reading the CFF thread and I guess I have my answer. This quote seems to confirm my suspicions. Also, watching Carolyn's sample exercises led me to this conclusion as well. I own FE and CM. Hopefully, I will find something that is not just a program that borrows from others. It might be a difficult task. A lot of exercise programs seem to do this. I guess it's hard not to.

free skin care · Sun May 22, 2011 8:37 pm

TheresaMary,

I have one family photo that I can see the difference in my face shape but I'm not comfortable posting in it a public forum. My lower jaw became more prominent and that is not a natural look for my face shape. I really didn't have any sag when I began face exercises 10+ years ago and really still don't even though I'm in my late 40s.

Thankfully I have my oval shape back but if someone is really battling sagging skin/muscles, then I would think FE would be ideal..it's a good program, just a bit too aggressive for my needs at this time.

free skin care · Mon May 23, 2011 1:33 am

Sorry Packratmack got sidetracked.

I think there are some exercises which look similar to FE, but are more massage based and not as aggressive. There's only one exercise where she has you put your thumb in the mouth though, which I was never keen on initially doing, but there are others that aren't in FE. She's also got dedicated exercises for the decol. area, hands etc which are all very worth while doing IMO.

packratmack wrote:

Hi TheresaMary, Can you please answer this question for me? I would really appreciate it. I just want to know if the CFF program is different enough from the FE program in order to make it worthwhile. The three exercises I viewed were very similar to FE exercises. Thanks again.

free skin care · Mon May 23, 2011 1:34 am

Sure I understand. Just wish they would get photos to illustrate overbuild at FE as they never do!

JenJ wrote:

TheresaMary,

I have one family photo that I can see the difference in my face shape but I'm not comfortable posting in it a public forum. My lower jaw became more prominent and that is not a natural look for my face shape. I really didn't have any sag when I began face exercises 10+ years ago and really still don't even though I'm in my late 40s.

Thankfully I have my oval shape back but if someone is really battling sagging skin/muscles, then I would think FE would be ideal..it's a good program, just a bit too aggressive for my needs at this time.

free skin care · Mon May 23, 2011 1:37 am

Just to add, if anyone is experiencing the same issues as Jen please do get in touch. Its very EASY to solve once the causing factor has been identified.

The other thing is that FlexEffect is a very versatile program in that we can adapt it to make it gentle or more aggressive, it can be made suitable for anyone no matter what their issues.

JenJ wrote:

Thankfully I have my oval shape back but if someone is really battling sagging skin/muscles, then I would think FE would be ideal..it's a good program, just a bit too aggressive for my needs at this time.

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