I think I am going to give up facial exercises
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

Sun Mar 18, 2012 8:17 pm

I've been exercising my face for months have not seen any results.

I have been using a combination of exercises to address my flat hollow cheeks and jaw line.

For my cheeks, I have been using Carole Maggio's cheek developer and another exercise from youtube.

It just doesn't seem to be working. I would exercise my face 3 or 4 times daily/ 5 times a week.

I was hoping my cheeks would develop, but they are the same.

Has anyone actually built up muscle in their cheeks?

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:50 am

CS sorry to hear your results, but I think that you’ve not given exercises a proper chance by picking and choosing a select few exercises, and doing it only a few times a week, you’ve not really had enough opportunity for your face to build up. I’ve built up my cheeks (in fact I’ve overbuilt my cheeks several times) and you just need to check the before/afters on any of the facial exercise program websites out there!

Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:53 am

Hi Sean

Whay programme did you follow that built up your cheeks? That, along with my under eye area is what I am most interested in working on.

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:36 am

The program I teach. However, depending on a persons cheek strengths, how responsive their muscles are etc, then any program that exercises those muscles are going to have an impact, but at the end of the day you don't want to just focus in your training on say one area, like the cheeks, because the facial muscles are all so interconnected and often when you spot train it leads to problems later on, because the targeted areas will grow and develop and become stronger, but in comparison to the unworked areas, they look strange in comparison. I always liken it to guys who focus only on their upper bodies (and we've all seen them haven't we), who fill out a t-shirt great, and have impressive arms, chest and shoulders, but as soon as you look down, their lower half of their bodies look strange in comparison, almost like they don't match each other.

Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:18 am

SeanySeanUK wrote:

CS sorry to hear your results, but I think that you’ve not given exercises a proper chance by picking and choosing a select few exercises, and doing it only a few times a week, you’ve not really had enough opportunity for your face to build up. I’ve built up my cheeks (in fact I’ve overbuilt my cheeks several times) and you just need to check the before/afters on any of the facial exercise program websites out there!

Hi Sean, Sorry if i wasn't clear. I do other exercises as well, to target my eyes,jaw and chin area. I also exercise 5 times a week. Each day I exercise 4 times.

But i still don't see any growth

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:25 am

Oh, phew thats good to know, from first read of your message it did sound like you were only exercising the cheeks. Well there could be several different things going on here. How old are you? Whats your diet like? The reason these two are important is because they show us what is going on with a person, also how do you find your body responds to body exercises? The face will usually follow the same kind of pattern. Secondly you say you "don't see any growth", don't be discouraged because often changes that are happening are so minute that we easily overlook them. Take a photo now and compare with one from a few months ago before you started and see if there are changes that you have overlooked!

Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:31 am

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Oh, phew thats good to know, from first read of your message it did sound like you were only exercising the cheeks. Well there could be several different things going on here. How old are you? Whats your diet like? The reason these two are important is because they show us what is going on with a person, also how do you find your body responds to body exercises? The face will usually follow the same kind of pattern. Secondly you say you "don't see any growth", don't be discouraged because often changes that are happening are so minute that we easily overlook them. Take a photo now and compare with one from a few months ago before you started and see if there are changes that you have overlooked!

Well, I'm a 22 year old male. I am actually pretty thin for my height and age. So when i do body exercises it doesn't really do much. I'm pretty mindful of what I eat.I don't eat any junk food i try to eat fruits and vegetables.

I think you're on to something. Do you think i should eat more protein?

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:57 am

Well at 22 years you are probably not dealing with major sag, and (hopefully) not many years of sun damage and repair work, but at 22 you are still in a stage of development and growth and are likely to be till your mid twenties at that.

Now look at your words “when I do body exercises it doesn’t really do much”. Nice command there to give your body, and of course I suspect that this is also something you’ve been saying to yourself about your face.

You say you’re pretty thin for your height and age, well this could be for a variety of reasons, and you’re the only one who knows why your thin.

Should you eat more protein, impossible question to answer on your messages above, how much protein do you normally eat?

CS23 wrote:

Well, I'm a 22 year old male. I am actually pretty thin for my height and age. So when i do body exercises it doesn't really do much. I'm pretty mindful of what I eat.I don't eat any junk food i try to eat fruits and vegetables.

I think you're on to something. Do you think i should eat more protein?

Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:29 pm

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Should you eat more protein, impossible question to answer on your messages above, how much protein do you normally eat?

Maybe 30 grams a day. I have started to take a protein shake in the morning and evening, on top of what i already take

free skin care · Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:51 pm

I think you are over exercising your face; I would say 3 times a week and once each day you exercise should be enough if you work all the muscles every time you exercise... muscles need rest to develop..

also 30 gm of proteins a day is not enough.. in most western diets ( non vegetarian) one can easily get 60 to 80 grams of proteins without much of an effort...

Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:28 pm

daler wrote:

I think you are over exercising your face; I would say 3 times a week and once each day you exercise should be enough if you work all the muscles every time you exercise... muscles need rest to develop..

also 30 gm of proteins a day is not enough.. in most western diets ( non vegetarian) one can easily get 60 to 80 grams of proteins without much of an effort...

Thanks for the advice. I kind of figured i needed more protein in my diet. That's why I'll be taking some protein shakes.

free skin care · Wed Mar 21, 2012 2:49 am

I wouldn't be so sure that CS23 is over exercising their face, some programs advise working out the face twice daily - and with good reason usually. However, the protein element in CS's diet looks very low as you rightly point out.

Whilst at FlexEffect we tend to advise 5x a week, there are often exceptions depending on the individual, diet etc.

daler wrote:

I think you are over exercising your face; I would say 3 times a week and once each day you exercise should be enough if you work all the muscles every time you exercise... muscles need rest to develop..

also 30 gm of proteins a day is not enough.. in most western diets ( non vegetarian) one can easily get 60 to 80 grams of proteins without much of an effort...

Protein from shakes isn't always the easiest way to add protein to a diet, because often protein shakes are combined with different ingredients for various training reasons that will impact individuals differently. So my real recommendation would be to look at including protein rich foods into your diet rather than just supplementing only - so going for amino acid rich foods, etc will really make the world of difference to you!

CS23 wrote:

Thanks for the advice. I kind of figured i needed more protein in my diet. That's why I'll be taking some protein shakes.

Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:52 pm

[quote="SeanySeanUK"]
Protein from shakes isn't always the easiest way to add protein to a diet, because often protein shakes are combined with different ingredients for various training reasons that will impact individuals differently. So my real recommendation would be to look at including protein rich foods into your diet rather than just supplementing only - so going for amino acid rich foods, etc will really make the world of difference to you!

CS23 wrote:

Thanks for the advice. I kind of figured i needed more protein in my diet. That's why I'll be taking some protein shakes.

Thanks!!

How much protein do you take each day, to help build your face muscles? Is there a recommended amount?

free skin care · Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:35 am

Well its important to recognise first off that you don’t just need protein for facial muscles but for your general health and body moreso than your face. It’s a real element that’s needed by our bodies for general everyday activities as well as repairing itself. Now when it comes to protein, in essence we’re talking about amino acids. They don’t just build muscle, but skin, hair, nails and internal organs too so if you’ve been consuming insufficient protein then these areas are impacted. Next to water, protein is supposed to be the most plentiful substance in the body (around 60-70% is located in the skeletal muscles.

Now the body can make aminos, but its unable to make them all as yet. So there are 8 that you have to get from foods in order to fully function and these are called “Essential Amino Acids”. Now why aminos are important is because unlike fat and glucose, our body has little capacity to store protein, so if you were to stop eating protein your body would start to break down muscle for its needs within a day or so (so you can now hopefully see why its important to consume it regularly).

Now most people just opt for supplementation and that’s a tricky way for many reasons. Often it is difficult to find pure protein sources, they’re often combined with other ingredients which a person may or may not need, and of course depending on how sensitive they are to a product that too can have an impact. So I’m much more in favour of suggesting people opt for food sources of aminos instead.

Now obviously when it comes to exercise, whether face or body and doing resistance forms, your body’s demands for protein are of course going to be increased because resistance training and endurance workouts can break down muscle protein. A lot of people don’t even consume the basic RDA recommendation which is as follows:

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:
1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.
Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0. Cool

. Use a higher number (between 1 and 1. Cool

if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.
Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

So really depends on the person, if they’ve been eating protein, what sources, how long etc to really answer your question and no two people are likely to be in identical positions. When it comes to facial exercising, if your working the muscles, your tearing down fibres etc and building up the strength your muscles need protein/amino acids to recover and build themselves stronger.

CS23 wrote:

Thanks!!

How much protein do you take each day, to help build your face muscles? Is there a recommended amount?

Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:16 am

From all the things i've read about Facial Exercises(pretty much) I understand that'''newbies or beginners'' need to use a program, because just choosing some random exercises from the internet.. Hmmm, maybe more advanced facial exercisers can do that, but if you're just a beginner you need to make sure you have strong basis. If you know what i mean.
I've been doing eva frasers progam for about 2 months now and i've seen some improvement in the eye area. My eyebrows are slightly lifted and it's more open. (i'm young so i don't need to use it for wrinkles)
Though, i still have some doubts about the whole facial exercises thing too.
I mean, we develop wrinkles over time because of making the same facial expressions every single day.
With facial exercises you only increase that, right?
For an example, Botox, or maybe frownies...
They work because they 'relax' the muscles and with facial exercises you do the opposite.
Also there's not enough evidence that they work, or scientific proven.
I think the whole facial exercises thing, it's still somewhat lacking...

free skin care · Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:59 am

That it's not proven is part of the fun!
All evidence is anecdotal - but for some it really works a treat. Look at Sandooch' pictures, see how her cheeks (a delicate point after you reach 45, because they get flat) are changing! And eyelids are often very responsive so exercise is definitely worth a try of a month or 3 if you are considering having your lids lifted surgically.

I think you are very lucky to have started Eva Fraser at your age!

For me, I guess exercise can cause some expression lines eventually. But my crow's feet and eyelids have improved so much, not to mention the sagging jowls that have firmed up considerably. I'd rather have a face that looks like I smile a lot than a face that droops and looks tired and unhappy. Since I started exercising I have noticed that the first impression my face makes is much gentler and more open. Something changed in the expression, probably because the sad drooping lines have become less. And looking cheerful and positive is more youthening than a laugh line is ageing. That at least is my take on this, looking the best for your age and not carrying an expression because the face droops but the expression you choose to carry.

free skin care · Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:32 am

You see the thing is when you’re making expressions, you are only partially using a muscle, which is very different than exercising the muscles against resistance. It’s a very common misconception out there that just because with facial exercises you’re moving your face you are going to create wrinkles. To really examine the dynamics you have to really examine why do wrinkles show up, whats taken place within the tissue to house a wrinkle, and usually you will find that its for a wide variety of factors like poor circulation, dehydration etc over an extended course of period of time.

Even though botox relaxes the muscles (well in all actuality it paralyzes them) it doesn’t stop the face from aging completely. Sure it stops you moving muscles, but as you know yourself if you stop using something completely the body starts looking to use its resources where its needed and so what has been found is that the areas can atrophy somewhat faster as a result. Not only that but the frequence of botox treatments changes from once every 6 months to every 3 months, and so on. This is without even talking or mentioning the possible side effects. I’ve heard people compare botox and facial exercises and can understand the reason for this is in what both are capable of achieving but both work extremely differently.

I also hear you re not enough evidence, but can honestly say its not from want of trying. I’ve personally taken part in 3 studies done on it in the UK, and invested a whole lot of personal time and money in starting out with people and coaching them, and always before we’re even at our first year, despite there being significant evidence that they are working funding is usually withdrawn or is needed to be cut back and its so infuriating. There were two studies that I did about a year ago, or I should say I started out a year ago with an independent body and photographs were taken on the onset (before facial training) and then 3 months and 6 months through and the results were jaw dropping, and that study was supposed to last a year, but at 7 months into it, the body who was carrying out the study had funding cut, and also had been asked to take part in a study involving a new pharmaceutical drug for cancer. Obviously it’s a very worthwhile cause, and I have no quarms against that, but all that hard work that was put in, and also because it was an independent study I had no ownership on what had been collected up to that point, it died with the project (and some of those photos were sooo darned good it would have been perfect). There is a lack of evidence, but its definitely not from want of trying on our part. However, what is encouraging to me and others is that people when they do a program for a while experience changes and speak up about them. The idea of facial exercises is not going to put plastic surgeons out of business, nothing can really replace that, but that’s not to say that everyone needs to go down the route of having plastic surgery – you know some people can gain similar benefits from facial exercises.

Sean

Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:36 am

Thanks for your answers.
But Sean, not with all the facial exercises your training the muscles against resistance!
Some just involve making ''funny faces'' and there are no hand/gadgets/whatsoever used.

free skin care · Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:09 am

CS23: I work in/ am qualified to degree level in lifestyle healthcare (physical activity and nutrition). It is actually just as unhealthy to be underweight as to be clinically overweight, because chronic undernutrition puts the body into a constant state of stress.

The body needs more than just protein for health and hypertrophy (muscle growth), it needs a balance of all the macro- and micro-nutrients PLUS more calories being consumed than burned. Protein shakes should NEVER be used to substitute for real food, and certainly not taken twice daily, except perhaps by serious athletes training twice daily or waking up in the night to eat. They are a supplement, a convenient tool for when it is impossible to get a real meal (eg. within 20 mins of completing a workout).

You should be aiming to consume 1-2g of protein per kilo of bodyweight per day, starting at breakfast and every 3-4 hours therafter. Your body will not utilise the protein to repair and regenerate tissue unless you are also taking in sufficient fat and carbs, it will use the protein for energy.

free skin care · Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:24 pm

With most programs that use resistance you are, sure there are some that involve just making funny faces, but not the one I teach!

HamCheeseSandwich wrote:

Thanks for your answers.
But Sean, not with all the facial exercises your training the muscles against resistance!
Some just involve making ''funny faces'' and there are no hand/gadgets/whatsoever used.

free skin care · Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:09 pm

One of the things that Carole Maggio always says is that if you are too thin, and your face is too thin, you have nothing to work with. As I'm sure Sean would agree, the facial muscles are very small, so you need to have some fat in your face in order to see a difference. I have found that my face looks best when I carry a little extra weight... Not overweight, but at the higher end for my height. For instance, at my height 5' 7" at the low end I'm 128, at the high end 132-134. It's amazing what a difference this small amount of weight gain can make in my face. I'm just throwing this out there as it might be part of the problem... Best, Aprile

free skin care · Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:54 am

The muscles are small, but they are just like any other muscle in that they can be built up, but I disagree that you need some fat to see a difference. Also the face isn’t just about muscles, but bone and skin too which is why I think its really important when people start facial exercises to look at all the factors. Aging doesn’t just happen because of one factor but a combo of several different factors. After all when you consider why Deb developed FlexEffect, it was because she was competing in body building and was cutting down her bodyfat for competitions and didn’t like the look it gave her face. With low body fat levels she felt it gave her a guant look and that’s why she created and developed FlexEffect. I’ve always heard many people say that its beter to have a little extra weight for aging well, but the reality of this is that there are people who do no carry any extra weight and yet age very well, so I’m always of the belief if others can do it, then why can’t I or anyone else. So I hate to say it, but I disagree with Carole on this one (but still have to give her credit and kudos for whats she is doing because she is doing a fantastic job of bringing public awareness to facial exercises and was one of the first people I saw talk openly about hormones and the importance of balancing them alongside eating healthy).

Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:11 pm

SeanySeanUK wrote:

The muscles are small, but they are just like any other muscle in that they can be built up, but I disagree that you need some fat to see a difference. Also the face isn’t just about muscles, but bone and skin too which is why I think its really important when people start facial exercises to look at all the factors. Aging doesn’t just happen because of one factor but a combo of several different factors. After all when you consider why Deb developed FlexEffect, it was because she was competing in body building and was cutting down her bodyfat for competitions and didn’t like the look it gave her face. With low body fat levels she felt it gave her a guant look and that’s why she created and developed FlexEffect. I’ve always heard many people say that its beter to have a little extra weight for aging well, but the reality of this is that there are people who do no carry any extra weight and yet age very well, so I’m always of the belief if others can do it, then why can’t I or anyone else. So I hate to say it, but I disagree with Carole on this one (but still have to give her credit and kudos for whats she is doing because she is doing a fantastic job of bringing public awareness to facial exercises and was one of the first people I saw talk openly about hormones and the importance of balancing them alongside eating healthy).

Hi Sean,
I also have the flex effect program, could you share with us some of the exercises that helped build your cheek muscles?

free skin care · Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:18 pm

I'm glad Aprile (and Sean) are sharing knowledge here. Both diet and exercise are important for refining a thin face.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:26 am

Looks like SeanySeanUK has left the building. His signature reads: 'RETIRED FROM EDS AS AT 28/03/12'

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.