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Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:00 pm  |
I am so biased since I find different opinions, some say it can cause more wrinkles because you are forcing your face to make more facial expressions which are the main cause for wrinkles and that the movements will force other parts to wrinkle more, others say that it will tone your facial muscles and keep them tight, lift and increase blood circulation for a radiant expression and that it's cumulative but why some many contradictory opinions? I'm biased on whether to try it or not because I do not want the opposite effect! Has anyone heard of Fumiko Takatsu Face Yoga Method? Her program seems safe but I see that some of her exercises can cause wrinkles in other parts.
Does skin sagg with Facial exercises? Other alternatives?
Please help me clear all my doubts.
Thank You! |
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Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:16 pm |
I truly believe that facial exercises work! I used to feel like you and was afraid to try them bc I thought they would give me more wrinkles. I researched every program out there and decided to try one that didn't have a lot of pulling and stretching of the skin. I also wanted a program that had great customer service. So, I decided on one and went for it! Two weeks after starting the program, I noticed that my crow's feet and forehead lines were looking a lot smoother. At the time, I didn't think it was the exercises. I thought maybe my Retin a was kicking in. There's no way that facial exercises could give me such noticeable results in such a short period of time. So, I continued to do them 3x a week to see what would happen. Well, after almost 3 months, my crows feet, forehead lines and 11's were almost completely gone, my eyes opened up and my cheeks were really lifted. The change was so noticeable that my husband said my face looked different! A friend I hadn't seen in a while asked if I had anything done! I couldn't believe the compliments I was getting!
Ive now been doing the exercises for a little over 4 months now and my face and neck keep looking better and better! It didn't create any new wrinkles on me. just got rid of some! I wish I knew about this little anti-aging secret much sooner! The results are so worth the time it takes to do the exercises!
If I were you, I would start off with a simple program like Tom Haggerty's "Shape your face" And see how you like it. He only has 5 exercises that are pretty easy to learn. Maybe after a few weeks or couple of months you can move on to a more comprehensive program, when you feel more comfortable with facial exercising. Have you ever tried facial exercises before? Do you mind if I ask how old you are? |
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Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:19 pm |
Your question can be answered the same way as "Is exercising the body safe?" To answer this question I would say it depends on how you are doing the exercises, what the exercises are, and whether you are making sure to balance out your workout so opposite and related muscles are worked equally.
For instance, if you do squats but don't maintain proper form (knees behind toes, butt reaching back, back straight, etc), you may end up with aching knees or back. If you were to use an exercise machine in a way it was never meant to be used and invent an exercise that makes you use your body in a way that it was not supposed to be used, then you may end up either injuring yourself or developing a build you did not want. If you do ab workouts or chest workouts and do not balance them out with back workouts, you will end up with back pain. So the safety of any exercise is not a clear cut issue, whether facial or body, but rather depends on a variety of factors. If you were to ask the person whose knees hurt because squats or the one whose back hurt because of crunches what they think of those exercises, they would tell you that those exercises are not safe for the body. But there are hundreds of other people who do those veryexercises but never have those problems, so clearly there is more to the story.
To the people who say that face exercises cause wrinkles, I would challenge them to explain how it is then that I can have over 20 years of exercising my face under my belt and have hardly the wrinkles or sag that my peers who never exercise their faces have. And to those who say face exercises do not cause wrinkles, I can also challenge them with the fact that I have had a negative experience from face exercises where I went from having no signs of aging to suddenly having them. And if that had been the end of my story, then perhaps I could understand people running to the hills and deciding that face exercises are bad for you or that they cannot correct wrinkles and sag, except that I have been able to eliminate those signs of aging with nothing more than face exercises. And why do I know it is face exercises and nothing else? Because they are all I do in the realm of anti-aging regimens, besides sunscreen. I don't use any anti-aging topicals, don't get facials, never had any cosmetic procedures or treatments...and yet, methinks my face rivals those of people who do all those things.
To reiterate, the combo of exercises and the exercises themselves will determine what sort of results you are likely to get. A program with a good track record and whose results you like on those doing the program will probably give you results you will be happy with. IMO just being told something is good is not enough to go on. Seeing cumulative results, especially of people close in age to you as well as those of varying ages, is a better way of assessing a program. Many people on EDS have had great success with face exercises and I am sure if you were to send a PM asking for progress photos, even those people who would never post photos publicly would be happy to share their successes privately to give you an idea of what you can expect. |
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Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:45 pm |
| Nonie aka AD wrote: |
Your question can be answered the same way as "Is exercising the body safe?" To answer this question I would say it depends on how you are doing the exercises, what the exercises are, and whether you are making sure to balance out your workout so opposite and related muscles are worked equally.
For instance, if you do squats but don't maintain proper form (knees behind toes, butt reaching back, back straight, etc), you may end up with aching knees or back. If you were to use an exercise machine in a way it was never meant to be used and invent an exercise that makes you use your body in a way that it was not supposed to be used, then you may end up either injuring yourself or developing a build you did not want. If you do ab workouts or chest workouts and do not balance them out with back workouts, you will end up with back pain. So the safety of any exercise is not a clear cut issue, whether facial or body, but rather depends on a variety of factors. If you were to ask the person whose knees hurt because squats or the one whose back hurt because of crunches what they think of those exercises, they would tell you that those exercises are not safe for the body. But there are hundreds of other people who do those veryexercises but never have those problems, so clearly there is more to the story.
To the people who say that face exercises cause wrinkles, I would challenge them to explain how it is then that I can have over 20 years of exercising my face under my belt and have hardly the wrinkles or sag that my peers who never exercise their faces have. And to those who say face exercises do not cause wrinkles, I can also challenge them with the fact that I have had a negative experience from face exercises where I went from having no signs of aging to suddenly having them. And if that had been the end of my story, then perhaps I could understand people running to the hills and deciding that face exercises are bad for you or that they cannot correct wrinkles and sag, except that I have been able to eliminate those signs of aging with nothing more than face exercises. And why do I know it is face exercises and nothing else? Because they are all I do in the realm of anti-aging regimens, besides sunscreen. I don't use any anti-aging topicals, don't get facials, never had any cosmetic procedures or treatments...and yet, methinks my face rivals those of people who do all those things.
To reiterate, the combo of exercises and the exercises themselves will determine what sort of results you are likely to get. A program with a good track record and whose results you like on those doing the program will probably give you results you will be happy with. IMO just being told something is good is not enough to go on. Seeing cumulative results, especially of people close in age to you as well as those of varying ages, is a better way of assessing a program. Many people on EDS have had great success with face exercises and I am sure if you were to send a PM asking for progress photos, even those people who would never post photos publicly would be happy to share their successes privately to give you an idea of what you can expect. |
You GO Nonnie. Exercise the body~~Exercise the face. Look at Jack Lalane all his years. Muscle is muscle. If it's left 'go' it'll Go. Gravity wins. Exercise fights gravity, pumps blood and energy to the cells. It doesn't matter where or what your exercising. |
_________________
Enjoying dermalogica with my ASG and Pico toner ** Disclosure: I was a participant without remuneration in promotional videos for Ageless Secret Gold and the Neurotris Pico Emmy event. |
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Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:24 am |
| I usually refrain from posting about face exercises because I had a bad experience with them, but I really don't believe that they can cause sag or wrinkles. What they can cause is an overbuilt in the certain areas of the face which may be mistaken for sag. But if you master how to control the muscles in your face and learn what does and doesn't work for you then I believe you can get some great results. |
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Thu Jan 02, 2014 8:03 am |
| agatha wrote: |
| I usually refrain from posting about face exercises because I had a bad experience with them, but I really don't believe that they can cause sag or wrinkles. What they can cause is an overbuilt in the certain areas of the face which may be mistaken for sag. But if you master how to control the muscles in your face and learn what does and doesn't work for you then I believe you can get some great results. |
agatha, face exercises most certainly can cause sag and wrinkles. It happened to me. My face did not just get big (which would have been overbuild), but my previously firm and lifted cheeks got large, soft and were hanging over creating N/L folds that were never there before.
The first two photos shows my face before the face exercises that caused me "damage". Notice how lifted and firm my cheeks look:
And then the photo below shows the older appearance of slight sag and loss of firmness I got in just 4 months of face exercises:
As for wrinkles...the first two photos below shows my eyes on July 3, 2005 (I was smiling in the second photo). Notice how smooth and line-free my under eye area is in the non-smiling first pic:
...and the photos below shows my eyes when smiling then not smiling respectively taken about 4 months or so later. Notice the lines under my non-smiling eye. 
Here is another example. The first photo below was taken on April 2007:
...while the photo below showing an older looking gaunt face with saggy cheeks and bags was taken in August 2007 after face exercises:
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Thu Jan 02, 2014 8:17 am |
Well looking at what you said, I think a large part of the problem with the opinions you are reading is that they don’t understand facial exercises. Its not about just forcing your face to make expressions and create wrinkles, but using resistance to make the muscles work (and usually you won’t create wrinkles if you are using resistance). Its kind of like comparing doing an arm’s bicep exercise without weight and then saying that bicep exercises don’t work – sure if you don’t use weights they won’t but if you don’t you can never get the same benefits as to using weights.
Also there are so many different programs out there. Some use massage, some use real manipulative techniques, some don’t like you touching the face at all but rather you use visualisation methods etc. So there will be a number of contradictory opinions out there because everyone is convinced their program is correct. I’ve not heard of Fumiko but her website seems quite good. I do like Rose Tran though: http://www.yogafacialtoning.com/.
Does skin sag with facial exercises – well to be honest the whole reason I got into them in the first place was because I had sagging skin and I’m glad to say that today I have none. I had done a crash diet to lose some weight, and I did and was happy but then noticed my face where I had lost flat was sagging big time. |
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Thu Jan 02, 2014 8:22 am |
Agatha
I remember reading your posts before. Did you ever sort your situation out completely in the end or are you still working on it out of interest?
| agatha wrote: |
| I usually refrain from posting about face exercises because I had a bad experience with them, but I really don't believe that they can cause sag or wrinkles. What they can cause is an overbuilt in the certain areas of the face which may be mistaken for sag. But if you master how to control the muscles in your face and learn what does and doesn't work for you then I believe you can get some great results. |
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Thu Jan 02, 2014 9:27 am |
| Nonie aka AD wrote: |
agatha, face exercises most certainly can cause sag and wrinkles. It happened to me. My face did not just get big (which would have been overbuild), but my previously firm and lifted cheeks got large, soft and were hanging over creating N/L folds that were never there before.
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Hi Nonie,
Yes I remember your case. It's interesting, I always thought that in your case the culprit was an overbuilt muscle that caused the skin to drape in unnatural way. Was the skin under your eyes loose and fragile? I always assumed that 'sag' that may show up during face training is not loose excess skin (like the one that appears with age), but one the firmly attached to the muscle that looks off when the muscle is overbuilt.
But then again, I have a very limited experience with face exercises, so please take everything I say with the pinch of salt.
And overbuilt muscles do not always make the face appear bigger, the face can become leaner in the lower cheek area when buccinators suck in and mouth corners become more prominent. Unfortunately, I know this too well:).
So not to scare OP, like everything else in life, too much of face training is not good IMO. Some programs are quite intense, and although they may deliver great results for some, you may end up with the results that don't suit your face, so choose carefully  .
Also, be aware that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what some consider a pretty, youthful look, you perhaps may not like at all.
| TheresaMary wrote: |
Agatha
I remember reading your posts before. Did you ever sort your situation out completely in the end or are you still working on it out of interest?
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Hi TheresaMary,
It's so nice of you to remember .
Thankfully, I look far better nowadays. I really can't tell what helped me in the process, whether it was just the rest period or some other changes I've introduced along the way. I've also gained a little weight, so this could be masking the problem as well, but I'll worry about that when I lose the weight once again .
And I refrain from taking photos and comparing them to the ones 'before' face exercises. I'm okay with what I see in the mirror, and that's enough for me at the moment.
I still haven't given up on the whole face exercise route, but this time I've decided to start with something very light like Eva Fraser.
I've just got her book, so I'm interested to see if it will be of any use to me. |
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Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:48 am |
| agatha wrote: |
Hi Nonie,
Yes I remember your case. It's interesting, I always thought that in your case the culprit was an overbuilt muscle that caused the skin to drape in unnatural way. Was the skin under your eyes loose and fragile? I always assumed that 'sag' that may show up during face training is not loose excess skin (like the one that appears with age), but one the firmly attached to the muscle that looks off when the muscle is overbuilt. |
Well, I had lost firmness in my face and no longer had that porcelain doll firmness of July 2005. The wrinkles that were now under my eyes were caused by loose/extra skin as if my previous firmly vacuumed skin had been stretched and made looser so it didn't smooth out even when I wasn't smiling. The under eye area was also soft not firm and bunched up when I smiled in a way it never did before. In fact, it was so bad that one doctor was sure what I had under my eyes was the fatty bags that old people get and he thought only surgery could help me. In other words, even to onlookers, I had acquired a sag similar to what one sees from normal aging--something that wasn't the there before the exercises.
| agatha wrote: |
But then again, I have a very limited experience with face exercises, so please take everything I say with the pinch of salt.
And overbuilt muscles do not always make the face appear bigger, the face can become leaner in the lower cheek area when buccinators suck in and mouth corners become more prominent. Unfortunately, I know this too well:). |
This is true. For overbuild to happen, usually it means some muscles are getting overworked more than others so they OVERbuild w/r/t others. This can not only make one look as if s/he is sucking in the lower cheeks, but it can also give a lumpy look to the face instead of smooth natural contours.
| agatha wrote: |
[...]
Also, be aware that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what some consider a pretty, youthful look, you perhaps may not like at all. [...] |
I agree with this, which is why looking at the results of people who have done the program you are considering--especially long-term results--is a good way to get a general idea of the sort of results you can expect from a program. Keeping in touch with the program designer/trainers can also help you in customizing the workout to suit you and ensure you get a build you want. Of course there are people who have the smarts to know just what it is they need to leave out in a workout to bring things back to normal, but personally, I haven't the foggiest idea which is why I have always just simply thrown myself at the mercy of the program designers who are masters of their programs to guide me, careful not to change a thing in the workout without their blessing. |
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Sat Jan 04, 2014 7:52 am |
I'm glad that you were able to find a solution for your problem at the end.
I know how frustrating it can be when you feel that you caused the damage yourself, and start comparing the photos which look far worse after than they did before.
| Nonie aka AD wrote: |
Well, I had lost firmness in my face and no longer had that porcelain doll firmness of July 2005. The wrinkles that were now under my eyes were caused by loose/extra skin as if my previous firmly vacuumed skin had been stretched and made looser so it didn't smooth out even when I wasn't smiling. The under eye area was also soft not firm and bunched up when I smiled in a way it never did before. In fact, it was so bad that one doctor was sure what I had under my eyes was the fatty bags that old people get and he thought only surgery could help me. In other words, even to onlookers, I had acquired a sag similar to what one sees from normal aging--something that wasn't the there before the exercises.
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Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:28 am |
Hi Nonie
Alice here (in your photos above which, in the interests of giving an honest account, were taking in harsh, sideways-on lighting to accentuate the contours).
Like you, I haven't the foggiest idea exactly which part of FE caused my imbalances. Because of this, I'm much more careful (and restrained) when using facial exercise these days. After all, from April of that year, to July, my facial contours changed a lot. I know for absolutely sure that face exercises have an effect, but I'm still clueless as to which ones are good and which aren't (for me). On the plus side, FE tightened my jaw line immensely. However, I was very upset and stressed for while, about the harsh look that my face took on overall, and so quickly.
I don't regret doing FE. I chose to do it myself and, anyway, it's in the past, which I firmly believe in letting go. And making mistakes is okay as long as we learn from them!
These days I take a lot more care of my body and my mind (as well as my face) and I've found that this holistic approach is the best for me. I don't feel it's good for me to fix my attention too much on my outward appearance, as I did in the past. I have a much more balanced view of myself these days and I feel happier for it. |
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Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:41 am |
| peaprincess wrote: |
Hi Nonie
Alice here (in your photos above which, in the interests of giving an honest account, were taking in harsh, sideways-on lighting to accentuate the contours).
Like you, I haven't the foggiest idea exactly which part of FE caused my imbalances. Because of this, I'm much more careful (and restrained) when using facial exercise these days. After all, from April of that year, to July, my facial contours changed a lot. I know for absolutely sure that face exercises have an effect, but I'm still clueless as to which ones are good and which aren't (for me). On the plus side, FE tightened my jaw line immensely. However, I was very upset and stressed for while, about the harsh look that my face took on overall, and so quickly.
I don't regret doing FE. I chose to do it myself and, anyway, it's in the past, which I firmly believe in letting go. And making mistakes is okay as long as we learn from them!
These days I take a lot more care of my body and my mind (as well as my face) and I've found that this holistic approach is the best for me. I don't feel it's good for me to fix my attention too much on my outward appearance, as I did in the past. I have a much more balanced view of myself these days and I feel happier for it. |
Hi Peaprincess:
I do see that in ALL your photos above that the light was from the right hand-side (your left) which actually provided for very good/fair comparison between the shots and makes it very clear to see how your face changed from one image to the next.
Anyway, I'm glad you're happier now as that's all that matters.
----------------
Hmmm...I just noticed that my first post is missing my before damage images. I wonder how that happened. For ease of following my argument, I will repost the missing images here since I cannot edit the post.
My eyes on July 3, 2005 (I was smiling in the second photo) before face exercises messed them up:
And my cheeks by July 2005 before the "damage" from face exercises:
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Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:19 pm |
| Nonie aka AD wrote: |
| agatha wrote: |
| I usually refrain from posting about face exercises because I had a bad experience with them, but I really don't believe that they can cause sag or wrinkles. What they can cause is an overbuilt in the certain areas of the face which may be mistaken for sag. But if you master how to control the muscles in your face and learn what does and doesn't work for you then I believe you can get some great results. |
agatha, face exercises most certainly can cause sag and wrinkles. It happened to me. My face did not just get big (which would have been overbuild), but my previously firm and lifted cheeks got large, soft and were hanging over creating N/L folds that were never there before.
The first two photos shows my face before the face exercises that caused me "damage". Notice how lifted and firm my cheeks look:
And then the photo below shows the older appearance of slight sag and loss of firmness I got in just 4 months of face exercises:
As for wrinkles...the first two photos below shows my eyes on July 3, 2005 (I was smiling in the second photo). Notice how smooth and line-free my under eye area is in the non-smiling first pic:
...and the photos below shows my eyes when smiling then not smiling respectively taken about 4 months or so later. Notice the lines under my non-smiling eye.
Here is another example. The first photo below was taken on April 2007:
...while the photo below showing an older looking gaunt face with saggy cheeks and bags was taken in August 2007 after face exercises:
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______________________
I know Pea won't mind my posting her photos.. Here are Alices (AKA Peaprincess) Before and After photo's that were up on my site while she was training with FlexEffect.
I could not have put them up without her permission...
So again Nonie... nice try.
LINK TO ORIGINAL PAGE. http://www.flexeffect.com/aliceBA.htm
ALICE'S BEFORE
ALICE'S AFTER
Same AFTER photo in color
Now that is one gorgeous girl!
_____
Then you go on to say...about the photos YOU put up...
Nonie said
| Quote: |
Hi Peaprincess,
I do see that ALL your photos above that the light was from the right hand-side(your left) wich actually provided for a very good/fair comparison between the shots and makes it very clear to see how your face changed from one image to the ntst. Anyway, I'm glad you're happier now as that's all that matters. |
I'm just curious... how is it that ALL the photos that you display are coming from the SAME photo bucket? Alices's and yours including the photos of you and her in the one large photo .gif found in your post above? |
_________________
Founder of FlexEffect Facialbuilding. My Photo Journal: FlexEffect.com/deb-photos |
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Mon Feb 24, 2014 7:35 pm |
| Deb Crowley wrote: |
______________________
I know Pea won't mind my posting her photos.. Here are Alices (AKA Peaprincess) Before and After photo's that were up on my site while she was training with FlexEffect.
I could not have put them up without her permission...
So again Nonie... nice try.
LINK TO ORIGINAL PAGE. http://www.flexeffect.com/aliceBA.htm
ALICE'S BEFORE
ALICE'S AFTER
Same AFTER photo in color
Now that is one gorgeous girl!
_____
|
Oh no one is arguing about Alice being gorgeous. She most certainly is. (I always wondered why her photos were no longer up on the Before/After index page but assumed it was because she went from having a full face that had a round shape to having a face that looked stressed and as if she was sucking her cheeks in. And since the program prides itself on being the king of FACIALBUILDING I thought that might be why the pics were taken down since the face didn't look fuller.)
In case anyone is wondering, the photos I posted were taken from actual FE forum posts by Peaprincess when she was asking for help because she didn't like how her face was turning out. The photos I posted were taken after the progress photos Deborah just posted above since as you can see from the lower face, the contours were more pronounced in the photos I posted than in those that used to be on the before/after page that Deborah posted. If there is one thing I've noticed is that the changes for many people new to face exercises in the early days of Flex Effect are good and people do look better (INITIALLY)...but after a while things do not look that great and they morph into a look very unlike their original appearance.
I have no doubt Peaprincess was very happy with her face as it looked in early days of Flex Efect as shown in the before/after photos or she would not have submitted them as examples of good results. But that was not the case when she posted the later photos asking for help on the forum. She posted them to show what she wasn't happy with. I should mention that the last photo I posted (shown below as #4) was one she added later on the forum and at that time she was happier with her face than she had been previously when she posted the photo labeled #3 below. And clearly it is a better shot than the one she was unhappy with.
In order for everyone to see what I mean about how things may look good the first few months and then over time things seem to get worse with that program, here are all the photos above in the order they appeared on the FE website/forum and you can see that from #1-#3 the face was not getting better IHMO...but to me it seemed to get more stressed as you moved from 1-3 and she has developed some sag in the cheeks that made her under eye area look hollow (tired?), esp in #3. Now #4 was an improvement of #3 and I remember it was posted the following year after that #3 pic at which time Peaprincess was feeling a little happier with her face. But IMHO I still think her cheeks looked better in the very first before image before she had the overbuild and her previously smooth face started to look lumpy.
But it goes without saying, her jawline did improve with Flex Effect (at least initially) and I've heard others who do Flex Effect share that their jaw tightened too from the program:
Anyway, it could be an aesthetics thing. In other words, perhaps that lumpy look may be one that appeals to some people but to me, it is not attractive and I would not want it on myself.
| Deb Crowley wrote: |
Then you go on to say...about the photos YOU put up...
Nonie said
| Quote: |
Hi Peaprincess,
I do see that ALL your photos above that the light was from the right hand-side(your left) wich actually provided for a very good/fair comparison between the shots and makes it very clear to see how your face changed from one image to the ntst. Anyway, I'm glad you're happier now as that's all that matters. |
I'm just curious... how is it that ALL the photos that you display are coming from the SAME photo bucket? Alices's and yours including the photos of you and her in the one large photo .gif found in your post above? |
Come on, Deb, I thought you were a self-proclaimed Webmaster? You cannot possibly not know how that happens. I mean how else would I have been able to disprove what has been told to discredit me if I hadn't saved as much as I could before a lot of what supports my story got deleted?  Those photos are photos Peaprincess herself kept for her own progress tracking and which she shared in posts on the FE forum. I did not make them up. I suspect she took them at the same location hence the same lighting. Wink
-------------------------
Anyway, back to the topic of the thread...
Perhaps the build people get from Flex Effect is one some people prefer even though I personally don't. And indeed, if the long-term results people get from Flex Effect is a look people want, then this thread still serves its purpose of informing people not to waste time doing other programs because those programs may not give them the Flex Effect look they prefer. In other words, per the theme of this thread, face exercises can indeed give results one would be happy with or they can disappoint, so one needs to do one's homework to make sure one picks a program that gives the sort of results desired for oneself.
There was a discussion in which this difference of opinion on what a good look is was clear to see. The discussion is a good example of why someone may pick Flex Effect over say CFF and vice versa. The results one gets from either program is very different from the other and so what looks good to me who does CFF may not be attractive to someone who does Flex Effect, and vice versa. Below is a link to the discussion I am talking about starting from page 8 where I linked to the page with a photo essay of someone who does CFF. (For anyone who doesn't know, cm5597 whom I was having the discussion with does Flex Effect and is very happy with it, while I do CFF and I'm very happy with it and you can see how different our tastes are. For instance, in the past cm5597 has said she thought my cheeks looked flat in the January 2009 progress photos on CFF and that she preferred the face I had from Flex Effect in November 2005. I don't need to tell you we differ greatly on that point since I hated the face I got in Nov 2005 after 4 months of Flex Effect. Anyway, you can see more of our difference of opinion on what looks good in the following exchange:
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=36501&start=178
If the link doesn't take you to the post where I link to a webpage with a photo essay of someone who does CFF, then it will be on page 8 a few posts down.... |
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Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:00 am |
Hey Alice – great to see you and glad to hear you are doing well. I have always worked from the point of view that with the face we need to work holistically which is why initially with beginners I encourage them to work all the facial muscles, because we all have habits that we have done over the years and as a result some muscles are over used and some are neglected (for want of a better word) but you get the idea. Imbalances are often present in everyone’s face but till a person starts facial training they don’t really get to grips and learn about their own faces (which is invaluable knowledge in my book), and what tends to happen is that they identify areas less responsive and imbalanced and over time with dedicated training this does and will reverse itself. That’s really why I encourage people to work all the muscles and not a program creator’s ideas of which muscles need to be worked and which ones don’t because in reality that may be a fair assessment for the program creators own face, but everyone’s face is unique and has different shapes and sizes. From memory also, I recall you were doing more reps of some exercises than others to create the results you achieved as you posted the routine you created in the forum at the time, and I persuaded you to remove it because I knew people would see and want your results (understandable) but the results you achieved were with the exercises you had customised so what worked for you wouldn’t necessarily work for several others trying to follow the same routine. It is hard to explain to people sometimes when they see a veteran trainer or poster mentioning what works for them and being beginners they want results yesterday and attempt the same thing and then end up with different results. However nonetheless photos like yours illustrate not only can you change your face without harsh surgical procedures (and causing trauma to the body) but also to inspire others as to see what else is possible to change. I’m completely convinced that when science catches up and realises the benefits of facial exercises there will be some suprising discoveries as to what they can do that perhaps we’re not even aware of from our perspectives at this moment in time.
The face is responsive, which again is why I favour facial exercises over treatments like botox, because it doesn’t inhibit the face’s ability to express and respond to its surroundings etc. To me there is really no such thing as a mistake, and it’s a label people beat themselves up with – I much prefer getting people to realise it is and was just a choice they made, that at the time worked for them. We all make choices usually based on the best information we have at that time, and so there is no right or wrong per se, and our past is what makes us who we are. Likewise your face will continue to change throughout your life – even if you do facial exercises, it doesn’t mean your face becomes frozen in time but it does stop some of the usual “dread aging” factors from happening. I was (and still am) often criticised for how I work with people because I factor in things like lifestyle, diet and even down to language we use when we speak to ourselves and about ourselves but my experience has always shown me that these things make such a tremendous difference to the way we feel about ourselves, our results and how we feel about life in general – and if it makes a person feel better then so much more the better for them.
I still find it so interesting that Nonie chooses to quote from our forum still even to this day. And uses photos from there too – especially when she has been so vocal about her dislike of our program. The photos that Nonie says was “when she was asking for help because she didn't like how her face was turning out” is part of the story – but not the full story. Pea will remember that myself and other trainers (Loulou, Loli and Cathy) all came to her need with different suggestions. That’s one of the reasons I’m so pleased to be part of the FlexEffect Trainers, because no matter what a person is going through we ALWAYS will help. Nonie’s limited experience of FlexEffect was way before my time there, and I’m not aware of anyone having had the same experience of her to date. Likewise her experience of people’s changes being good INITIALLY is highly incorrect. I’ve been a trainer for over 7 years, and still to this date I have people who book in for sessions with me from when I started out and who continue to love the changes they see and just want to tighten up their training or make further changes – so I guess I’m doing something right. Recently so much so I’ve started offering Skype sessions and they’ve really taken off allowing me to work with people all over the world.
I always laugh when I hear comments like “Perhaps the build people get from Flex Effect is one some people prefer” because it isn’t factual and is just a personal opinion. No two people build identically at the same rate, time or places, that’s just a given no matter what program they do. That’s for a variety of reasons but a large part of it is neurokinetics and the mind/muscle connection. So even if you had twins doing CFF, they will be a different set of genetics, lifestyle, diets etc and also a different set of muscle imbalances and so will not get identical results even though it’s an established program with dedicated followers like Nonie.
Even identical twins (which was a surprise to me when I worked with two in the same room) have differences, in fact they laughed at each other when we were training because often one would be able to do a certain exercise with ease and the other would struggle.
Its painstaking sometimes to see Nonie try to rubbish the FlexEffect system that I (and others) continue to work so hard for based on her experience of some time ago but alas she’s entitled to her opinion (even if it is based on out of data references), but I am now no longer going to stand by without comment when she does, because rarely is it a reflection of our methods or our training nowadays. |
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Tue Feb 25, 2014 8:51 am |
Hi Sean
I am a bit short of time right now but just wanted to say that I agree, everyone on the Fe forum was very helpful.
I did modify the routine, as you have pointed out. I increased the reps for some of the cheek exes (I think!) Goodness it was a long time ago!
Deb, crikey I haven't seen those photos for so long! I lost all my photos at one point, when my pc went wrong, so it's interesting to see them. I don't mind you posting them on here.
I'm thinking I should add some kind of facial exercise back in to my routine, but less zealously. I actually wouldn't mind having that jawline back!
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Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:00 am |
Hey Alice
No worries – glad you found the forum supportive and helpful. Don’t worry – with the workouts there are benefits to sometimes increasing the reps or counts and there comes a point in everyone’s training when they have fun doing so, but they will all produce results – just depends on the result people are aiming for and how responsive and healthy their muscles are.
You bet you can add some of the FE exercises back into your routine with less zealous. Happy to help you at any point do so if you wish!
Sean |
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pamelawalmer
New Member
 
Joined: 28 Feb 2014
Posts: 4
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Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:50 am |
| Thanks for the post. I have started doing some facial exercises. |
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Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:59 am |
Hey Pamela
You will love them. Facial exercises are so powerful and can really help create a healthy, toned but youthful face and help the tissue become stronger and more resilient and without the expensive costs and traumas of surgery etc. Plus when you recognise that what you are doing wit your own hands and muscles is able to create such wonderful changes its highly motivating.
Take some photos now, and again in 3, 6 and 9 and 12 months from now, because often times changes will happen that you will not recognise but when you compare photos of those time frames will be more noticeable.
| pamelawalmer wrote: |
| Thanks for the post. I have started doing some facial exercises. |
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