Face Yoga: Does This Viral Sensation Really Work?
By HOLA.COM
Today, it's not just about exercising your body, but also your face. This is the trend you've probably seen everywhere: face yoga, which promises to delay the signs of aging as much as possible, eliminate sagging, and even fade wrinkles, if you perform certain movements focused on different areas of the face. However... like any trend that goes viral on TikTok, Instagram, and other trendy social networks, some experts are skeptical about its benefits... Is it true?
What is it about?
Face yoga (as this trend could be translated) is an alternative, natural, and non-invasive option to restore facial volume and muscle firmness in the face. Since its emergence, a thousand and one variants have been developed to enhance its benefits, such as using taping, massages, rollers, or the very famous Gua Sha. "You're strengthening your muscles and bringing them back into place," said Gary Sikorski, founder of Happy Face Yoga, to Today.
"Face yoga helps to lift and firm the muscles under the skin, which smooths lines and wrinkles. Massages aid circulation, improve lymphatic drainage, and release tension. Acupressure techniques increase circulation and relieve stress, which could prevent headaches, sinusitis, and improve your sleep quality," added Danielle Collins, an expert in this treatment, to Healthline.
A Thousand and One Benefits
Face yoga enthusiasts also claim it helps with other things like: improving facial muscle control, promoting good breathing (beneficial for those with a deviated septum), firming the neck (one of the biggest challenges as we age), making the face appear more symmetrical, reducing dark circles and bags, making the face look less round, helping with bruxism (better known as teeth grinding), and even creating a much more positive appearance.
The verdict? It does work
Although some doctors claim that facial yoga has no benefit whatsoever, since facial muscles function differently from the rest of the body, other dermatologists and experts affirm that it is an excellent option to achieve a rejuvenated, firm, and even luminous appearance, something approved by research conducted by Northwestern University.
It found that after 20 weeks of daily exercise, participants showed firmer skin, as well as lifted and more pronounced cheeks. The routine consisted of 30 minutes for the first 8 weeks, with a noticeable change among women aged 40 to 65.
"The surprising part, for me, was that even the evaluators could detect a difference because it has to be a substantial result for someone to see it on a regular basis. These are not precise measurements. If it were a small difference, it wouldn't be detected. So it was a big enough difference that patients could detect it, and evaluators could detect it. That was remarkable and somewhat surprising to me," confessed Dr. Murad Alam, vice chairman of dermatology and professor at the university, who was one of the study's authors.
The best part? Unlike any other treatment, it has no side effects, so it's definitely worth trying. So, are you ready to join the social media craze?
