Facial exercises to reduce wrinkles
Let's talk about something that's been on all of our minds at least once: wrinkles. As we age, wrinkles start to form on our faces, and it can be tough to know what to do to reduce them. But what if we told you that there's a way to reduce wrinkles on your face without having to rely on expensive creams or procedures? Enter: Facial exercises. That's right, you can actually exercise your facial muscles to reduce wrinkles! Also known as face yoga, this is a powerful way to strengthen the muscles and smooth out fine lines.
How to reduce wrinkles on face
The main cause of wrinkles is ageing, but premature wrinkles can be caused by sun exposure, poor nutrition, dehydration, smoking, and genetics. Wrinkles on the face can also be caused through the repetition of facial movements like smiling, laughing and frowning. Here are some hot tips to work into your lifestyle to reduce wrinkles:
Sleep on your back, and use a silk pillowcase
Silk pillowcases absorb less moisture than common pillowcases, which are made of cotton. The silk allows your skin to stay more hydrated, meaning you wake up with a less tight, dry face and also slowing the formation of wrinkles.
Avoid excessive sun exposure
Not only can the sun cause skin damage and pigmentation, but excessive exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight can cause premature wrinkling. Slap on a hat and sunnies whenever possible to decrease your exposure.
Include antioxidants in your diet, and cut down on sugar
Antioxidants help to correct signs of ageing by fighting oxygen radicals that damage our cells and lead to ageing. Foods such as tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, carrots, and avocados are high in antioxidants. By implementing them into your daily diet you can make your skin look younger and healthier. Sugar, on the other hand, is the ultimate ‘collagen killer’, and actually prematurely ages us when we eat it. Try to cut down wherever possible and swap sugar for more natural sweeteners like dates and agave syrup in baking whenever you can.
Those are some simple lifestyle tips, but another effective way to reduce wrinkles is through facial exercises, or facial yoga.
Do face exercises work?
The short answer to this question is, yes! Just like how regular exercise helps to tone and strengthen our muscles, facial exercises can help to tone and strengthen the muscles in our face. Facial exercises can promote blood flow, replenish the cells with oxygen and nutrition, and stimulate skin cell regeneration. This helps to make the skin look naturally radiant and makes for a more youthful appearance. By consistently doing these exercises, you can reduce the depth of your wrinkles and even prevent them from forming in the first place.
Exercises for wrinkles on face
The wrinkles that you see on your forehead are primarily caused by the repeated action of raising your eyebrows. If you’re like us, you may be unintentionally raising your eyebrows everyday, especially when curling your eyelashes or putting on mascara. Here are three facial exercises that may help reduce wrinkles on the forehead:
Forehead smooth
Place your fingers on your forehead, just above your eyebrows. Gently press down and smooth out the wrinkles on your forehead. Hold for a few seconds and then release. Repeat this exercise several times a day.
Eyebrow lift
Sit or stand in front of a mirror and look straight ahead. Slowly lift your eyebrows as high as you can without raising the skin on your forehead. Hold for a few seconds and then release. Repeat this exercise several times a day. This will get you into the habit of raising your eyebrows without the action affecting the skin on your forehead.
Forehead furrow release
Place your fingers on your forehead, just above your eyebrows. Gently press down and smooth out the wrinkles on your forehead as explained earlier, and then, use your fingers to massage your forehead in a circular motion. This will help to release any tension in the muscles that causes wrinkles. Repeat this exercise several times a day.
Facial exercises for wrinkles around eyes
The skin around the eyes is thinner than the skin on the rest of the face, making this area more susceptible to the formation of wrinkles. Luckily some easy exercises can help with this!
Eye squint
This exercise targets those laugh lines you see around your eyes. First, place your thumbs on the outer corners of your eyes and squeeze your eyes shut. Place your fingers on the top of your head and pull the outer corners out and slightly upwards. Hold for 5 - 10 seconds and aim for about 10 - 25 reps.
Eye flex
Place your index and middle fingers on the outer corners of the eye. Spread your fingers apart and gently pull outwards. Gaze and a point in the distance for a few seconds then relax your eyes. Do this exercise a total of three times.
Eye pinch
While sitting or standing, look straight ahead and then place your index fingers above your eyebrows and your thumbs below your eyes. Gently pinch the skin between your fingers and thumbs, and then release. Repeat this exercise several times.
Exercises for wrinkles around the mouth
Smile lines or laugh lines tend to form around the outside of the mouth. As we age, the ligaments in the mouth area loosen and cause fatty tissue in the cheeks to sag. Here are three facial exercises that may help reduce wrinkles around the mouth by strengthening the associated muscles:
Lip puckering
Pucker your lips as if you were going to kiss someone, and hold the position for a few seconds. Repeat this exercise several times throughout the day.
Lip pull
Pull your lower lip up over your bottom teeth and hold it in place for a few seconds. Repeat the exercise several times, then switch to pulling your upper lip over your top teeth.
Chin lifts
Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling. Hold a smile while keeping your mouth closed, then push your lower jaw forward and hold for several seconds. Repeat the exercise several times.
Face exercises before and after
You might be wondering about the before and after results of facial exercises.It's important to note that like with any exercise, it takes time to see results. You'll likely start to see some improvement in the appearance of your wrinkles after about 6-8 weeks of consistently doing these exercises. But for best results, it's important to make the exercises a regular part of your skincare routine.
Best way to reduce wrinkles
When it comes to the best way to reduce wrinkles, there's no one answer that fits all, as there are a variety of skincare options that can help. A combination of facial exercises, a healthy diet, and a good skincare routine can all work together to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
In conclusion, facial exercises are a great way to reduce wrinkles and help you maintain a youthful appearance. They can be done anywhere and at any time, require no special equipment, and have been shown to be pretty effective at reducing wrinkles. The key takeaway here is consistency is key, keep at it! Hopefully we’ve inspired you so that next time you're staring in the mirror and wondering how to reduce those wrinkles on creeping in, you give these exercises a go along with your retinol!
