Exercise is often touted as having numerous health and aesthetic benefits, including helping to tighten and tone the skin on the face. As we age, skin can start to lose elasticity and collagen, leading to sagging and wrinkles. Facial exercises are specifically targeted to work, stretch and tone the dozens of muscles in the face and neck. Proponents claim they can lead to a lifted, tighter, more youthful appearance over time. But is there any truth to these claims? Can targeted exercises really help tighten loose, sagging facial skin?
How Facial Skin Ages
To understand if and how exercise can tighten facial skin, it helps to first understand why our skin changes as we get older. As we age, our skin gradually loses collagen and elastin fibers. These are the fibers that give skin its youthful spring, elasticity and firmness. Sun exposure also breaks down collagen and elastin over time. The loss of these important structural proteins causes the skin to lose its ability to snap back after stretching or contracting. This leads to wrinkles, drooping, sagging and loose skin on the face. The face has over 50 different muscles under the surface that allow us to make expressions. And just like other muscles in the body, the facial muscles weaken and atrophy with age if they are not used regularly. This also contributes to sagging skin.
Can Facial Exercises Tighten Skin?
Facial exercises, also called face yoga or facial toning, are exercises meant to strengthen, tone and rejuvenate the muscles under the facial skin. There are many different types of facial exercises including:
Resistance Training Exercises
These involve making exaggerated facial expressions against the resistance of your hands to isolate and work specific facial muscles. For example, using your fingers to lift your eyebrows while frowning to target the forehead muscles.
Massage Exercises
Kneading, stroking and massaging the face and facial muscles to boost blood circulation. This aims to plump the appearance of the skin.
Physical Manipulation Exercises
Pulling, lifting, pinching and moving the skin of the face to stimulate collagen production and skin cell renewal. An example is using your fingers to pinch and pull the cheeks up towards the eyes.
Passive Stretching Exercises
Widening the eyes, mouth and other facial features to stretch and open the facial muscles. For example, smiling widely or puffing out the cheeks.
So in theory, just like performing targeted exercises on muscles in the body can tone and tighten problem areas, performing specific repetitive facial movements and resistance training can help tighten, lift and sculpt the facial muscles. This in turn may have an effect on the overlying facial skin. However, there is debate over how much facial exercises can truly tighten and lift sagging skin versus simply toning the facial muscles underneath.
Evidence for Facial Exercises Tightening Skin
There is emerging evidence from some small studies that facial exercise programs may have skin tightening and anti-aging effects:
A 2018 Study
In a 2018 randomized control trial published in JAMA Dermatology, middle-aged women did a facial exercise program for 8 weeks. The exercises included smiling, chewing, and making other facial expressions to target facial muscles. After following the program, the women showed significant improvements in facial contour, skin elasticity and muscle volume compared to a control group.
A 2019 Study
A 2019 study had women perform daily facial yoga exercises for 20 weeks. MRI scans showed increases in muscle thickness, facial volume and fat tissue in the cheeks after 10 weeks. These changes can help lift the facial skin.
A 2020 Literature Review
A literature review published in 2020 looked at evidence for facial exercises improving facial appearance and skin. It concluded that facial exercises may increase facial muscle thickness and volume while decreasing wrinkles and sagging. However more large scale studies are needed.
While promising, most of the evidence so far has been limited to small studies. More research is still needed to determine exactly how effective facial exercises are for preventing, slowing or reversing signs of facial skin aging.
Other Ways Exercise Can Benefit Facial Skin
Aside from directly working and toning the facial muscles, regular exercise can benefit your face in other ways:
Boosts Circulation
Exercise gets the heart pumping and blood flowing. This circulates oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, including to the skin cells of the face.
Releases Tension
Exercise helps relax the muscles and relieve tension in the face and jaw from stress. This may help minimize frown lines and wrinkles.
Promotes Collagen Production
Working up a sweat during exercise increases body temperature and circulation. This stimulates fibroblasts in the skin which produce collagen.
Regulates Hormones
Exercise helps balance hormones like cortisol and insulin that can negatively impact skin. It also boosts endorphins for an anti-aging effect.
Reduces Inflammation
Regular exercise has anti-inflammatory effects on the entire body and skin. Inflammation can accelerate wrinkles and skin aging.
So while directly working the facial muscles via targeted exercises provides the most direct benefit to tightening facial skin, overall exercise gives an anti-aging boost from head to toe.
Other Ways to Tighten Loose Facial Skin
While facial exercises show promise for tightening a sagging face, they should be used in combination with other lifestyle habits and treatments for optimal results:
Cleanse and Moisturize
Wash your face twice daily and apply a moisturizer with peptides, antioxidants or retinoids to nourish skin and combat wrinkles.
Use Broad Spectrum SPF
Protect your skin from sun damage that breaks down collagen and elastin by applying sunscreen daily.
Eat a Nutritious Diet
Eat plenty of skin nourishing foods like avocados, walnuts, olive oil, tomatoes and leafy greens. Stay hydrated and limit sugar intake.
Don’t Smoke
Smoking severely accelerates facial aging and collagen breakdown. Quit or avoid smoking for tighter, younger looking skin.
Get Procedures
Procedures like microneedling, laser resurfacing, ultrasound therapy and radiofrequency can stimulate collagen for firmer facial skin.
Try Topicals
Use topical skin tightening creams with ingredients like retinol or caffeine to improve elasticity. Or try an at-home microcurrent device.
Get Facials
Professional facials exfoliate the skin, massage the face, and apply serums and masks to hydrate and tighten.
Exercises to Tighten Loose Facial Skin
Try incorporating some of these 9 facial exercises into your daily skin care routine to help tone, lift and tighten your facial muscles and skin:
1. Forehead Smoothing
Place all your fingers on your forehead. Gently push down and smooth the entire forehead for 10 repetitions.
2. Eye Widening
Open your eyes as wide as possible, hold for 5 counts. Relax, repeat 10 times.
3. Lip Puckering
Pucker lips tightly into an “O” shape. Hold for 5 seconds then release. Repeat 20 times.
4. Neck Stretches
Look up at the ceiling, stretching neck gently. Hold for 10 counts. Look down, stretching chin to chest for 10.
5. Jaw Release
Open mouth wide and slowly close mouth. Repeat jaw open/close 15 times.
6. Cheek Lifting
Smile broadly without showing teeth. Place fingers on cheeks and gently push up as you smile. Hold 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
7. Eye Compression
Place your index fingers on the outer corner of the eyes. Press in gently and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat twice on each eye.
8. Brow Raising
Raise your eyebrows as high as possible. Hold for 5 counts. Relax brows, repeat 10 times.
9. Full Face Massage
Massage your face in upward, circular motions using your fingertips. Spend 10-15 seconds massaging each area of the face.
Conclusion
While the benefits of facial exercises are still being researched, they show promise for toning facial muscles and potentially improving facial skin tightness. When combined with other lifestyle habits like proper skincare, hydration, nutrition and sun protection, facial exercises may help combat sagging skin and wrinkles. Be patient and commit to doing them routinely if you want to see results. And as always, check with your dermatologist about the most effective treatments for your particular skin tightening needs.