When it comes to life priorities, beauty and cosmetic enhancements don't really rank high for most mums. Let's face it: beauty regimens take up energy and resources better used elsewhere. But you don't have to break the bank, or endure the pain of going under the knife, to get younger looking skin, mums!
As we age, our facial muscles lose elasticity. Meanwhile, the fat pads, which give us a full, youthful face, tend to thin out. This loosening is the culprit behind those pesky wrinkles and sagging.
To strengthen, firm, and plump up facial muscles, a simple, inexpensive, daily 30-minute daily facial exercise program could be the solution for women aged 40 to 65. (But there's no harm in starting early!)
A new study published in JAMA Dermatology claims that women can look years younger by simply having fun while working out their faces. This involves making silly expressions, like stretching and compressing their faces regularly.
"Muscle growth is increasing the facial volume and counteracting the effects of age-related fat thinning and skin loosening," study author Emily Poon of the Feinberg School of Medicine tells Medical News Today.
These exercises can reverse age-related sagging and restore muscle volume, giving us younger looking skin and a youthful glow!
Facial exercises to try for younger looking skin!
Researchers were amazed at how women participants looked younger after 20 weeks of exercising their faces – 30 minutes a day for eight weeks and every other day for the remainder of the 20-week study.
The next time you make silly faces, why not make this a bonding experience with your kids, too? We're sure they'll have a ball laughing along and making funny faces to mimic yours!
Here are some easy techniques to try!
The Cheek Lifter
Form an "O" shape using your mouth. Smile to raise your cheeks, keeping your upper lip over your teeth. Press lightly on the top of your cheeks then lower them. Repeat.
The Happy Cheeks Sculpting
To do this facial exercise, smile with your mouth closed. Slide your fingers from the corners of your mouth to the top of your cheeks. Hold it for 20 seconds!
Facial yoga
It's not just our bodies that need zen moments. Our faces suffer the brunt of life's stresses, too. So it only makes sense that facial yoga exists.
Check out these face yoga routines for younger looking skin, which you can learn by watching the video below!
Facial massage
Press your cheeks using three fingers. Then, smile widely until you feel your cheeks are taut and firm. Repeat.
You can also use wide strokes to massage circles on the sides of your jaw, mouth, nostrils, and cheekbones. This promotes muscle volume and improves circulation. Learn more facial massages here.
Women looked 3 years younger after facial exercises!
After 20 weeks, the study's authors enlisted the help of dermatologists to confirm just how much younger the women looked!
These dermatologists compared the women's photos taken on the eighth week with those taken on the 20th week. Amazingly, they noted that the women looked three years younger!
This doesn't mean you should skip your anti-ageing cream and other products in favour of facial workouts. But it certainly doesn't hurt to add this to your regimen!
Just be careful not to overdo it, as facial exercises can hasten the appearance of wrinkles if done too frequently.
Wrinkles and sagging will eventually catch up with us, but the best we can do is to make sure we collect laugh lines instead of frown lines by staying positive and grateful every day!
Sources: Medical News Today, The New York Times, Yahoo Lifestyle
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