‘Facial exercise may help you look more youthful’

London: Facial exercises may significantly improve appearance and reduce some visible signs of ageing, a study suggests. Researchers found that a 30-minute daily or alternate-day facial exercise programme sustained over 20 weeks improved the facial appearance of middle-aged women, resulting in a younger appearance with fuller upper and lower cheeks.

This is the first scientific study to test the premise of facial exercise improving appearance. "Now there is some evidence that facial exercises may improve facial appearance and reduce some visible signs of ageing," said Murad Alam from Northwestern University in the UK.  

"The exercises enlarge and strengthen the facial muscles, so the face becomes firmer and more toned and shaped like a younger face," said Alam, lead author of the study published in the journal JAMA Dermatology. "Assuming the findings are confirmed in a larger study, individuals now have a low-cost, non-toxic way for looking younger or to augment other cosmetic or anti-ageing treatments they may be seeking," he said. 

As the face ages, skin loses elasticity and fat pads between the muscle and skin become thinner. The fat pads, which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, give the face much of its shape. As skin becomes saggy, the thinning fat pads atrophy and slide, causing the face to "fall down." "But if muscle underneath becomes bigger, the skin has more stuffing underneath it and the firmer muscle appears to make the shape of the face more full," said Emily Poon, an assistant research professor at Feinberg.