People Swear ‘Facial Yoga’ Is As Effective As Botox—Here's What Derms Have To Say - Women's Health

[Audrey Noble]

With all the cosmetic procedures and treatments available at our beck and call, it’s easy to find a solution to treat our most pressing skin concerns. Fine lines? Turn to Botox or filler. Sagging skin? Maybe laser skin tightening can help. The list goes on. But if you’re looking for something that you can do on your own (and will give your credit card a breather), there’s an exercise that’s being touted as the alternative to these pricey skin treatments.

We’re talking about facial yoga.

Facial yoga is an exercise that many are turning to for smoother, firmer skin and to get that sculpted look. But does it actually work? To answer that, we turned to the experts. From the benefits to the different types of stretches you can do, consider this your ultimate guide to all things facial yoga.

Meet the experts: Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City. Shadi Kourosh, MD, is an associate professor at Harvard and Skin of Color Society member. Atoosa Kourosh, MD, MPH, is the director of The Holistic Allergy & Immunology Clinic and certified yoga instructor.

What is facial yoga?​

Facial yoga is a series of facial massage exercises designed to stimulate and tone the muscles in the face through targeted movements. “Similar to other tightening exercises like mewing, facial yoga aims to stretch and relax facial muscles to improve overall appearance, help soften wrinkles, and enhance skin elasticity,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City.

And it's inspired by actual yoga positions. As anyone who practices knows, facial movements and expressions play a large role in ritual poses (also called Mudras) and meditation. “As a part of the practice of the ‘Lion’s Breath,' for example, you're meant to exhale, open your mouth wide, and stick your tongue as far out as possible toward your chin,” says Atoosa Kourosh, MD, MPH, director of The Holistic Allergy & Immunology Clinic and certified yoga instructor. “This can help stretch and release tension in the muscles of the face and throat.”

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Like most beauty trends these days, facial yoga took off on social media and gained popularity as a cost-free alternative to cosmetic procedures. “It’s designed to achieve a more youthful look without needing to go into the office for surgery or expensive treatments,” Dr. Garshick says.

For best results, she adds that you can do it three to five times per week for about 20 minutes. You can start incorporating this into your skincare regimen at any age, but Dr. Garshick says those in their late 20s or early 30s can especially benefit from it, as this is when most people may show early signs of aging. If you start younger than that, the more benefit you'll get, she says. Speaking of...

What are the benefits of facial yoga?​

Dr. Garshick likens the practice to other yoga stretches in that it helps move the muscles in your face with various poses, stretches, and some massages. And while more research is needed to definitively prove the purported benefits, there is some data that shows facial yoga can:

• Soften fine lines: Facial stretching and massaging may relax muscles—at least to some degree, helping to minimize the appearance of expression lines, says Shadi Kourosh, MD, associate professor at Harvard University and a member of the Skin of Color Society. Changes in muscle tone and tension causes frowning and furrowing, which results in fine lines, she says. So, stretching out those areas may soften the fine lines caused by the frowning and furrowing.
• Decrease puffiness: Since lymphatic drainage massage helps circulate blood and may remove toxins from tissues and boost flood flow for tissue repair, facial yoga may also help decrease puffiness, says Dr. Kourosh. “This could help the face appear a little more relaxed and rejuvenated."
• Sculpt and firm skin: One 2018 study showed that 16 patients between the ages of 40 and 64 who performed facial exercises three to four times a week over a span of eight weeks, experienced increased upper and lower cheek fullness. As a facial massage is known to boost circulation and improve muscle tone, Dr. Garshick also says that it can help improve skin elasticity and firm the skin.
• Increase facial symmetry: Studies show that consistent use of facial yoga may improve your facial symmetry, though more research is needed.
• Brighten a complexion: Dr. Garshick says that because facial yoga may help give you a more lifted appearance and reduce the appearance of fine lines, it can help brighten the skin too. “By stimulating muscle activity and increasing blood flow, facial yoga may help the skin appear more radiant,” she says.

There are no real downsides to facial yoga, but there are a few things to remember: Be careful when stretching and try not to be too aggressive in certain areas, as it might overstretch the skin, says Dr. Garshick. This exercise also requires consistent effort if you want to see results.

Facial yoga exercises to try at home​

There are many types of facial yoga exercises, with different names depending on who you take instruction from. Some focus on specific areas, such as the forehead or jawline, others focus on specific skin concerns, such as crow’s feet around the eyes. According to this video shared by facial yoga expert Danielle Collins, the most popular types of facial yoga exercises include:

• Forehead massage: Make fists with both of your hands and place them at the center of your forehead. Move your fists outwards and then back to the center, smoothing skin. Collins says in her video that you can use your favorite serum (preferably something oil-based) to help your hands glide across your forehead for a deeper massage. She goes on to say this will help with tension and boost circulation to help the forehead look glowier. Plus, it'll relax the muscle so that you’re not pulling the eyebrows too much, causing fine lines to form. Then you’ll want to take an index finger and create a hook-like shape and massage it between the eyebrows up and down the center of your forehead.
• Eye tapping: Using your index fingers, lightly tap around the eye area. As a light form of lymphatic drainage, this will help minimize puffiness or dark circles.
• Acupressure: Place both index fingers at the top of your nose, closest to the inner corner of your eyes. Move your fingers along the curvature of your lower lash line to the outer corners, giving the eye area gentle pressure.
• Cheeks: Puff your cheeks full of air and hold that position. Then, tap the cheek area up and down. Switch to the other side.
• Ear massage: Take two fingers and your thumb to pinch along your jawline and work your way up to your ears. Then once you get right underneath your ear, you’ll take your index finger and press gently for a long hold. Drop your hands and turn your head slowly to one side, giving it a stretch while moving your tongue up and down inside your mouth about 20 times before repeating on the other side. Last, you’ll take both hands and gently smooth out the sides of your neck to your collarbone for light lymphatic drainage.

That said, if you’re really looking to firm and sculpt your skin, all of our experts caution that facial yoga exercises aren't a miracle cure. They, of course, work best when paired with other well-known facial balancing and tightening procedures, such as neuromodulator injections like Botox, Daxxify, or Xeomin, filler injections, and energy-based devices such as lasers, radio frequency, or ultrasound. “With a combination of these in-office treatments by a board-certified dermatologist, facial massage and exercise, and a low-glycemic diet, a person can achieve the best results,” says Dr. Kourosh.