When
we hear the term "facelift," most of us think of a painful medical procedure that involves surgery and some recovery time. Many women and men get a facelift to give them that youthful glow back, but you really don't need to go under the knife to get these
results. By carrying out the following 6 stretching exercises, called "Facial Yoga," you can make yourself look youthful again without any painful procedures.
1. The brow lift
Forehead
wrinkles bother many people because they get deeper over the years and can make you seem angry. You can minimize these wrinkles and prevent the formation of new ones with the following simple exercise that stretches the muscles behind the skin and, in doing
so, helps smooth it.
How
to:
• Place the lower part of your right palm on your right eyebrow and the lower part of your left palm on your left eyebrow.
• Lift the muscles of your eyebrows up with your palms, as if you’re surprised, and lower them back as if you’re angry.
• Stretch your eyebrows up and down 10 times. When you come to the last time, hold your eyebrows up for 30 seconds. Lower your eyebrows, and hold them in this position for 30 seconds and relax.
• Then repeat the exercise - 10 repetitions of raising and lowering and 30 seconds of release.
• Place the lower part of your right palm on your right eyebrow and the lower part of your left palm on your left eyebrow.
• Lift the muscles of your eyebrows up with your palms, as if you’re surprised, and lower them back as if you’re angry.
• Stretch your eyebrows up and down 10 times. When you come to the last time, hold your eyebrows up for 30 seconds. Lower your eyebrows, and hold them in this position for 30 seconds and relax.
• Then repeat the exercise - 10 repetitions of raising and lowering and 30 seconds of release.
2. The filler
Laughter
lines are certainly charming, but not when they are deep, creating deep grooves on the sides of the lips. The next smiley exercise will help you fight fire with fire, and get rid of these laughter lines once and for all.
• Place
your fingers on your cheeks and press lightly.
• Smile widely and use your fingers to hold the smile in place by gently pressing on the cheeks.
• Close your lips half-way and press your cheeks to create resistance.
• Keep each position (full smile and half smile) for 10 seconds and release the stretch. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
• Smile widely and use your fingers to hold the smile in place by gently pressing on the cheeks.
• Close your lips half-way and press your cheeks to create resistance.
• Keep each position (full smile and half smile) for 10 seconds and release the stretch. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
3. The neck lift
Eventually,
gravity catches up with all of us, and our neck skin starts sagging and wrinkling in a way no one wants to experience. This next stretch below will help prevent this from happening and also improve the appearance of the "double chin" that is common in older
people.
• Lightly
close your mouth.
• Separate your upper and lower teeth as far as you can without opening your mouth.
• Move your jawbone forward while stretching the lower lip, holding it in this position for 5 seconds.
• Slowly bring your jaw, lips, and teeth back to the original position.
• Repeat the exercise 10 times.
• Separate your upper and lower teeth as far as you can without opening your mouth.
• Move your jawbone forward while stretching the lower lip, holding it in this position for 5 seconds.
• Slowly bring your jaw, lips, and teeth back to the original position.
• Repeat the exercise 10 times.
With
the help of some exaggerated facial movements and sounds, you can stretch the area around your lips. Just pretend that you’re in a voice development class and that way you can benefit from this simple exercise two-fold.
• Open
your mouth and then press your lips together so that they’re closed but your upper and lower teeth aren’t touching.
• Now say "Oh" with excessive stretching of the lips to create the sound.
• Then say “eee" while stretching the lips back to half a smile.
• Repeat these two sounds 10 times, relax your lips, and perform 3 total sets.
• Now say "Oh" with excessive stretching of the lips to create the sound.
• Then say “eee" while stretching the lips back to half a smile.
• Repeat these two sounds 10 times, relax your lips, and perform 3 total sets.
5. The neck stretch
This
stretch will not only smooth out your neck skin but will also help relieve pain that many people experience in this area. You can do this stretch wherever you are, even sitting at home or at the office, and within a few moments you can get pain relief and
rejuvenate your appearance.
• Hold
your chin against your chest until you feel a stretch in your neck.
• Start lifting your head upwards in a circular motion.
• As you move, bend your head back and look up at the ceiling. Hold your head in this position for a few seconds, and lower it back down in a slow circular motion. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
• Start lifting your head upwards in a circular motion.
• As you move, bend your head back and look up at the ceiling. Hold your head in this position for a few seconds, and lower it back down in a slow circular motion. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
6. The all-inclusive face life
• Place
your palms above the cheekbones and place your fingers on your head.
• Close your eyes and move your hands - palms and fingers - back and to the side. While doing so, stick out your tongue and stretch it forward and down as far as you can.
• Stay in this position for 60 seconds and then release.
• Repeat the exercise 3 times.
• Close your eyes and move your hands - palms and fingers - back and to the side. While doing so, stick out your tongue and stretch it forward and down as far as you can.
• Stay in this position for 60 seconds and then release.
• Repeat the exercise 3 times.
