Can we improve our looks by exercising any of the 42 individual muscles in our face?

We don't usually think like that, because facial muscles are small. We don't use them to lift, push, pull or carry anything except the corners of our mouths - yet, they are muscles.

We know that, over time, muscles weaken. As they lose tone, they droop. When it comes to our biceps, thighs and chest muscles, we immediately think - exercise!

Can we really exercise our face muscles, beyond just smiling more (always a good idea in any case)?

Yes - we absolutely can use exercise to tone and tighten our facial muscles so you look younger and more beautiful. 

How to Exercise Facial Muscles to Look Younger and More Beautiful

Unfortunately, our facial muscles begin losing fullness and elasticity even before we turn 30. And they go downhill slowly but surely from there. 

One problem is the shrinkage is in our facial tissues. That's why younger people look plumper and smoother. The fatty tissues around their face muscles are still full-sized. 

As we age, these fat cells shrink. (I know, it's unfair. As we age, all the rest of our fat cells grow bigger - but the ones we need to look youthful get smaller.)

Our facial skin needs support from the underlying muscles and fatty tissues to keep looking young. As the fat tissues shrink and the muscles grow weaker, we spot signs of premature aging when we look in the mirror. 

We do use our face muscles to smile, frown and make other facial expressions, but obviously that's not tiring work.

Just as you lift weights to stress the muscles of your arms, chests and back to make them bigger, you need to put some stress on your facial muscles to make them stronger. 

However, you don't need to train them like Arnold. 

Warning: some sources online claim you can use facial exercises to make your face thinner. This is not true. Just as you don't lose belly weight by performing situps, you don't lose facial fat by doing face exercises. When you do burn off weight, your body pulls fat from all around - belly, face and everywhere else. However, you can make your face LOOK thinner just by tightening the underlying muscles so your face doesn't sag. 

Here is a sampling of exercises to help your face muscles regain their youthful strength and tone.

1. The Eyelid Lift

Squint lines are often the first sign of premature aging to show up on your face. They're formed by your eyes squinting thousands of times, eventually weakening your skin.

The goal is to train your eye muscles to lift your lower lids without squinting.

How to Do It

While looking at a mirror, squint hard three times to observe how squinting raises your eyelids.

Open eyes as wide as possible, holding while you count to four. Repeat three times.

Stare hard at a tiny spot just below your right eye. 

Start to squint with your right eye - but only JUST start. Work to make the muscle lift the lower eyelid without squinting.

This requires a lot of concentration at first because it's not something you're used to doing.

In fact, it will almost certainly require time, effort and several days before you are able to raise the eyelid without squinting.

Keep practicing.

Repeat with the left eye.

Perform this five times daily, with both eyes.

Over time, with practice, the muscles involved will grow stronger - and will learn to raise your lower eyelids without squinting, to prevent and reduce squint lines.

2. Upper Eye Lifter

We can't forget your upper eye. 

How to Do It

Press the fingertips of your middle fingers at the lower part of your brows - both eyes at once.

Push gently in and up.

Create resistance by frowning and pushing back with your eyebrows.

3. Chin Dropper

How to Do It

Open your mouth.

Place your fist underneath your chin.

Push up with your fist while pushing down with your chin. 

Hold the tension for five seconds.

Repeat 10 times.

4. Smile Smoother

This one is great for your cheek lines.

How to Do It

Make an open "O" shape with your mouth.

Keeping your teeth behind your lips - smile!

Repeat six times.

5. Progressive Relaxation

Partly because of everyday stress and emotional frustration - and partly because we never work our facial muscles to a state of pleasant fatigue - we hold a lot of tension in our faces.

This makes the underlying muscles less full and elastic, because they're chronically tight.

In the 1920's, a Dr. Edmund Jacobson discovered the best way to relax muscles is actually to tighten them so they're as tense as possible - then release.

He recommended people lie down, and progressively tense, then relax - their entire bodies. Take each part of your body at a time, then move onward and upward.

Start with your toes and work your way to the crown of your head. That's a great way to relax if you have trouble getting to sleep.

But you can also do it just to improve blood flow to your face, reducing the tightness.

Start with your shoulders (which are also often chronically stiff), then move up to your neck, relax every little part of your face, then go to the top of your head.

Remember - tense each set of muscles, hold for a second - then release.

When you finish, your face will automatically default to the easiest position: 

A big smile.

Do that everyday and soon your friends will be asking you what you're doing to make yourself look so young.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-faces-might-only-express-four-basic-emotions-180949598/

https://www.amazon.com/Face-Exercises-Prevent-Premature-Aging/dp/0964738406/

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/face-exercises-look-younger/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bECUYGgB3UI

https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/beauty/how-to/anti-ageing-facial-exercises-94678

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TodOMjcvEdE

https://www.healthline.com/health/progressive-muscle-relaxation