Part 2: Face Yoga and FaceGym

Does Your Face Really Need a Workout?

We work out our bodies, so I understand why the idea of exercising our faces gets attention. But do we really need another 30 minute routine?

There is some research worth looking at. A 2018 study followed women doing facial exercises for 20 weeks. Of the 27 who started, 16 finished. Their cheeks looked fuller in photo assessments, and they were judged to look younger on average.

That sounds promising. But it was a small study without a control group, and it didn’t measure whether their muscles grew or their bones changed. The women also did 30 minutes a day initially, then every other day. That is a lot of time.

A newer review of seven studies found encouraging results, but the researchers still called for better trials.

Muscle can affect the shape of your face. But more muscle doesn’t always mean a slimmer face or a sharper jawline. It can also mean more fullness, depending on where it is.

Then there’s FaceGym, which offers facial workouts using massage, skincare and, in some treatments, electrical muscle stimulation. The company promises lifting and sculpting benefits. I would want to know what the particular treatment can do, how long it lasts and what research supports it. A study on face yoga doesn’t answer all those questions.

I’m open to trying something that helps me look refreshed. I just want realistic expectations before committing to the time and cost. We don’t have good evidence that these treatments reshape adult facial bones or give the same results as surgery.

Next, the book Jaws takes this conversation beyond how our faces look and into breathing and sleep.