Facial yoga found to counteract signs of ageing

Daily 30-minute facial exercise sessions “modestly” improve signs of ageing in middle-aged women, a study found.

A study published in JAMA Dermatology found that daily “facial yoga” sessions improve facial fullness and helps counteract sub-structural volume loss of fat and muscle.

Dermatologists conducted the study into whether facial exercise can improve skin appearance by having 27 women aged between 40 and 65 with photodamage and mild to moderate atrophy perform 30 minutes of facial exercises for eight weeks.

Participants attended two 90-minute muscle-restraint facial exercise training sessions with a facial exercise instructor. Following this they completed half an hour of the exercises every day, and after the eighth week switched to sessions on alternate days up to 20 weeks.

Dermatologists then assessed unmarked before and after photos and saw improvements in upper and lower cheek fullness.

The participants’ mean estimated age also decreased significantly by the end of the study, with dermatologists estimating an average age drop of almost three years among the women who stuck with the programme, from nearly 51 to 48.

Participants noted significant improvement in 18 of 20 facial features, the study said.