Facial Exercises To Firm, Tone And Prevent Sagging Skin

The Problem Of Sagging Skin

When it comes to sagging skin on your face gravity and aging are your two worst enemies.

When combined these two forces can leave you with a sagging face that makes you feel as sad as your face may look.

However all is not lost and there are several things you can do to improve the problem of sagging facial skin before you rush off to book an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon.

The Causes Of Sagging Skin

Skin sagging is generally caused by the aging process and unfortunately gravity, two things none of us can prevent, however it can also be caused by losing and gaining weight, particularly if you have lost weight rapidly.

Gravity – Simple every day activities such as standing, sitting and walking in an upright position when combined with the downward pull of gravity will cause skin to sag.

The effects of gravity only begin to really show once we reach our mature years but basically gravity begins to work from the beginning of our lives.

Aging – As we age collagen and elastin in our skin starts to breakdown leaving us with looser skin that begins to droop. Collagen and elastin are the components in the skin that are responsible for maintaining the skin’s elasticity and firmness.

The breakdown of these two skin components is also responsible for the formation of facial wrinkles. Aging also causes the muscles in our face to become weaker so they are no longer able to support the skin on our face and this results in more visible sagging.

What Can I Do To Prevent Sagging Skin?

No matter how well you eat and how much exercise you take a sagging face will really age you so it makes sense to make a few simple changes that will help to firm and tone your skin and give you a confidence boost.

The usual advice is appropriate again here and that is to avoid smoking, damage from the sun and rapid weight loss.

1) Avoid Smoking – Smoking restricts your blood vessels and reduces the blood flow to your skin, depriving your skin of oxygen and other essential nutrients. This can make your skin dry and gray looking.

Smoking may also speed up the breakdown of collagen in your skin leading to the earlier formation of wrinkles and premature sagging of the skin.

2) Avoid Sun Damage – Prolonged exposure to the sun and sun burn damages your skin cells and speeds up the process of skin aging, causing premature sagging and the formation of wrinkles.

3) Avoid Rapid Weight Loss – This is another matter of simple gravity. If you lose weight too quickly or have lost a lot of weight the skin will sag where the fat cells once filled out the layers just beneath the skin’s surface.

The face is often the first place to show weight loss and sagging cheeks and jowls can be a problem for anyone who has lost a lot of weight.

Facial Exercise To Prevent A Sagging Face

Facial exercises are an excellent way to improve the tone and texture of your skin. Just 10-15 minutes of exercise twice a day, morning and evening, can help to firm up your skin and prevent sagging.

And the good news is that these exercises are also corrective so if you are experiencing facial sagging already you will begin to see improvements if you are prepared to put in the time.

Sit in a straight-backed chair to perform the exercises, do not hunch over but keep your shoulders relaxed. It can help to perform the exercises in front of a mirror.

The following are 3 facial exercises that will help with the problem of sagging facial skin.

Exercise 1

Try this exercise to prevent or rejuvenate sagging cheeks and assist the lifting and firming of the cheeks.

With your mouth closed, lips pressed together comfortably smile as widely as possible
Keep smiling, aiming to reach your ears with the corners of your mouth
Now wrinkle your nose, you should see and feel your cheek muscles moving upwards
Hold for a count of 5
Repeat 5 – 10 times

Exercise 2

You can use this exercise to help improve or stop skin sagging in the chin area.

Place the palm of your hand under the chin and let your fingers lightly touch your nose
Open your mouth as wide as you can
Apply light pressure to your chin
Slowly push your chin up until your mouth is closed
Repeat 5 – 10 times

Exercise 3

This is an excellent exercise to try to lift the brow and upper eyelids, another area that is prone to drooping and sagging.

Open and widen your eyes as much as possible without wrinkling your forehead
Focus on a point in the distance
Hold for a count of 10
On release you should feel a rush of warmth and circulation in your forehead
Repeat 5 – 10 times

Summing Up

Avoiding the obvious elements that damage the skin like smoking and sun damage and performing face exercises can help to stop you skin from sagging.

A firm looking face with a healthy complexion is desirable for anyone and can be achieved naturally and without the need to resort to expensive surgery.