Our face has over 40 different muscles and unlike most of the rest of the body, a lot of these facial muscles are overexerted and overused. By carrying out regular facial yoga exercises, one can promote the circulation of blood to the different areas of the face, thus replenishing the oxygen supply in the muscles and the skin, keeping wrinkles at bay. This not just brightens our complexion, but also helps in stimulating a healthy glow.
While regular facial exercises improve the blood flow and, supply our skin cells with nutrients leading to a stimulation of skin cell regeneration and prevention of wrinkles, our fingers cannot touch base on each and every muscle of the face and provide accurate lymphatic drainage. This is where face yoga or face massage tools come into the picture. Unlike botox or chemical treatments, these non-invasive tools require regular usage.
Tools to Use
Jade rollers have been used in Eastern medicine from as early as the 7th century. These are like the stretching of face yoga. Using it with a plant-based oil regularly may help improve blood flow for brighter, glowing skin. Relaxing tension in the face may reduce stress-related expressions and ease tight muscles. It can also improve lymphatic drainage to reduce puffiness in the face.
It is recommended to use rollers with caution and start gently and slowly. It should not be used over broken skin, broken veins, raised moles, cuts, bruises, severe acne or rosacea. Using the roller should not feel painful and always stop if it does. If any pain or allergy persists, medical advice should be sought immediately.
Gua Sha is another such the practice where small wing-shaped tool is used to apply pressure and scrape the skin to relieve pain and tension. This action causes light bruising, which often appears as purple or red spots known as petechiae or sha.
The benefits of facial Gua Sha include younger-looking skin, reduced appearance of wrinkles and increased hydration.
Other popular facial exercise techniques include Face cupping, Lion face or Simhasana, Puppet face, Lympathic massage, etc. Face Cupping is extremely popular with a lot of Hollywood celebrities as it helps boost collagen to retain the fat or reproduce the fat in some cases thus helping one look younger.
(The author is the owner of House of Beauty Skincare Products)