Ageless if you Dare - Loulou's Facial Exercises
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free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:43 am

mountaingirl wrote:

I have Flex Effect and LouLou's Ageless book/video. I have been doing them both for a couple of wks with no real results to report yet... infact I may look a little more haggard than usual, which I partially attribute to the dry, cold weather. ((I love winter except that my dry skin tends to look like doo doo until the Spring.)) My question is about Ageless. I read the book through last night, hoping for more instructions on the exercises. With FE its clear you are RESISTING or PULLING AWAY from the area held, but I'm still confused about the process in the Ageless exercises. Are we grabbing and pulling the skin in the opposite direction than the movement? This is hard to do when you are grabbing so much skin. Can anyone clearly explain it to my concrete, dense brain??

Hi Mountaingirl,

Sorry!

Bethany says it perfectly... you're not pulling, so much as squeezing, and it's a whole chunk of flesh, not just skin that you're grasping(except on the neck, where the skin is free of the muscle). And as Antonia says, there's no particular direction you need to pull in, if you can pull a little (either away from the face or in the opposite direction from the movement) then you can do so, but it's not the main way of applying resistance. Antonia explains it really well by comparing it to weights. Thanks Antonia, and thanks Beth Smile

HTH, hugs to you

Loulou

Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:09 am

Hi Bethany,

What is facial exercising doing for you that dermarolling, LED etc. has not? I am in desperate need of botox (usually only do once a year) and at 48 my platysma bands are becoming more noticeable everyday.

There are a lot of nay sayers when it comes to exercising the face, but I'm becoming more inclined to give it a try. Because I enjoy an extremely high level of physical activity (weight lifting, intense cardio, kickboxing, yoga etc.) some of the benefits have carried over to my face. Especially the Yoga, with inverted poses, and asanas that stimulate the thyroid.

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 7:32 am

gumgirl - facial exercises address facial muscles while dermarolling and LEDS address skin. You need to take care of both. You want to have beautiful skin on a toned face (muscles), not on a sagging one.

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 9:03 am

rileygirl wrote:

I wonder if Sean or Loulou can come on and explain why some people are getting results after an extremely short period of time. How is it possible for ones muscles to "firm up" in such a short period?

Loulou, I am bumping this, as I would really like your input on this question, Please!

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:25 am

rileygirl wrote:

I wonder if Sean or Loulou can come on and explain why some people are getting results after an extremely short period of time. How is it possible for ones muscles to "firm up" in such a short period?

Loulou, I am bumping this, as I would really like your input on this question, Please!

Hi Rileygirl, I don't know the answer to this... but I think that once you've exercised a muscle and learned how to tighten it, you'll probably hold it slightly contracted, just as it's easy to hold your stomach in once you start exercising the abdominal muscles. The natural state of a muscle in good condition is like this rather than completely relaxed/knackered, if you imagine walking around with your arms hanging and your shoulders slumped as opposed to keeping everything more or less under control. Even a slight contraction of the thigh will change the shape of it entirely, it looks rounder and sits higher on the leg.

The body does seem to be capable of reponding remarkably fast to unusual demands. If you knock your nail off the raw area will toughen up in hours, or carrying a heavy case around will give you a callous (callus) in days. I don't think that you can build significant amounts of muscle in a couple of days, but small changes have a big effect on the appearance of the face. Cool

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:12 pm

Hi rileygirl, I'm not loulou or seanysean, but I have been doing FE since Aug this year and then I started with Ageless about a month ago. I started seeing real results from FE after about 3 months, then really ramped up the thickness of my cheeks and neck skin with the Ageless. Improvement is all on a continuum, but one day as I was putting on blush, I noticed, "DAyum! I have some awesome cheeks there!" The first thing most ppl notice is the eye area being lifted or looking more "open", as everyone has said here before me!

The difference between the 2 that I have noticed is that the neck exercise with Ageless has more aggressively worked the muscles. I do the Ageless pulling of the platysma, and then the classic "Kiss the Sky" exercises along with the FE exercise where you push your tongue against the roof of your mouth, so I work that area pretty well. I combine the 2 programs according to what I look like needs help, as I go. Does that help at all?

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:52 pm

gumgirl wrote:

Hi Bethany,

What is facial exercising doing for you that dermarolling, LED etc. has not? I am in desperate need of botox (usually only do once a year) and at 48 my platysma bands are becoming more noticeable everyday.

Gum,

Dermarolling really helped the texture and fullness of my skin...wrinkles were eliminated due to the development of collagen under my skin. (except for my darn forehead wrinkles that are still there Rolling Eyes

) But dermarolling did NOTHING for the marionette lines that I had from the corner of my mouth to my chin, as well as some slight jowl sag I was starting to see along my jawline...fortunately, facial exercises are saving me there!

I started with the Facial Flex (a tool) and some slight improvement in the jowls, but no real change in the marionette lines. Then I tried Ageless and saw significant changes within a month. Even my ultra picky sister who only gets skin stuff done in NYC noticed. (see pics below from page Cool

I have had this sagging for several years, in both high and low weights, and this is the first thing that has made a real difference.

Basically, while you can improve the skin sitting on top of the muscles with dermarolling, the skin will still slide forward if your facial muscles are declining in size as you age. Of course, this might not be as noticeable at this point if you are very thin, or if you are essentially getting facila exercise as a result of your other activities.

As far as your platysma bands, that is something LL should address. Botox can be used to lessen the ropy look, but theoretically facial exercise is supposed to all the muscles to regain the ability to relax and lay flat again. But I am wondering if they may be overbuilt in your case?

bethany wrote:

Anya posted this question on 12/4, and my reply was that I had just really noticed some improvement that day....

bethany wrote:

anya wrote:

Do any of you ladies doing the Ageless exercises have marionette lines and have you noticed any improvement?

TIA.

Anya, I have only been doing them since 11/8, but I noticed today that my marionette lines/jowls seemed a bit less obvious to me.
I need to take a picture this weekend before any more time passes so that I can really start watching for changes.

I finally located the camera, and took a pic tonight...the first shot is from 11/27 and the 2nd is from 12/6...9 days later. (ignore my zits...I seem to ALWAYS have zits when I take pics. Rolling Eyes

)

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:56 pm

Bethany that is SOOOO impressive.
Toby

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:59 pm

Toby wrote:

Bethany that is SOOOO impressive.
Toby

It would be more impressive without the ever-present zit. Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:18 pm

bethany wrote:

Toby wrote:

Bethany that is SOOOO impressive.
Toby

It would be more impressive without the ever-present zit. Very Happy

No no no, every woman should have at least one zit to give her face character Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:22 pm

Thanks, Loulou and Fawnie for both of your inputs! Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:34 pm

Update, the videos are now on my website.
I tried to put the link on there about a week ago, couldn't do it, and today it has just materialised from the ether Confused

It seems easier than sending the link to people, and the vids don't make much sense without the book.

the link is also still on the last page of the book Cool

http://louiseannette.co.uk/page_1230835807640.html

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:15 pm

Hello Loulou,

I bought your book last week and really love it, thanks for the video, i want to know which exercise will help for my eyes, i don't have wrinkles but my eyes are hollow,

Hope you understand, because i'm better in French.

free skin care · Sat Jan 03, 2009 8:42 pm

AAAAAHHHHH

i wrote about this a few days ago and then got the videos to work - now im having the problem again.

the 2nd video will NOT play - it just states "replay"..

how is it im the the only one????

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:04 am

Wow Bethany! That's a great change in your marionettes! I have to say, looking at the photos of your lines is like looking at myself, ours are very similar and you also have that little marionette extension indent that goes above your upper lip. Have you noticed that upper line getting any less when you smile with the exercises? I have the same exact thing when I smile, although my left upper indent is getting more permanent and you can see a slight indent even when I don't smile unlike the right which is not really there when I'm not smiling. (if you can understand all that mumbo jumbo! ha ha)
It would be so great to get rid of those darn things without having to get a filler, although to be honest if I had the money, my butt would be sitting in the derm chair as we speak! Laughing

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:31 pm

bren21 wrote:

Wow Bethany! That's a great change in your marionettes! I have to say, looking at the photos of your lines is like looking at myself, ours are very similar and you also have that little marionette extension indent that goes above your upper lip. Have you noticed that upper line getting any less when you smile with the exercises?

I don't think that you should expect any line to go away when you smile...unless you lose weight, allowing the skin to move in a different manner. However, if the line remains AFTER you smile, then there is a problem!

My marionette lines as a whole are definitely decreasing...I saw my neighbor at the grocery store today and she commented on it. Shock

They actually look better now that when I was getting filler pumped into them regularly...the filler will plump up the general area, but then you end up looking puffier there than you really should. Confused

Stick with the exercises...I am at 2 months now, and the differences are becoming pretty darn obvious!

BTW, in the Flex Effect book it talks about how you will see a NEW line show up where your cheek previously sat (before starting to exercise). I definitely saw that appear near that marionette line extension as you called it, and it has now gone away.

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:32 pm

I don't think that you should expect any line to go away when you smile...unless you lose weight, allowing the skin to move in a different manner. However, if the line remains AFTER you smile, then there is a problem!

My marionette lines as a whole are definitely decreasing...I saw my neighbor at the grocery store today and she commented on it. Shock

They actually look better now that when I was getting filler pumped into them regularly...the filler will plump up the general area, but then you end up looking puffier there than you really should. Confused

Stick with the exercises...I am at 2 months now, and the differences are becoming pretty darn obvious!

BTW, in the Flex Effect book it talks about how you will see a NEW line show up where your cheek previously sat (before starting to exercise). I definitely saw that appear near that marionette line extension as you called it, and it has now gone away.[/quote]

Bethany that is wonderful that you got that compliment-it goes a long way to keeping the motivation high.
Toby
Toby

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:23 pm

My extra line from FE was along the NL area and it looked like a long dimple. And then eventually went away. Sean (or Lou Lou please chime in) I believe that is caused by the raising/lifting of your cheeks - thus changing the lines around your mouth. It is where your cheek used to rest I believe. A good sign indeed.

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:48 pm

What I meant as far as smiling was my upper extension marionette lines/creases appear when smiling. I thought maybe with the decrease in your main marionette (which means tightening somewhere of your skin/muscle) the upper ones would become less apparent when smiling due to said tightening...that is of course if you have the same problem as I do!! Smile

My left one though is starting to just stay there and you can very lightly see it without smiling...guess that means I have a problem!! ha ha...
I would think though if the muscle/skin tightens in that area for me eventually those extensions would become less apparent if the marionettes decrease as well....I guess I am hoping!! But I tell ya, it feels the best when someone gives you a compliment like that...makes you realize all your efforts are paying off in a great way....good for you!

A little side note here though, could denote some progress anyway!!! I had this problem with this cheap eyeliner that I just love, it always rubbed off my upper lid on to the skin under my brow leaving me with a line up there that I would have to rub off and reapply eyeliner like every few hours...I stopped using it in exchange for Smashbox Jet Set which didn't come off...problem with Jet Set, the little pot dries up real quick leaving it hard and crumbly which is a whole nother story in itself! ha ha....anyway, instead of dealing with my dried cakey JS today, I put on my old trusty eyeliner that I love....What surprised me was I didn't have to reapply it and realized it like 5 hours later that it didn't come off on my upper skin....
So to sum up the story...I didn't think I had a droopy problem there and I really can't see any apparent difference in my eyes as I am seeing them now, but obviously with the lack of eyeliner transfer, something is happening "up stairs" there and it must be lifting a little....not enough for me to see, but enough to keep my eyeliner on!! I was impressed nonetheless!! Laughing

any progress is good progress even if you can't see it....

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:03 pm

Bethany - it is wonderful progress!!! Very Happy

Once people start seeing the results, they tend to get even more dedicated to the facial exercises. It is so fabulous to have nice toned face without a need to rely on fillers. And with facial exercises it is definitely a possibility. There is no way to inject fillers in my face without creating bumps, there is no need for fillers! In a large part I attribute it to facial exercises.

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:06 pm

bren21 wrote:

... So to sum up the story...I didn't think I had a droopy problem there and I really can't see any apparent difference in my eyes as I am seeing them now, but obviously with the lack of eyeliner transfer, something is happening "up stairs" there and it must be lifting a little....not enough for me to see, but enough to keep my eyeliner on!! I was impressed nonetheless!! Laughing

any progress is good progress even if you can't see it....

Keep it up Bren! You are on your way! Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:41 pm

bren21 wrote:

anyway, instead of dealing with my dried cakey JS today, I put on my old trusty eyeliner that I love....What surprised me was I didn't have to reapply it and realized it like 5 hours later that it didn't come off on my upper skin....
So to sum up the story...I didn't think I had a droopy problem there and I really can't see any apparent difference in my eyes as I am seeing them now, but obviously with the lack of eyeliner transfer, something is happening "up stairs" there and it must be lifting a little....not enough for me to see, but enough to keep my eyeliner on!! I was impressed nonetheless!! Laughing

any progress is good progress even if you can't see it....

Bren, I had the identical experience...when my eyeliner started transfering, I knew I was falling apart, lol.

But I went out last night and checked 6 hours after I had applied it...NO transfer! Very Happy

But I can tell you that after 2 months I can definitely see the lifting and you will too. Smile

free skin care · Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:43 pm

mpstat wrote:

Bethany - it is wonderful progress!!! Very Happy

I am planning on looking like a totally different person in 6 months. Bad Grin

free skin care · Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:04 am

Yeah Bethany...no kidding!! ha ha...before within a few hours of putting on the eyeliner, it completely transformed to eyeshadow.. I was to the point of considering putting my eyeliner on my upper skin hoping it would transfer to eyeliner! Laughing

kidding of course...but it's nice to know something is happening and really can't wait til I get to your point of seeing it up there!!
But noticing progress no matter how you "notice" is a great feeling and you're right Mpstat, once you notice something, it really makes it all worth while and you just want to keep going!!!!

free skin care · Mon Jan 05, 2009 7:18 am

Hey Sis

In FE, as you know, we say sometimes a new line is created which is caused when the cheeks begin to lift up (as before they were sagging) and so you see a very faint line running directly under and parallel to a furrow (which is usually the fold running from the nose to mouth). Its not that a line has been created, its simply been exposed, and the cheeks have responded and begun lifting up and out to their natural position before the sagging occurred. Given time the line will exfoliate, its simply caused by the tissue resting there over time, and so when the muscles are strengthened and encouraged to wake up, it looks like a line has been created, whereas its simply a work in progress.

Often times people sometimes report that dimples appear, whereas all that's happening in FE is that your exposing dimples you really didn't realise you had. All signs of progress!

sister sweets wrote:

My extra line from FE was along the NL area and it looked like a long dimple. And then eventually went away. Sean (or Lou Lou please chime in) I believe that is caused by the raising/lifting of your cheeks - thus changing the lines around your mouth. It is where your cheek used to rest I believe. A good sign indeed.

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