Ageless if you Dare - Loulou's Facial Exercises
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Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:03 pm

hello.

I posted a bit about this on a different thread but I figured I should air my concerns in the specifically designated forum.

so here goes: i started doing the ageless facial exercises 2 days ago and after the second treatment got a hickey-like bruise on my neck; today, after my second round of day 1 exercises i was left with visible imprints of my fingers on my cheeks. it might be that there's not all that much tissue for me to grab so 'fighting' to get a grip is too rough on the skin. i might also be pressing too hard period (i'm a guy). finally, i do bruise easily.

anyone else get this? what do you do to avoid it? i'm also thinking of substituting the long neck exercise (which i found most frustratingly difficult to do - especially grabbing the skin part) with a no-hands exercise - like the head tilt kiss the ceiling/ chewing routine (either or both).

free skin care · Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:11 pm

Hi denham,
I think the bruising happens to lots of people.. Not necessarily a bad thing - probably telling you something good is happening to you. Your body is responding. It's just not used to the pressure but will adapt by building collagen and muscle. I'd say keep with it.
There are lots of neck exercises - Kiss the ceiling is very good - and there's a free one out there that has you putting your head back and pulling your lower lip over your upper and pulsing. This is good too.

Stick with it. Really - you will see it is worth it. Start the massaging - this will toughen the skin.

Sis

free skin care · Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:02 pm

Kandy, I've been doing Ageless for a month and a half, just about nightly. We're usually out late one night a week, so I just skip exercising and get to bed.

About a year and a half ago I bought Carole Maggio's (sp?) book, and got very slight results after six weeks or so... and then no more progress in four or five months. I'm not sure why that happened. It just wasn't working anymore. I think her exercises are good, but maybe they just weren't rigorous enough for me after a while. I toyed with the idea of investing in the Flex Effect program - the one, I believe, that LouLou started with. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong!) I was also thinking of investing in one of the hand-held LED devices, and was researching them when I found this forum last summer.

All during the past year or so, I started having "my face is betraying me" moments. Who was that writer - Judith somebody-or-other? - I can't remember! Yes, it was happening; fanatic sunscreen use can't stop all of the ravages of gravity and time. My skin looked pretty darn good for its age, but certain areas of my face were slowly sagging. Kinda depressing. My mother, my aunts, my older cousins - I was starting to look like them! I was resigned to it, though. My face was reflecting what I already knew was happening in my body - menopausal hormonal chaos! Sad

And this is in addition to being hypothyroid with adrenal fatigue. Lovely!

Posts on LouLou's Ageless exercises started showing up here on the forum - and her photos - and I read it all with great interest. Then I ordered her book and got started. The exercises immediately made the muscles in my face (which I'd never really thought about until I had the Maggio book) feel alive, and right then and there I knew that LouLou's exercises would help. Within a week or two - can't remember, but I posted here about it - I noticed a change in definition along the sides of my face, and then after the holidays, a huge difference under my eyes. I'm not stopping now!

Sometimes I do the "kiss the ceiling" exercise, which I read about here on the forum a while back. I've been experimenting with pulling that area down to give it some resistance while I "pout" my lower lip. Don't see any results yet, and maybe I won't at all. But other than Ageless, that's the only facial exercise I do now.

So a very loooong answer to your question, Kandy! Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:05 pm

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Hi Jasmine

What accupressure technique do you use? I use a five elements one I picked up in a visit to China, and relearned a couple of years ago on a massage course, which as you say feels wonderful. I used to work with massage and people and loved it... it was such an eye opening experience.

There are so many wonderful accupressure methods out there... I am starting to think it would be a good idea to mention a few so people could look them up.

One I can recall is Joseph Corvo's book "The Natural Facelift".

Knowing some people are more visual learners here - there are some dvds you can get out there. There is a wonderful dvd you can get by Drs. Ming Ming and David Molony (they do a dvd demonstrating it at http://www.acupressurefacelift.com/) which is brilliant and shows a similar technique to that I learned in China.

There is also the Accupressure Facelift Class (I don't own that one but you can preview it at the following website: http://www.filmbaby.com/films/1010) and it looks impressive.

Sean

I had the Accupressure Facelift Class and recently ordered The Chinese Acupressure Facelift and both are wonderful. Great for headaches and sinus not to mention the chi that will rejuvenate the face.
Toby

Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:44 am

bethany wrote:

milky wrote:

Hi everyone! My first post here at EDS, yey! Been lurking for quite a bit.

Question for loulou, or anyone who knows I guess: what exercises are appropriate to "narrow" or "slim down" the face? My body is somewhat slim but my face is still kinda chubby, particularly the cheeks. In fact, I've been avoiding doing exercise 3 (happy cheeks) because the caption for it says "fuller cheeks" and i just want to lift my cheeks up and not make it fuller, if that makes sense. Should I still do that exercise?

I know that Maggio's Facercise has an exercise that purportedly narrows the face, and I've been doing that. But I find loulou's program to be more effective (my eye area has definitely responded quicky) and I wonder if she can recommend an exercise specifically to "narrow" the face and make it less chubbier.

Thanks everyone!

Hi Milky, and welcome to EDS!

The Crush exercise (#6) will help create hollows under your cheeksbones, giving you the look of a thinner face. It has done wonders for me!

Thanks Bethany! Will try to "crush" more religiously. Somehow I find it the hardest to master.

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:00 am

Milky...welcome! The crush exercise once you get it, just may be the most intense of the exercises...at least for me it is. That one usually kicks my "butt" as far as feeling the burn. I myself like that definition of the cheek hollows so I guess the "crush" is one of those exercises I put a bit more concentration in to. Although lately I have been trying to concentrate a bit more on all of them and really work the face muscles. Many have mentioned seeing their cheeks getting more plump/defined after being on Ageless a month or so....I have been on Ageless since Dec 19th and while my eyes have responded very well with lift in the upper lid, more firmness in the under eye area and my right marionette line is a bit less noticeable, my cheeks seem to be a bit more stubborn. I will mention though, I just may be starting to get a bit of the lift in the cheeks which is what I really want. I noticed last night that my tear trough seems to be turning upwards a bit at the outer end instead of going downwards which to me is a good sign that my cheeks may be starting to lift...finally! Very Happy

Denham....out of all the exercises, the neck one is my least favorite. I don't have a heck of a lot of skin to be yanking in that area but continue to do it simply because of the fact my mother does have the "waddle" and jowls and I will be damned if I get either of those! But anyway, I find that exercise to be quite uncomfortable in a way for me. At first it was a bit awkward to do, but after a few attempts I finally got the muscle to move the way it is supposed to. I find it more comfortable for me the more I pull my skin outwards. I don't bruise easily and have to say I have never gotten any from the exercises...although I do get imprints and redness that go away after a bit.

I did look up this "kiss the ceiling" that everyone is talking about...while I think it would be a great exercise to do, I have a problem with puckering my lips. I have been a bit "freakish" about anything that involves puckering due to the fact I have lines starting on the upper lip and don't want to exacerbate those! ha ha....so I guess I will leave out the ceiling exercise for now until I get over this fear of lip lines!! Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:48 am

does anyone know what would build bigger cheek muscles, doing the exercises every day or every other day?

from what i know about the muscle growth process, a muscle grows through the process of the muscle fibers being damaged through being worked intensively and then during the repair process it grows

so with the face wouldnt we get better results from working different muscle groups on alternate days as in ageless rather than daily as in flexeffect. i know they are that way in ageless to save time, but if you arent interested in saving time but want best results as in biggest muscles (cheeks)maybe the muscles would actually get bigger from allowing more of a repair process?

i was thinking for a more intensive workout to add flexeffect exercises, eg. all ageless cheek and flexeffect ex one day, then rest of face ageless and flexeffefct the next

has anyone tried this or does anyone know which way would be more effective? thanks! getting married aug dont have much time!

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:11 am

Hey Ellie

Well there is some truth to that, but for the face its not completely factual for the reasons I will describe below.

Yes you want to damage or challenge the muscle fibres, and the best way of that is using resistance and engaging full muscle activation, which in turn will engage the repair process if all the correct resources are available (water, nutrients etc).

The facial muscles are not of identical shape, as you know already by know, but they vary in size, thickness etc. When you Flex, your using variable resistance, which is governed by your brain. Your brain will never really let you overmax the muscle (as in doing so the nerve endings etc would produce amazing pain, you just physically couldn't do it).

Secondly, when your working your body your using an external fixed weight that stays the same throughout the entire range of movement. When you flex, your using variable resistance, in that the brain makes the resistance adapt depending on the feedback of the muscle at that point in time.

Thirdly, many of the facial muscles attach to skin, whereas when your doing weights with the body, they attach bone to bone. Think of your tricep for instance. Also keeping with that think of the length of your tricep or even calf muscles and compare that to your masseter or even eyelid muscles.... can you see the amazing size difference.

Doing both programs together, its intensely challenging, so you might find that your face does benefit from the rest.... but the only thoughts I have about doing it that way is that its not reeducating the facial muscles to hold the additional circulation as much as it does when you flex daily. Saying that, its up to you to experiment and get creative with.

ellie213 wrote:

i am trying to decide the best way to get maximum muscle building and wondered what the best way of doing this would be

from what i know about the muscle growth process, a muscle grows through the process of the muscle fibers being damaged through being worked intensively and then during the repair process it grows

so with the face wouldnt we get better results from working different muscle groups on alternate days as in ageless rather than daily as in flexeffect. i know they are that way in ageless to save time, but if you arent interested in saving time but want best results as in biggest muscles (cheeks)maybe the muscles would actually get bigger from allowing more of a repair process?

i was thinking for a more intensive workout to add flexeffect exercises, eg. all ageless cheek and flexeffect ex one day, then rest of face ageless and flexeffefct the next

has anyone tried this or does anyone know which way would be more effective? thanks! getting married aug dont have much time!

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:39 am

thanks zephyr for your answer! Very Happy

It's always encouraging to hear about the improvements of others! I had heard of facial exercises before coming to this forum, but was never interested, because I thought-probably like many- that it would give only minimal results after hard and long exercising and definitely never would have guessed it can tighten the skin!

Well, after reading LL's book, I understand now better why it is possible. The before and after pics are also very convincing!

Who knows you may have more progress now, because you had stopped for a while and the muscles had time to regenerate and/or LL's program tackles also other muscles or because LL's program is less intense it gives more time in between for the muscles to regrow???

I am eager to overdo it a bit, because I want fast results, but that may not be the best way to deal with it, aargh I need to be patient!
Brick wall

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:03 am

I thought I would pop in with a quick update and some pics.

I started Ageless on 11/8, but don't have any pics from immediately before I started. However, here is a comparison of pics from 11/27 and today, 1/25. This is my worst side, and losing 14 pounds has actually created some additional sagging, sigh. I have also done 3 STOP treatments, but I am seeing very minimal change from that at this point on my worst side.

Here is my better side from 11/27 and 1/25...Ageless has almost eliminated the line here. Woo hoo! I think STOP has helped some too, but not to the same degree as Ageless. Ageless can really remodel your face, while the STOP is like the cleaning crew that comes in after the remodel and tidies things up in a very subtle way.

Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:34 pm

thanks sis & bren for your replies and encouragement. i was really reluctant to get into facial exercises but getting stoked about it since i've started. the bruising on the face is fading away, and i'm doing the massaging. i've also used STOP for the 1st time yesterday. all in all things 'feel' tight, which i guess is always good.

bren, i totally hear you about the puckering (even though according to loulou that's not something you need to worry about w/ facial exercises; then again she also specifically leaves out the big muscles around the mouth from her program, so it's probably a good idea not to mechanically crease that area); on that note i was thinking maybe doing the kiss the ceiling just without the pucker - just sort of jutting the jaw forward. i don't know if that'd be a legit modification. i thought it would be more like the 'long neck' that way. also, for resistance, i remember seen a c maggio (?) video on youtube that had the hand placed horizontally across the neck while leaning into it. it could be one way of not pinching too much. will see - i'll keep toying with it. suggestions always welcome

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:15 pm

Ellie,

my understanding of why Loulou has us do 5 minutes of exercising each muscle ..on alternative days..rather than every day...

..is not that a muscle builds faster that way..

.but that it avoids the 'overworked' look that the face can get...especially when first building the face muscles.

i think she described the overworked look.. as looking tired or haggard...and i believe she said also that our face can even look more temporarily wrinkled or sagging....as the muscle tissue breaks down.... in order to be rebuilt stronger.

Loulou has said that people often stop building their face muscles at this point...thinking that the process is causing even greater damage to there face..

..and she said she is trying to avoid this by just working each of the muscles every other day instead of every day.

i have just listened..for the first time to the first part of Deb's video.from FE

...and she also speaks about how ..at the beginning..flexer's can go through this kind or process...(she goes into more detail than i am here)..and advocates that we stop working a particular muscle for a while if it seems to be overworked...

it seems to me..in this regard... that Deb and Loulou are saying the same thing..only Loulou is structuring her program to avoid the overworked look..

while Deb is asking us to be sensitive to it on our own..and stop working the muscle for a while according to our own perception/observance.

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:20 pm

Wow, Bethany. That's really noticeable improvement in the lines on both sides of your face.

I am looking forward to similar results. Even though I just started a couple of weeks ago, I can feel the increased strength in the muscles when I do the exercises, so I am 100% sure that these exercises are going to help me a lot.

I look forward to being able to post some great before and after pics one of these days!

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:37 pm

You are looking great Bethany. Your skin looks really good as well. Smile

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:43 pm

Bethany,
your photos are very exciting..

personally.i like the reality that we can do such a low tech..'in our own hands' and natural kind of thing..

and..and most of us... will get more powerful results than with high tech expensive gagets that may or may not work for us

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:52 pm

Wow Bethany the change in your pictures is amazing. And I truly believe you have just begun to see what is ahead. While this weight loss is going on I would really massage like there is no tomorrow to get the skin to snap by in place. The 40's is still young for weight loss and by flexing the muscles, massaging, and using the Stop you can over come the dreaded sag from losing weight. I am really impressed but I know you have been working it and this is the fruit of your labors!!Go girl!

Toby

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:04 pm

Denham,

tamanu oil helps to heal bruising quickly....i usually apply it after each Ageless session just to ensure that i don't bruise from the session..as i am also quite vigorous when i am doing the exercises.

actually there is also an essential oil(eo) that really helps with bruising ..and scarring..called heliochrysum eo..it is one of the more expensive eo's..but, for me, really worth the price.

The formula for making a remedy is an ounce of carrier oil, which in this case is tamanu oil, to 15 drops of eo

(if you are using it for healing an already existing bruise you can up the amount of heliochrysum eo to 20 drops per ounce of tamanu oil.)

best to first test patch in on your inner arm to see whether or not you may be sensitive to it

anandaapothecary.com has very good quality heliochrysum oil at a fairly reasonable price...and they also carry organic tamanu oil.
mountainroseherbs.com hasorganic tamanu oil at a cheaper price..but it can be frequently out of stock.

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:12 pm

Bethany,

your results are amazing and very inspirational.

Congratulations on achieving so much - weight loss and face firming at the same time - not an easy combination!

I am kind of trying the same thing.

My main concerns are - my neck, double chin and under eye area.

The neck issue is hard to describe - it looks OK, but when I do certain movements right in the middle of the neck appear all of sudden a bunch of vertical lines, and then they disappear. It is very aging. Another problem is double chin - it is the way my face is structured (my dad has it even though he is skinny).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:13 pm

bethany wrote:

milky wrote:

Hi everyone! My first post here at EDS, yey! Been lurking for quite a bit.

Question for loulou, or anyone who knows I guess: what exercises are appropriate to "narrow" or "slim down" the face? My body is somewhat slim but my face is still kinda chubby, particularly the cheeks. In fact, I've been avoiding doing exercise 3 (happy cheeks) because the caption for it says "fuller cheeks" and i just want to lift my cheeks up and not make it fuller, if that makes sense. Should I still do that exercise?

I know that Maggio's Facercise has an exercise that purportedly narrows the face, and I've been doing that. But I find loulou's program to be more effective (my eye area has definitely responded quicky) and I wonder if she can recommend an exercise specifically to "narrow" the face and make it less chubbier.

Thanks everyone!

Hi Milky, and welcome to EDS!

The Crush exercise (#6) will help create hollows under your cheeksbones, giving you the look of a thinner face. It has done wonders for me!

I'm not sure if I do this crush exercise correctly. What I do is inhale some air, so that my cheeks are bulgy, like I've seen Loulou do in her video and then slowly blowing the air out by 'pushing' my cheeks flat again.

Just found out that making a fishface is also good for sleeker cheeks. (is this the same effect as the crush exercise?)

FISH FACE. For sleeker cheeks, make a fish face -- sucking in your cheeks, puckering your lips -- and hold it with real enthusiasm for 10 seconds. Suck, suck, suck. This is an isometric exercise -- squeezing! holding! -- and the more oomph you put into it, the better results you'll get. Repeat this fish face move 10 times for a set, and then do two or three sets every day. "Every day!" says Derek Noble, who hosts Urban Fitness on Discoveory Channel's FitTV. That's the discipline of a true facial athlete!

BTW Bethany, you're making some real good improvements there! Yay for facial exercises!!

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:23 pm

Toby wrote:

Wow Bethany the change in your pictures is amazing. And I truly believe you have just begun to see what is ahead. While this weight loss is going on I would really massage like there is no tomorrow to get the skin to snap by in place. The 40's is still young for weight loss and by flexing the muscles, massaging, and using the Stop you can over come the dreaded sag from losing weight. I am really impressed but I know you have been working it and this is the fruit of your labors!!Go girl!

Toby

I totally agree with everything Toby said!

Nice going Beth, your results are really lovely ..

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:28 pm

Thanks ladies....slowly but surely!!

I have been slacking on the massage, so I will be sure to be more diligent about that. Embarassed

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:32 pm

sigma wrote:

The neck issue is hard to describe - it looks OK, but when I do certain movements right in the middle of the neck appear all of sudden a bunch of vertical lines, and then they disappear. It is very aging. Another problem is double chin - it is the way my face is structured (my dad has it even though he is skinny).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

Sigma, that's exactly the problem I have. I have been massaging the area in addition to exercise, trying to thicken the skin so it's tighter and obliterates the "cords" better. I'm looking around for a skin tightening formula too in the mean time. Please keep me posted if you find something is working for you! thanks! fawnie

Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:38 pm

jasminerosey wrote:

Denham,

tamanu oil helps to heal bruising quickly....i usually apply it after each Ageless session just to ensure that i don't bruise from the session..as i am also quite vigorous when i am doing the exercises.

actually there is also an essential oil(eo) that really helps with bruising ..and scarring..called heliochrysum eo..it is one of the more expensive eo's..but, for me, really worth the price.

The formula for making a remedy is an ounce of carrier oil, which in this case is tamanu oil, to 15 drops of eo

(if you are using it for healing an already existing bruise you can up the amount of heliochrysum eo to 20 drops per ounce of tamanu oil.)

best to first test patch in on your inner arm to see whether or not you may be sensitive to it

anandaapothecary.com has very good quality heliochrysum oil at a fairly reasonable price...and they also carry organic tamanu oil.
mountainroseherbs.com hasorganic tamanu oil at a cheaper price..but it can be frequently out of stock.

thanks jasmine,

i ordered them both from ananda - sounds like something i can use even aside from the exercises. + anything that is "strongly anti-inflammatory" i'm definitely interested in.

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:49 pm

Bethany, Thanks so much for sharing your photos. Great results! Definantely encouraging! I wanted to ask - do you combine in any other facial exercises or are you just doing Ageless alone?

free skin care · Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:03 pm

Good one Bethany. You can really see that difference. Awesome!!!
And just imagine that these are results even with weight loss!

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