Facial Exercise: Share the Process and Results
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free skin care · Sat May 16, 2009 7:53 pm

If you're like me you read things on EDS and then months later they fade away and you wonder what happened? Was it worth it, did people just get tired of it and move on? I am opening this thread up so we can specifically share our experiences of what facial exercise did or did not do for us. And how we got there.

I think those who have been dedicated have a lot to say and share. Facial exercise does take time and persistance and it will be helpful to most of us here to know what the experiences are of those who stuck it out.

This thread if for those of us who have used facial exercies progressively and faithfully and want to share comments regarding our results. I hope this will help those who wonder "is it really worth it?"

My story is this:

I began Flex Effect back in late June 2008. Initially I used the dvd for about a month (14 exercises) and then progressed to about 38 of the exercises by end July. I avoid the TMJ-oriented exercise and the one that makes you clench your teeth. I stuck with these exercises 5-6X a week through December. It became as faithful to me as brushing my teeth.

I began facial massage sometime toward the early Fall and now do it 5X a week before I get out of bed. (first thing when I wake up). Or I massage during the day if I get a chance.

Somewhere at the start of the year I began Ageless if You Dare exercises. At this point I started to alternate and kept it at approximately 4 days Ageless, 2 days FE. I also dropped the number of FE exercises down to a range of 20-25... with a day off before any important event so I wouldn't get a tired look.

In the last few months I upped FE to about 3X a week and Ageless to 3X and added a few Carole Maggio (scoop and nose and face) and a neck exercise that I don't know who to credit. The one where you lay on the ground and lift your head and turn neck 35 times. (a killer and effective). These exercises I add in hit or miss a few days a week. This program overall has shown to be most effective.

I've said in the past that FE is very comprehensive and I feel it provides a very strong base and for me necessary. I think LouLou's program is brilliant in it's simplicity and effectiveness in targeting the cheeks and providing the lift. I love it!

Results for me:
It is now a good 10 months of time and I know I am getting more looks, more attention, more smiles, positive feedback than ever. I can't quite put my finger on it, but with a lifted, more vibrant face, I have a youthful, approachable, alive look. My cheek bones are high and proud and the lower face is very manageable. I cannot complain. I get smiles and stares and my dance card is as full as I want it to be.
I know many do not promote the lip exercises and I do. I just don't do them all the time but at least once or twice a week. It gives a sensuality to the lip area and increases the pouty look.

It probably took about 5 months to really know what it was all about for me - to determine what I really wanted to do as far as exercises and I have finally got the deal down.

I know this may seem like a big Ra Ra but facial exercise has been an obvious positve change and I want to share with everyone, believing that we can all have positive results that make us feel good about ourselves without spending a boatload of money. I read through Eva Frasiers site recently and that in itself was quite a testimony.

The other thing is that it has been especially in the last few months that the benefits and rewards of the exercise are showing up. Thus time and patience and consistency have proven valuable in this quest. As I read once - the results seem to show in three month increments and if that's the case I can't wait for my one year anniversary.

Another thing this has taught me is that I don't need to spend a fortune on the other stuff -If I have a good C serum which I now make myself, retin A from All Day Chemist, alpha hydrox souffle... I'm almost good to go. Plus I exercise (lift weights, etc) three times a week and take some supplements but even those are being backed off.

I hope someone else will jump in here and share their story. I'm so grateful to all of the women (and men) on EDS who inspired me to start out and gave me advice along the way.

[u]

free skin care · Sun May 17, 2009 3:18 pm

Way to go Sis!!!!That is a wonderful account of your plan and progress. I applaud your discipline. Also is sounds as though you have been realistic and patient with your progress which is very important. I think you have been wise not to add anything to your facial exercises at this point. Many times the exercises alone...given time will reveal all that is needed.
I too have been at the facial exercises for two years and am so grateful for them and all the posters that have shared experiences. I have posted my facial exercise history on many threads here. I do without a doubt think the facial exercises and massage is what lifting the face is all about.....Now lets here from others Very Happy

and oh Sis again congratulations for a job WELL DONE!
Toby

Sun May 17, 2009 7:34 pm

Hi Sis,
I've been a member on EDS for a few months now, mostly reading and learning and not posting, but it's time for me to speak up.

Thank you so much for starting this thread and posting the details of your progress with facial exercise over the last 10 months.

I started Loulou's Ageless program three months ago (I post regularly on her forum). I haven't seen dramatic results yet, but compared to where I was three months ago, I'm very happy. My skin feels much firmer and my eyes look much better. As I've progressed with the program, I've had to tweak it a little to suit my needs, but overall I'm thrilled that I discovered the benefits of facial exercise and Loulou's Ageless if you Dare program.

Patti

Sun May 17, 2009 7:43 pm

I had Bell's Palsy almost 4 years ago and my face remained non-symmetrical and weak on the right side.

A friend sent me Carole Maggio's Facercise and I've been doing them for about a month. I just bought the Ageless book & will add that into the mix.

My face feels much stronger...my right eye seems to be more open & my smile is more even.

I'm looking forward to my face continuing to firm up!

free skin care · Mon May 18, 2009 12:22 am

I've been doing facial exercises approximately 4x/week for about 4.5 months, and before that, off and on for about a year, but not regularly enough to notice any results.

The program I was using took me 25 minutes and because of my work and exercise schedule I'd often end up too tired to do it - I was aiming for 5x/wk and was averaging 3x/wk ... probably not too bad ...

I don't take before pictures (I'm hopeless with cameras) so I don't know about actual improvements, but I can say definitively that facial exercising did *not* cause any new wrinkling or sagging (I emphasize this to reassure those "on the fence" regarding facial exercising).

I recently discovered LouLou's Ageless through this forum and have just started doing these instead of my previous routine, based on the time required (5 minutes each session - what a relief!) and the positive reviews here.

I don't think I would ever give up facial exercises! I'll keep y'all posted on the results.

free skin care · Mon May 18, 2009 9:46 am

Thanks Metaphora for weighing in and for your comment regarding facial exercise not causing wrinkles. That's is so true!
And so important to note when discussing both facial exercise AND massage.

The key to results is consistency. I am certain many "try" facial exercise and don't see an immediate result in a month or two and abandon it as hopeless or ineffective.
...When actually it is the least expensive, most effective and youthful bang for the buck.
One good thing (for me and many) is Lou Lou's 'Ageless if You Dare'.. takes very little time and you can alternate her sets(rotate days) with a more involved set of exercises (for me FE) and keep the results coming without the heavy time commitment. Many get the great results with just LL's!

I sometimes will do 20 of one of LL's exercises while in the car on a busy day (waiting for my son at school, whatever).... Or do a facial massage on a part of the face when I can fit it in. As I say consistency is the key and no matter what your schedule you CAN fit them it! We all manage to watch TV or get on EDS Wink

so we can manage this also. It just has to be a priority.

free skin care · Mon May 18, 2009 11:34 am

I think the thing that I can reiterate here is that they DON'T 'cause wrinkles... 'cause if they did, I'd be looking SERIOUSLY old having done them now for at least 13 years... just turned 38... I've also done them more aggressively (with regards to massage and such) than your average person just for the sake of experiment. (Same goes for Deb of course... whose done them even longer than I, over 30 years I think!) Who says if they caused damage she'd surely be wearing a garbage bag over her face for her degree of aggression.

Mon May 18, 2009 6:16 pm

I've been thinking about purchasing the FE program for the last month or so. I've decided to do Ageless for 4-6 months before adding anything else into the mix.

I do have a question about FE I hope someone can answer. If I decide to purchase it in the near future and add some of the exercises into my routine, is there someone at FE who could advise me on which exercises I should do to address my problem areas and compliment the ageless exercises? Thanks!

Patti

free skin care · Mon May 18, 2009 6:45 pm

Patti - FE has a forum where you can ask questions ...and the book will tell you what areas are being targetted. Therefore if you have a problem area you can home in on the exercises that are specific to your problem.
Personally if I were you I would do All the exercises at least once a week for tone and generally face lift(except #27 and #30 - bad for the jaw and dentition). And then do the ones you really need to get the outcome you are trying to achieve.

PLease keep us posted as to your results with Ageless and how you got there.

free skin care · Mon May 18, 2009 6:47 pm

Ive been doing Ageless for around 3-4 months now, the change was subtle but has accumulated over time. The most pleasant surprise for me is the filling out of my temples which were starting to look very hollow - I was mistaken for 22 the other day, and I'm sure its partly due to facial exercises!

Hopefully will continue to see results with this programme!

Mon May 18, 2009 8:27 pm

sister sweets wrote:

Patti - FE has a forum where you can ask questions ...and the book will tell you what areas are being targetted. Therefore if you have a problem area you can home in on the exercises that are specific to your problem.
Personally if I were you I would do All the exercises at least once a week for tone and generally face lift(except #27 and #30 - bad for the jaw and dentition). And then do the ones you really need to get the outcome you are trying to achieve.

PLease keep us posted as to your results with Ageless and how you got there.

Thanks for the quick reply to my question, Sis. Sounds to me that with the FE forum, book and knowledgeable/experienced people like you here on EDS, I may be ok mapping out my own program to add with Ageless.

One reason I asked that question is because people have told me they got funky "builds" when they spot trained areas of their face with FE.

I'm watching this thread, so I'll definitely keep you posted on my Ageless progress.

free skin care · Mon May 18, 2009 8:29 pm

blondehart wrote:

I had Bell's Palsy almost 4 years ago and my face remained non-symmetrical and weak on the right side.

A friend sent me Carole Maggio's Facercise and I've been doing them for about a month. I just bought the Ageless book & will add that into the mix.

My face feels much stronger...my right eye seems to be more open & my smile is more even.

I'm looking forward to my face continuing to firm up!

that's great to hear blondehart! I hope you continue to see good results - that's the best endorsement of any program.

free skin care · Mon May 18, 2009 10:48 pm

Hi Patti...

Yes, you can ask as many questions at FE as you like. We have several certified trainers that are quite qualified to assist. The more open you are with them, the more you will get from your training.

So as not to take over this thread, I'll direct you to a write up I did a while back regarding spot training and what that really means.

http://flexeffectinternational.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-is-spot-training.html

I invite you to ask any questions on our general forum to get a feel for our trainers... With regards to trainers from FE, I believe that Sean is the most educated on LL's program Ageless, and would be able to assist the most in merging additional exercises into your routine, if that's your desire.

Hey Sister... It's good that you recognize that certain exercises aggravate your jaw. You def. should NEVER work the jaw if there is pain or discomfort. Where talking about a MAJOR joint here. However, it's not necessary to avoid these exercises if you feel no pain or discomfort. And they are quite beneficial. In fact, Deb had an interesting affirmation to that when she had some dental x-rays done. Her dentist asked her if her TMJ was painful. I had no idea you could tell a person had TMJ from an x-ray. Regardless, her response. "what TMJ? I don't have TMJ."

"Oh, yes you do." he replied. I was actually there, because I went to meet him during her appt. as I was considering him as my dentist.

Finally, when she explained FE, he was thrilled. He said that without a doubt she has prevented herself from enduring the pain of TMJ. This is a very savvy dentist that is invited to lecture at many a dental extended education programs... We've had successes not just in the realm of the beauty world, but in the medical world with stroke victims, those that have been in terrible potentially disfiguring accidents, those with bells palsy, and perhaps now even in the dental arena. (although I suspect that has more to do with prevention than correction).

Tue May 19, 2009 8:03 pm

Claudia,

Thank you for sending the spot training link. I checked it out a little while ago. That's what I've been thinking I'd like to do down the road a bit. First, I want to get another month or two of the Ageless program under my belt before I venture into FE spot training. I'm still learning how my face is responding to this program. I've only been doing this for three months, which is nothing compared to you or Sister Sweets for that matter. I will tell you I love feeling that I'm more in control of this aging thing that started to creep up on me over the last year out of nowhere.

I checked out the FE general forum one evening a month or so ago, but I didn't spend much time there. I'll go back and take a closer look.

Patti

free skin care · Wed May 20, 2009 10:17 am

I haven't been doing my facial exercises for about a month. No excuse at all except the crush one really, really hurts my cheeks (likely due to the rearrangement of tissues when my NL trenches were operated on). It is as OBVIOUS as day that my cheeks are lower. Back LouLou-ing tonight...

Sun May 24, 2009 1:44 pm

Lovely thread, Sis.

Very motivating for those of us who aren't Embarassed

to just get going on it bit by bit....

Sun May 24, 2009 5:37 pm

This is a great thread. Sadly, I've not much add (been doing Ageless for 6 weeks - by the book, excepting Crush once-a-week only; have noticed improved lips and slightly improved eyes and am keen to stick at it), but would like to ask Antonia if she resolved the eyes getting smaller thing she experienced earlier?
Thanks.

free skin care · Sun May 24, 2009 9:10 pm

Thanks for starting this thread, Sister. Lots of people have been viewing it but very few have waded in and posted. Here's my experience.

Like you, I started Flex Effect in June 2008 when I was 42 y/o. Ironically, I had found it while surfing about five years previously. At that time, I figured I'd go with botox as FE seemed a bit too good to be true. Botox turned into resty and then evolence and then finally last year I said enough is enough -- the injectibles were feeling like band-aids. I didn't have wrinkles, but I was aware of a sort of 'sliding down' feeling to my face.

FE is a fairly demanding program. I've been pretty regular, working my face 5-6 x week (I took a few weeks off in the Fall and then again this winter when I was looking a bit over-worked and haggard). I do the majority of the exercises. There's about three that I never do, and four I have to be careful with as they really build my mouth. I bought LL's program, and I do a couple of her exercises in place of the FE ones (the grip works better for me), but my routine is pretty much FE.

Now, at almost a year of doing the program, I can honestly say that the 'sliding down' look is gone. The areas that (to my eye -- hope I'm not deluding myself) FE has really addressed are a higher brow, higher cheeks, better eyes (less round, less white below the iris), build off my nose onto my cheeks, build at the bridge of my nose, more defined jawline, temples have been built up. I still want to build my cheeks outwards more (I am doing FE cheek bootcamp right now, which is like a mini 3wk program targeting the cheek muscles), and I do have a bit of gauntness (I assume the tissue has moved up my face, making my hollows more apparent) as well as off-on pouchiness. Both are issues that I feel I just need time and a bit more effort with my technique in order to correct.

Your question "Was it worth it?" I say absolutely -- the best beauty investment I have ever made. When I look at myself in the morning, I consistently see positive changes, though they may be slight. It is much better than constantly seeing yet something else that needs to be fixed. Like you, I no longer spend $$$ on magic potions.

I would recommend that any woman 35+ start incorporating facial exercise into her regime. You have to be dedicated and you have to be patient, because you will probably (as I did) go through a stage or two where you look worse. These stages are temporary. What I love about facial exercise...there is something really empowering about feeling that YOU have the ability to mitigate the ravages of time and control the fate of your face.

I would also highly recommend the FE site as there are fantastic trainers and veterans who are helpful with guiding newbies through their training.

Good luck to all facial exercisers... and to those who are reading and haven't yet taken the plunge... try it. Really.

PS - Hey Sister, do you post on the FE forum? What is your name if so?

Wed May 27, 2009 7:45 am

I am 60 do you think it is to late to start the facial exercises, I did go ahead and order the book Ageless" I figure it could'nt hurt. My TMJ does hurt and click if I open my mouth to wide or work my jaw from side to side so I will just follow the exercises that do not require that type of movement.

free skin care · Wed May 27, 2009 10:22 am

JaclynS - do not lose any more time, start doing exercises, and get your face toned! With a commitment and dedication you will see the results Smile

free skin care · Wed May 27, 2009 11:46 am

Jaclyn, its never too late - don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Things might respond slowly but they will respond no matter what program you do, just try to be as consistent as possible.

Its really about learning new habits. Many people have been frightened into believing that its damaging to touch your face, or massage and nothing could be further from the truth. Obviously if TMJ is an issue, you need to exercise caution, but there are many people with TMJ who do exercises, and some have even developed slightly modified ones to work muscles without effecting TMJ.

Good luck!

JaclynS wrote:

I am 60 do you think it is to late to start the facial exercises, I did go ahead and order the book Ageless" I figure it could'nt hurt. My TMJ does hurt and click if I open my mouth to wide or work my jaw from side to side so I will just follow the exercises that do not require that type of movement.

free skin care · Wed May 27, 2009 12:22 pm

What's the typical routine for facial exercises - night time? how many times per week? how long does each exercise session take?

I am curious as to why more dermatologists don't discuss this.

I guess I can understand why they talk a lot more about lasers than they do dermarolling - lasers bring in big $$.

BF

free skin care · Wed May 27, 2009 4:44 pm

I guess I spend a dedicated 20-30 mins at night, depending on how many of the exercises I can squeeze into my day when I'm driving, on the computer, working, showering, etc. I spend between 5-10 mins massaging as well. Massage is usually done when I'm in the midst of something else.

I think it takes the mainstream medical establishment a long time to recognize 'marginal' practices. I guess it would take a large scale study to medically verify the results. I know Deb at FE has done a few studies in conjunction with a PT practice -- but that's about all I know of. Of course, it's not in their self-interest to recommend practices that don't generate income for them -- esp in the US.

Facial exercises are like 'power to the people' movements. They only get recognized by the 'establishment' when a lot of people start participating.

free skin care · Wed May 27, 2009 5:36 pm

I find we get more support from PT's... because it's IN their best interest to be able offer their clients ways to work their face when they are dealing with the results of a stroke or a Bells Palsy.

free skin care · Wed May 27, 2009 7:40 pm

Barefootgirl wrote:

What's the typical routine for facial exercises - night time? how many times per week? how long does each exercise session take?

I am curious as to why more dermatologists don't discuss this.

I guess I can understand why they talk a lot more about lasers than they do dermarolling - lasers bring in big $$.

BF

The Ageless exercises really do take only 5 minutes per session if you know the routine (and just a bit longer if you have to keep checking the book before you've memorized the routine). And only 10 minutes if you do both sessions (Day 1 and Day 2) in one go.

Before Ageless I was doing Carolyn's Facial Fitness which reliably clocked in at about 25 minutes per session.

I like doing both Ageless sessions at a time so I do them in the PM, and follow up with massage for however long I feel like without watching the clock.

LouLou recommends each session at least 2x a week. My routine is to do them 3x a week and the alternate exercises once a week.

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