**warning to those who are considering face exercises**
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free skin care · Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:54 pm

Not every website you visit tells the truth about face exercises. Some sites mix the truth with lies and it can be a big set up for disappointment when the evidence posted is not really from face exercises.

As many of you know, I am a huge proponent of face exercises. I have done them for years and have seen how effective they are and know of others who've had the same results. I also have known that not every program will give good results and that sometimes exercises that work for one may not work for the next person.

I get excited every time I see face exercises being discussed because it's about time the secret I have known for years but was too shy (or selfish) to share is finally out. But what makes me sad--and the reason for his thread--is when I find a program that is dishonest and smells like a scam. And even if the program may work, the fact that the author uses images that are from other procedures makes the whole program lose any credibility it might have had. And I thought you all should be warned about it, lest you fall for the lies and get disappointed.

Here's the website I found today that at first seemed to be replete with info on face exercises and initially had me excited. Take a look then come back and read what I found out about it: http://facialexercisecentral.com/facial-exercise-before-and-after/

Sadly, those photos' results are not from face exercises. The source of the photos is given as this one, but here's the truth about those photos as they appear on that source:

The results seen in the first set of photos posted on ie these:

...are not from Face Reflexology taught by Anne Cossé but rather from a micro-current device called Arasys Profector. You will find that image in several sites that talk about the gadget. Here are a few:

http://www.jsrcreations.com/non-surgical-facelift.html

http://betterskin.wordpress.com/about/

http://www.dermaclinica.ba/tehnologije/arasys-perfector/arasys-reference/

The results seen in the second image are from using a product called Younique Nature's Non-Surgical FaceLift that is a topical cream.

The person featured even wrote in her review of the product and it is posted here: http://vibrantuco.com/category/uncategorized/

The third results seen on that website are those of Anne Cossé and may or may not be from acupressure. (BTW I do believe in acupressure and reflexology so I don't doubt it may be effective but I don't understand why she didn't just get a few guinea pigs to try it out and then use their images and keep everything on the up and up. The fact that this set of photos were not used on the Facial Exercise Central which led me to her site, makes it even more bizarre. Seems only the photos that might have been REAL results were the ones not shared on the FEC site. Hmmm... Neutral

)

The fourth set of photos literally left me speechless because it shows how far some people will go to deceive. The photos aren't even easy to come by and only seemed to appear on just these two sites, besides the original site. I am talking about these:

They are from a website that shows before/after photos of Facial Feminization Surgery that transsexuals might get to soften their features. Here's the link: http://facialfeminization.eu/2010/11/kim-full-ffs/

The fifth set of photos might be legit (but that could also be why they weren't posted on the site that led me to this one. Maybe the subject didn't want her photo posted on another site). I say that because I couldn't find the images anywhere else but on the Facelift Naturel site.

The sixth photos showing improvement in bags, as shown here:

...are from injecting Hyaluronic acid according to this website: http://www.acide-hyaluronique.fr/

The seventh set of photos can be found on websites that do Botox as the before/after pics for that procedure:

See these links:

http://www.mdlaserskin.ca/Photo-Gallery.page

http://www.larsoneyecenter.com/chicago/cosmetic-services/botox.htm

http://advancelasercenter.com/botox-cosmetic.html

Returning to the Facial Exercise Central website--which seems to be very much in favor of Ms Cossé so probably a site she's affiliated with--the first photos posted are also not from reflexology or any face exercises. I'm talking about these:

This is the link to Rejuve website page on Restalyne where they came from and you can see the actual image with captions on this page.

Shame isn't it? It's bad enough that cosmetic surgeons discredit face exercises because they have a lot to lose if people believed in them: I mean, they'd lose their business if people found they could get the results they give naturally, so I can understand their reasons. But when someone decides to masquerade as a guru of face rejuvenation using "natural methods" then instead of posting results from her program, posts those from other sites that were not achieved the way she claims they were and is selling a product to unsuspecting victims, it makes me so mad that I cannot be quiet about this. She gives face exercises a bad name and is cruel to take advantage of unsuspecting people promising them unicorns that she may not be able to deliver. Mad

Anyway, while the authors of the two sites I talked about may not post facts, I do want to mention that I own a book or two on acupressure and that I do think acupressure is good not just for facial exercises but as a way to remove toxins and as a remedy for other conditions. Lindsay Wagner has a book on acupressure facelift. She may not be line-free but she looks good to me and very natural, I might add. I think sometimes we get so used to seeing people looking plastic and like they are stuck in a windtunnel that we forget what natural is and fail to appreciate faces that are aging beautifully/gracefully and that hint at a history of laughs, warmth/kindness, and a life well lived.

free skin care · Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:47 pm

Thank you. I enjoyed the story of Lindsay Wagner. Great to know. You have made me a fan.
Also You are right to provide a timely caution about scams in facial exercising. Of course it had to happen. I'm sure it's easy for people to 'sell' their face for the purpose of marketing. And true enough: Shame on the lot of them, especially the person who is taking the lead or promoting the facial exercise program.

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:08 am

Nonie aka AD, I have seen your posts before about the benefits of FE and have been wanting to ask you which FE program do you do? I want to start FE from now on and my major concerns are under eye bags and dropping side jaws(the area between chin and ears). Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:44 am

I know that all too well! When I did my article for the NY Times a few years ago on the Baby Q along with my picture, it was crazy where the photo would suddenly end up.
I would see myself promoting/endorsing on many differant websites,beauty forums, ebay, etc.
Crazy thing is, I did not even give it a thumbs up, gave the darn thing a thumb sideways!
Thanks for pointing this out.
I am not a proponant of the facial excercises anyway. The intense debating and extreme negativity of the advocates in the past has made me shy away from them on all the forums (don't even read the threads). Just easier to avoid the drama.
The beauty industry as a whole though is such a moneymaker, we are always going to have those selling the snake oil and majic beans! And I have bought a few myself. Crying or Very sad

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:14 am

Thank you Nonie for taking the time to research and post this thread. Smile

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:21 am

htian21 wrote:

Nonie aka AD, I have seen your posts before about the benefits of FE and have been wanting to ask you which FE program do you do? I want to start FE from now on and my major concerns are under eye bags and dropping side jaws(the area between chin and ears). Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

Hi htian21!

LOL FE is an acronym for Flex Effect. Maybe you should write f.e. in lower case to avoid any confusion so anyone reading who doesn't realize you're using the letters as shorthand for "face exercises" doesn't wonder how many Flex Effect programs there are and get all confused. Laughing

The face exercise program I do now is Carolyn's Facial Fitness but when I'm short of time on a day I planned to do it, I do Tom's program. That's been my regimen since January 2007 and I'm very happy with it. Eva Fraser's program was my introduction to face exercises when I was 20 and I did it for 15 years with good results too.

Since you're just starting face exercises, the following discussions might be useful--if you can ignore the negative vibes that AnnieR was talking about that seem to punctuate face exercise discussions:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=43926

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=42710

You already saw the warning about fake advertising on one site so just do your research and don't just rely on what others say. Contact the authors of the programs and ask questions so you can make an informed decision on what program to use.

Tom's program that I suggested is a good place to start because it's free and is short and there are friends of mine who actually find that it alone is all they ever needed. And looking at Tom, I can understand why.

All the best , htian21!
Smile

You're welcome, Firefox7275, sister sweets. Wink

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:42 pm

Everyone just seems to be so passionate about their programs, which I do get!
Its just that it seems to escalate to the point of not recognizing that an opinion is just that, and we are all entitled to one. And I for one appreciate that right!
We have lost too many good contributers here for lack of respecting those qualities (and each other). Sad

Thanks for taking the time to share the pitfalls of false advertising such as that.
Caveat emptor!

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:05 pm

AnnieR wrote:

Everyone just seems to be so passionate about their programs, which I do get!
Its just that it seems to escalate to the point of not recognizing that an opinion is just that, and we are all entitled to one. And I for one appreciate that right!
We have lost too many good contributers here for lack of respecting those qualities (and each other). Sad

Thanks for taking the time to share the pitfalls of false advertising such as that.
Caveat emptor!

I couldn't agree more!

And you're welcome, AnnieR.

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 3:46 pm

Nonie aka AD wrote:

Returning to the Facial Exercise Central website--which seems to be very much in favor of Ms Cossé so probably a site she's affiliated with--the first photos posted are also not from reflexology or any face exercises. I'm talking about these:

This is the link to Rejuve website page on Restalyne where they came from and you can see the actual image with captions on this page.

I just wanted to mention that Anne Cosse does have these pictures on her marketing website. She attributes the drastic change to "3 weeks of Facial Rejuvenation Reflexology":

http://www.faceliftaunaturel.com/

Surely there is some place to report fraudulent websites? FTC?

There are other, legitimate facial exercise programs mentioned on the Central site, such as Carole Maggio, Cynthia Rowlands, Deb Crowley, Eva Fraser, Carolyn etc. Do these companies pay for this promotion of their programs? (Perhaps Claudia would know the answer).

Is the information in this article on Lip Exercises copyright infringement? My question refers to instructions for "lip press" by Deb Crowley and "lip curl" by LouLou. Once again, perhaps Claudia would know the answer.

http://facialexercisecentral.com/face-exercise-instructions/facial-exercises-for-lips/

I am sure there are many, many more examples of "helpful" instructions on the Central website; I just happened to come across the lip exercises first. I tend to agree with you Nonie; I think the author "Debbie" is affiliated with Anne Cosse (and may in fact be the same person).

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:45 pm

Nonie, thank you for this eye-opening information. I think that forums like EDS and ordinary reviewers on other sites are excellent tools in choosing a face exercise program.
I use the 3rd edition of FlexEffect, but I omit certain exercises that don't do it for me. Strangely, these exercises that I avoid are all included in Carolyn's program and Facercise. (I own Carolyn's, Carole Maggio's and the Ageless programs.)
I also use any modifications promoted by Loli, one of the FE trainers. And I added the Brush massage that you mentioned of Carolyn's.
But it was all Chinese when I started. I think that the best program to use when starting from zero is a simple one that doesn't demand a lot of time.

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:53 pm

Lacy53 Wow, I didn't realize that image was from that site too.

Curiosity got the better of me so I decided to find out who Debbie is, and she is Deborah Green, an advocate of Face Exercises and owner ofwww.facialexercisecentral.com and from her articles, she seems legit...in that she is really a supporter of face exercises. So perhaps she's just unaware of Anne Cossé's false reporting and was just happy to find another proponent of face exercises and decided to post about them. Question

Here is an article about her which does give a link to her website:
http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/162927-1313917748-teenager-cured-bells-palsy-in-record-time-using-facial-exercise.html

She has a lot of articles on Livestrong.com under her full name, Deborah Green, so it does make you wonder why she decided to use Debbie on her website as author of the articles instead of the more familiar name--especially since the article about her above does post a link to that website. Hmm...? Neutral

I did consider that there might be another "Debbie" but Deborah Green does use that name as the"registrant" of the facialexercisecentral.com domain so I suspect it's the same person. (To see the domain name info after clicking on that link, you may have to enter the verification code on the right to proceed otherwise you can just type the website domain in the WhoIs Domain Check field at the top to see the details)

Quote:

About Flexeffect Facial Exercises

Information On Facial Exercises To Tone The Face

Are There Exercises To Make Your Face Look Fuller

Facial Exercises To Reduce Jowls

Facial Exercises For Aging Nose Cartilage

Flex Effects Facial Exercises

Should You Do to Lose Facial Fat?

Face Exercise for Wrinkles.

Eyelid Sagging Exercises

Facial Exercises for Shallow Cheeks.

Anyway, if she's in a scam with Anne, well people have been forewarned. If she's just not aware and is a victim, hopefully she has a way of tracking places where her website link is posted and will see this thread--or her affinity for face exercises will bring her to this discussion--and she will give her website a makeover by removing the misleading/false info. Or maybe some Good Samaritan will contact her and let her know. Anyone?

free skin care · Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:16 pm

Marie-Andrée wrote:

Nonie, thank you for this eye-opening information. I think that forums like EDS and ordinary reviewers on other sites are excellent tools in choosing a face exercise program.

I use the 3rd edition of FlexEffect, but I omit certain exercises that don't do it for me. Strangely, these exercises that I avoid are all included in Carolyn's program and Facercise. (I own Carolyn's, Carole Maggio's and the Ageless programs.)

I also use any modifications promoted by Loli, one of the FE trainers. And I added the Brush massage that you mentioned of Carolyn's.
But it was all Chinese when I started. I think that the best program to use when starting from zero is a simple one that doesn't demand a lot of time.

You're welcome, Marie-Andrée I agree that EDS is a good resource for info and I also agree that starting simply is best.

I don't actually find it strange that a lot of face exercises are repeated in various programs or that some that you don't like in one program seem to be OK for others when in another program and vice versa.

The reason I'm not surprised by similarity in exercises is there are only so many ways to exercise muscles. I'm sure bicep curls are found in so many programs with exercises for biceps. And that should come as no wonder because doing bicep curls is one of the simple way to contract and extend the muscles of the biceps to tone them or build them. So anyone creating a program for arms is bound to include something that resembles that movement when targeting biceps, yanno? Likewise with the face: the idea is to tone and shorten muscles that lengthen from gravity's pull along with atrophy from lack of use...and it's not like there are many ways to do this. Resistance has to be applied against the contraction of a muscle and since they muscles lie in certain ways, that limits the number of ways that can be done.

Now, what makes an exercise in one program appear not to work yet in another program it appears to work well, IMO, is the other exercises it's combined with within that program. Every program, while having similar exercises here and there, has many others not included in other programs. I believe it is the combo of the exercises that makes or breaks a program. So suppose two programs have an exercise for chin that is similar, then Program A has an exercise for jowls that is different from Program B's jowl exercise. How the overall jawline will look from doing the programs depends on whether the exercises for the jowls (and any others related to those areas) complement those for the chin or whether they work against them. So you may find that in one program leaving out an exercise is actually beneficial to you because in your case, it might've been undoing the work of another exercise. (I once shared something on this w/r/t an exercise for the lower lid that applies resistance in the wrong place and thus fails to achieve the results hoped for...so leaving that exercise out would be a wise move.) Yet in a different program that embraces an exercise not appreciated in one program and therefore omitted, because of how well the other exercise within this different program are selected, they just happen to complement that "horrible" exercise and thus give beautiful results on the whole.

And this is why I'm not a fan of mixing and matching groups of exercises from different programs...just because I believe instructors design programs with different ideas in mind... So their exercises are supposed to somehow support each other. There might be the one or two exercises that really are safe to do on their own or in combination with those from another program and which can safely be added to any program one chooses, but I find this guesswork rather scary myself and prefer to trust the instructors to guide me and let me know how to adapt their own programs to get the changes I want to see. Or even if adding something from the outside, I'd check with them first to make sure it's not going to thwart your progress. Better safe than sorry, yanno?

free skin care · Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:37 pm

I would add that although facial exercise programs each have a particular set of exercises, it not just about which muscles are exercised. But it's also about aspects of the routine such as the intensity, the number of reps, the technique, how often you train.

Moreover, if you were to give the exact same exercise program to two different people, their faces would not have the same build or symmetry. So I don't think purchasing a facial exercise program guarantees a particular type of look.

Therefore, I think in the long-term, sticking exactly with the routine developed by a particular exercise guru is not going to be the best. In the long-term, you want to tailor your routine and consider mixing up your training schedule (intensity, reps, etc.) and consider omitting exercises or mixing in exercises from other exercise programs.

free skin care · Sat Jan 07, 2012 6:25 pm

Great post!!! Reminds me of a magazine I saw a few years ago, I kid you not, the same photo was used to endorse three different products. One page advertised a dentist, then a few more pages in the same girl, same photo was endorsing hemmoroid cream. Just a reminder to be informed consumers.

free skin care · Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:30 am

Photo No. 6 (the eyes) looks like Susan Sarandon to me!!

free skin care · Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:37 am

Keliu wrote:

Photo No. 6 (the eyes) looks like Susan Sarandon to me!!

The eyes do look like Susan's but are not hers. You can see whom they belong to on Anne Cossé's website.

free skin care · Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:33 pm

Wow amazing post.

Mon Jan 16, 2012 4:56 pm

Thanks for the head's up on the shady sites Noni!

@Ava: "One page advertised a dentist, then a few more pages in the same girl, same photo was endorsing hemmoroid cream. Just a reminder to be informed consumers."

DH woke me up to ask what to buy at the drugstore for a tooth he just broke, because it was hurting and he had to wait until the next morning to see the dentist. I told him what to buy, and he came home from the pharmacy mad at me, because in my sleepiness I told him Anusol, when I actually meant Anbesol. He said the pharmacist tried real hard not to laugh, but wasn't very successful Laughing

free skin care · Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:50 am

Shreela wrote:

DH woke me up to ask what to buy at the drugstore for a tooth he just broke, because it was hurting and he had to wait until the next morning to see the dentist. I told him what to buy, and he came home from the pharmacy mad at me, because in my sleepiness I told him Anusol, when I actually meant Anbesol. He said the pharmacist tried real hard not to laugh, but wasn't very successful Laughing

LOL. Shreela, how hilarious. Thanks for the great way to start my day! Laughing

Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:17 pm

Thank you for bringing these deceptive tactics to light. (I especially like how they used the before and after pics of the transsexual! Laughing

)

In my experience, facial exercise definitely works. I like to mix it up and do exercises from several different programs because they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

free skin care · Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:01 pm

Thank you so much Nonie for doing your homework on this......can I ask how did you find the pictures were on the other websites?
Is there a way to search images somehow?

Tue May 29, 2012 3:06 pm

Hi,

Just wanted to say that I actually bought and tried Anne Cosse's facial acupressure programme, and it works! The comments below her Youtube videos convinced me to try, and it worked. There are hundreds of positive comments about the exercise, so how can it be a scam?

Anyways, I just wanted to share that the programme is not a scam. And maybe the pictures have been borrowed by the other sites, not the other way round?
You might want to try the free exercise on Youtube and judge by yourselves:

free skin care · Tue May 29, 2012 7:45 pm

Alpham wrote:

Hi,

Just wanted to say that I actually bought and tried Anne Cosse's facial acupressure programme, and it works! The comments below her Youtube videos convinced me to try, and it worked. There are hundreds of positive comments about the exercise, so how can it be a scam?

Anyways, I just wanted to share that the programme is not a scam. And maybe the pictures have been borrowed by the other sites, not the other way round?
You might want to try the free exercise on Youtube and judge by yourselves:

I take you for your word that Cosse's exercises works but those photos are not the other way around!!! This is a before and after result ( a very good one) of fillers not face exercises... And if a company is going to advertise with fake pix, they lose all credibility, at least in my eyes! 100%

free skin care · Tue May 29, 2012 7:52 pm

Thank you Noni,

Quote:

She may not be line-free but she looks good to me and very natural, I might add. I think sometimes we get so used to seeing people looking plastic and like they are stuck in a windtunnel that we forget what natural is and fail to appreciate faces that are aging beautifully/gracefully and that hint at a history of laughs, warmth/kindness, and a life well lived.

I also like Tom's site.

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2012 4:12 am

I must admit that I do find myself agreeing here. If the photos were just of Cosse's method all well and good. But they're of a cosmetic procedure, and Cosse must have been involved in the creation of the website and thats of course dishonest and misleading to say the least!

daler wrote:

Alpham wrote:

Hi,

Just wanted to say that I actually bought and tried Anne Cosse's facial acupressure programme, and it works! The comments below her Youtube videos convinced me to try, and it worked. There are hundreds of positive comments about the exercise, so how can it be a scam?

Anyways, I just wanted to share that the programme is not a scam. And maybe the pictures have been borrowed by the other sites, not the other way round?
You might want to try the free exercise on Youtube and judge by yourselves:

I take you for your word that Cosse's exercises works but those photos are not the other way around!!! This is a before and after result ( a very good one) of fillers not face exercises... And if a company is going to advertise with fake pix, they lose all credibility, at least in my eyes! 100%

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