Face exercise. Overbuilt face. Sides of mouth / cheeks bulky
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skincare Tools & Do-It-Yourself Skincare

Thu Oct 08, 2015 7:42 am

Hi everyone. I hope you're all well. I've visited this forum many times and read many posts about facial exercise. They're very helpful. So thanks for everything! This is my first post. I'm desperate for some advice!

I'm a 24 year old male and I started facial exercise a few years back. I always had 'chubby' cheeks when growing up, which made me look young and when I started facial exercise, it really helped my face become more defined and lifted. It made my cheeks more hollow, which I wanted.. giving me a more 'sculpted' look. I could see my cheekbones and everything! I don't think it was the facial exercise alone that gave me more of a 'male model' look. It was getting into my early 20s and my face just thinning out and maturing naturally. I was happy with this! I thought I looked great. However, after a while my face has become bulky. Especially my mouth and cheek area. I overdid it with the exercise. I try to eat healthy and I do most of the time but when I eat unhealthy foods, I can see it in my face. My face looks more bloated. So what I used to do was exercise when my face was bloated before going out so it would look more lifted. I think this is where I overdid it.

I think that with the overbuilding of the mouth (obicularis oris) and cheek (buccinator) muscles, it's mostly the mouth muscles that are overbuilt. The sides of the mouth are something I especially notice, which make it look like it's my cheek (buccinator) muscles when it's not, it's the sides of the mouth. What I think happened is when I first started, the muscles became nice and tight and then overtime they've built up or hypertrophied! I can feel how much more heavier they feel when I tip my head upside down. They used to feel much lighter. They now feel very meaty.. pretty much full of muscle.

Many of the forum members have suggested to other people to stop the facial exercise to allow the muscles to atrophy. Which makes sense! I've done this for a long time and haven't seen any change really. I think it's more difficult with the mouth area because of how much it's used daily.. talking, eating, etc. I've tried just keeping my mouth hanging slightly open to try and relax the muscles.. but no luck still!

As I mentioned earlier about trying to eat healthy. I usually have fruit and vegetable smoothies, using more vegetables than fruits. Maybe it's the healthy smoothies are helping keep my muscles strong? I'm thinking about only eating fruit for a bit instead of having the dark leafy green vegetables too. Maybe that lack of protein will make them smaller?

I'm planning on doing some long distance jogging too. Many of you will know how long distance runners are very skinny compared to short distance fast runners. This is to do with the muscle fibres, right? Slow twitch and fast twitch fibres. The long distance runners have super skinny legs because of the slow twitch muscle fibres being used, where as the short distance sprinters have bigger, muscluar legs because of the fast twitch fibres being used. The same goes for body builders. I might be totally wrong here so please correct me if i'm wrong but facial exercise is like bodybuilding, right? Facebuilding, like many of the program creators say. This is the purpose of it.. to build the muscles slightly bigger so we look more youthful.. which I understand if you're older and your muscles have atrophied making you look gaunt. So are the fast-twitch muscle fibres used in facial exercise? Because it is very much like bodybuilding, doing a small amount of reps and really working those muscles, causing them to grow. What if instead of leaving the facial exercise to try to allow the muscles to atrophy, I instead move my face, especially the mouth and cheeks a lot throughout the day? Like long distance jogging but for my face. Would this cause the slow-twitch muscle fibres to kick in and make my muscles smaller? I could just keep smiling and making a kissing face instead of holding the mouth a certain way to allow the muscle to burn. Or am I just totally wrong with this idea?

This is a huge post and I apologize if it's too long! If anyone has any ideas about what I can do then please reply. I'd be very grateful. Also, please tell me what you think about my idea with using the slow-twitch muscle fibres to make the face muscles smaller.

Thank you!

free skin care · Thu Oct 08, 2015 1:54 pm

Okay I used to teach facial exercises and studied in great detail and continue to study it even though I am no longer teaching it so am able to share some information that will help you out.

Now you say you over did it. Well you don't detail how you did so. Was it doing hundreds of reps of exercises, or was it spot training, or was it using weights. These are all factors that will impact how you over stressed or overbuilt a muscle.

Likewise you say you have stopped doing things for a "long time". Can you be specific as to what you have done and for how long? Now you are right that we partially activate the mouth area many times throughout our daily lives but when it comes to over training (or in essence over stressing) there are many different things that can play the role so thats why its important to know what you did first.

Now you are partially right with your ideas on muscle fibres but you are also misunderstanding them also. You see long distance runners do have a higher ratio of slow twitch fibres, whereas sprinters usually have a higher ratio of fast twitch fibres. I say ratio because the body isn't just fast or slow twitch fibres but a combination of both of them. Same with the face, and thats why different muscle groups respond different times for different people depending on the ratio of fast and slow twitch fibres and where these are placed.

Facial exercises are like body building but you have to work the fibres with that knowledge in place which is why most programs have you starting out with a low set of reps and using resistance to build strength in both fast and slow twitch fibres. Its later on that people will start to become aware of areas that are less response (slow twitch) and more responsive (fast twitch) and for some people this will be in different muscle groups - which is why no one program impacts everyone identically. This is also one of the key reasons why its important to work all the muscles so you have that foundation to build upon later on.

Now the purpose isn't just about building muscles to be bigger - although thats a good way of thinking of it, but more about stimulating the body to regenerate and become stronger, tougher and more resilient.

Rather than trying to come up with complex explanations one of the keys for you would be to do some sort of massage daily to destress the tissue and allow the built up and muscle bulk to start shrinking.

There is a large more information on fast and slow twitch fibres but please do more research as at the moment your ideas are not going to give you the results you are going after because you are looking at 5% of the information out there without understanding how to apply this to the face and in essence which ratio of fast/slow twitch muscle fibres are on your own face.

Fri Oct 09, 2015 1:51 pm

Hey Sean. Thanks for the reply! I really appreciate it! I've come across your posts before and you seem like you know what you're talking about! I've also seen you mentioned muscle fibres before Wink

Sorry for not mentioning how I did it. I believe I overbuilt because of spot training. What I would do is if I didn't like the look of my face on a day or at a specific time of the day, such as the corners of my mouth not as lifted as I like, I'd overdo it on the mouth exercises. I've never used weights or used my hands as weights against my cheeks whilst smiling to work the buccinator muscle. The two exercises that I think have made me overbuild in the mouth area I think are one where you make a long 'O' shape with the mouth where you curl your lips tightly over the upper and lower teeth and then really work that obicularis oris muscle. I always like how my mouth and lips looked after doing that. It was the Carole Maggio one. It was totally my fault though. I think Carole Maggio's program great! The second exercise that I think I overdid is the one where you make a very closed-mouth smile with both sides of the mouth. The sides of the mouth come in a bit.. kind of like a small pout but really working both sides of the mouth. Really tightly pulling the sides in with the smile. I liked how this one lifted the corners of my mouth.

It must have been a year since I've exercised my face properly. But I also sing a lot throughout the week and I have found that the movement of my face when singing works the muscles too. I've seen how better my face has looked after singing. Lately i've been trying to cut back on singing and not moving my face as much when I do sing.

Thanks for the information about the muscle fibres. I thought I was misunderstanding them. I was pretty much just presuming hehe.

I've thought about massage. I've done the 'Tanaka' massage before and i really like it. But could this be too much for the muscles? Does massaging the muscles definitely relax them? It won't make them bigger will it?

I have a question. Would applying heat to my facial muscles help? Like heat from a hot wrap that you put in the microwave. I've read that heat relaxes muscles. Relaxing the muscles is good because they're not being used and I'd presume they'd atrophy over time but one thing that confuses me is applying heat to a muscle brings more blood to it.. so wouldn't it make the muscle bigger and stronger if it's got all that blood brought to it?

Anyway thanks again for your help!

free skin care · Sat Oct 10, 2015 5:30 am

Hi Dooboo

Okay thats goo to know a little more information. Now first things first, at 24 years you are still growing and developing.

Now firstly realise you are responsible for the results you have created. You have to accept responsibility first and foremost and become aware of how you created what you have, and then realise from your body's perspective what is happening. In spot training, you have created a structural imbalance on your face, that your body is working to correct. Secondly having over done it through many reps, you do need to take some action to recorrect the imbalance. I don't know why but when young people particularly start programs they throw caution to the wind with recommendations like doing a full program and always end up regretting it despite being advised to do a full program. I have seen this several times and helped people resolve this but you need to work smartly here.

Now you say you try to eat healthy. Well first and foremost you want to really get into eating good healthy foods to help your body repair and grow stronger. You see its likely when you did spot training your diet was under par and so your body used whatever resources it had available to it. You see body doesn't think in the same terms that we do, so if it has not got sufficient resources it will use whatever resources it has available whether facial fat, etc.

Trying to judge your face on a day to day basis is a recipe for disaster. Your face changes on a daily basis depending on your levels of stress, water intake, nutrition intake etc. Not to mention lifestyle.

Now with massage, again if your focus is on destressing the muscles which is what your target should be, then you won't have to worry about the muscles.

Now again re applying heat - you are going to make things worse here by doing so. You are adding 2 and 2 and coming up with 100. Heat on its own wouldn't be recommended. When heat/cold compresses are used it is alternated. Please do research here first and foremost but try avoiding doing too much too soon as you will make matters worse.

Another thing I really want to recommend to you is to talk to a professional about what is happening with your face, and why you are obsessed with it. You see there is often a reason behind why people become obsessed over these things, and that underlying reason really will need to be dealt with at some point. Until you do everything you do is simply putting a plaster over the issue, rather than dealing with the underlying one.

Lastly work with your body, rather than against it. Everything you say you have done so far is working against your body not with your body. I'm sure you must be stressing over things so would recommend trying something like basic meditation to help you and your body destress. Secondly take a look at the thoughts/feelings you are projecting at your body. These are like commands you give your cells on a minute by minute basis.

Sat Oct 10, 2015 7:17 am

Love your advice Sean! Thanks! You seem to know what you're talking about Smile

You say I've created a structural imbalance on my face and that my body is working to correct it. But is my body working to correct it? It's just that the muscle is bigger like having bigger arm or leg muscles. I hope my body is working to correct it! I've being trying to think positive and 'talk' to my body in a way to help it. I actually did start out doing the full program sometimes every day and sometimes every other day and then I overdid the mouth exercises whenever I didn't like the look of my mouth and cheeks. You say that you've helped people resolve this. Have you helped people in a similar situation as myself? The overbuild of the mouth area that makes the face look too bulky? 'Monkey Mouth'? Has it been reversed?

I'm going to try and start eating 100% healthy now and not eat things that usually have a bad effect on my face. You're totally correct when you say about judging your face on a day to day basis is a recipe for disaster. I notice how different my face looks when I eat one bad meal! Even after a couple of slices of bread sometimes.

Okay thank you for the information about applying heat to the muscles. I've looked into 'Hydrotherapy' before where you apply hot water to your body for a few minutes and then change to cold water for a few minutes. It's supposed to be great for the body! I just thought that adding heat alone to the muscles would relax them and not make them contract, which the cold water does (i think). I thought that I should mention that I have cold showers every morning. I never let hot water go on my face, because of it drying out the skin. Maybe the cold water keeps the face muscles strong, prolonging the atrophy of the muscles?

Thanks for the recommendation about talking to a professional! You might not believe me but I really don't think i'm one of those people who's obsessed and has a problem. Even though my posts might show that I am.. I'm not! I'm just really into different methods of keeping healthy and have researched many things! It's something that's fun for me. I'm just a guy that started facial exercise early because i've read that people wish they started in their 20's and I overdid it once I started seeing great results! Totally my fault! I just know that if this obicularis oris muscle was smaller, allowing my cheeks to become more hollow.. I'd be happy. I seriously hope that it will atrophy Sad

Yeah I try not to be negative. Even when I look into the mirror I try think positive but it's hard at times!

Thanks a lot Sean.

free skin care · Sat Oct 10, 2015 5:57 pm

The body strives for structual balance all the time, but depending on how a person lives their nutritional intake, their physical postures etc the body can be overchallenged.

In your case, you overdid it with a host of specific exercises that created a definite imbalance that your face will work on correcting. However you have to look at the whole story here. You are right that your singing and moving those muscles is going to stop the necessary down time your face needs. So thats why its important to factor into things like massage to destress the muscles and perhaps things like meditation. Not all massages are designed to destress muscles. Tanaka will not destress muscles and is not one that I would recommend. Instead I would suggest opting for things like light, featherweight massage that will improve circulation and skin without building muscle or causing tension.

You say you have been "trying". Well I'm kind of reminded of star wars Yoda. Don't try either do or do not. Whenever anyone says they are trying they often mean they are not putting 100% commitment into things, and are doing things with a view to failing. Really pay attention to when people use those words and you will see what I mean. It is not about using positive words to mask an issue, but more about using positive words about something you feel good about in your face to encourage your body and face to make changes more to your liking.

You say you started out doing the full program and then sometimes every other day. That also is a factor - inconsistency. When you are inconsistent it produces ad hoc results. Same is true for your body. If you are training in long distance running and ad hoc with your training regime then you can't expect successful results.

With what you are labelling as "monkey" mouth -it may not be a good label to use as it is a misunderstood term thats been greatly misused. With the common reference it usually refers to when people have overbuilt the orbicularis muscle, but also they have eaten into the facial fat surrounding that muscle (usually by neglecting their diets) so the muscle becomes more visible because there is less cushioning hiding that muscle as previously. This may or may not be the case for you. I suspect its not namely because (a) you are only 24; (b) you did non-resistance based exercises. Its more likely you have worked a sleeping muscle and have been activating it several times a day so its become more expressionate and that your diet has been under par for your body in its developmental stages. Thats very different from monkey mouth that you will read about on this forum and others.

I have seen many cases of monkey mouth reverse itself but it starts out by firstly identifying what caused it. In your case we suspect its spot training and overdoing exercises. Secondly you take steps to remedy what caused it. In your case eating healthy is a must and needs at least 3 months of regular and consistent action to deliver results. Week on week off is not going to help you here. You need to be dedicated and consistent to get results. Half hearted attempts will get half results.

With 'Hydrotherapy' I've suggested you avoid this and my fear is that already you are focusing on this and missing the information. It is not for overbuilt muscles. You need a much better understanding of how it works before you attempt to apply such a powerful technique to your facial structure. Its not about muscles hydrotherapy - but more about stimulating the blood vessels. Your understanding of them is extremely limited and you have misunderstood a lot about the technique. I don't recommend you doing this technique as yet - but if you feel strongly to include it please research it more because you are looking at 5% of the information out there and missing a huge 95% of the technique. The fact you have cold showers every morning is great but its not Hydrotherapy and the fact you think it is - shows me how much you have missed the information on the technique out and you will do more harm than good.

Now re talking to a professional, put it this way. You say you don't think you are one of those people obsessed. Well the sad news is you don't need to be. Nowadays with the media there is a lot projected at young men and women that can attack their self esteem. If things really were that perfect for you - you would never have gotten to the place you have and so that recommendation is made for your ultimate good. Talking through your issues, thoughts and feelings can be such a stress relief, even if its only having a person hear you express your thoughts, and its a great stress relief too.

Your research is from what I've seen really just touching the top of the iceberg and i suspect that a large part of the problem is you have taken information you have read at face value without properly understanding the science behind it and thats my concern for you. I really don't want you to experience more issues simply because you have misunderstood basic concepts like muscle fibres.

When you look at the words in some of your messages "Yeah I try not to be negative" these are signposts indicating that your thinking and wording to your own body isn't helping you get to where you want to go. It doesn't happen overnight, and usually its a habit we have all gotten into that takes time to unlearn. So thats my hope for you - that you start out now with small steps. It isn't hard at all - but if you tell yourself it is - then it will be. What if its really easy and makes you feel good and better about things - wouldn't you try it then.

Our words literally are commands we give to our bodies that follow us. My whole premise is about working with the body. You have been working against your body, and of course that is in itself stressful. You only get one body in this lifetime so far so you want to work with it not against it. Again this is why it can be helpful to talk to a professional on this just so you can clear whatever thoughts, feelings, emotions or fears are holding you back and get advice on how to deal with them too or even confirmation that someone else can or can't see it. Often times we are so critical of ourselves and wouldn't dream of saying the things we say to ourselves to another person. If we did, they probably wouldn't wait around and would leave yet our beloved bodies don't have that choice. Likewise if you tell your body you are old, ugly, etc your body doesn't have the ability to say "no I'm not". It takes that on board and delivers those results. I became very aware when I worked in an old folks home that people often made statements like "I'm not young anymore", or "I'm not as fast as I used to be" etc that they were literally commanding their bodies to behave a certain way. so choose your words carefully!

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.