Different Schools of Facial Exercise: The Expert View

My Facial Yoga Parties are introductory, light and fun. But if the participants want to progress, I usually recommend specific books or DVDs to exercise a distinct part of their face.

To give you more of an insight into the best schools of Facial Yoga, I have invited my first guest blogger whose expertise I regard highly, Lynn Rae, a facial posture & jaw realignment specialist. Lynn is based in London and here are her comments on the distinct ways of approaching Facial Yoga..

Lynn says:

Marja Putkisto Training – http://www.methodputkisto.com/uk

Marja Putkisto

• I have trained with Marja Putkisto and worked alongside her for many years so I know and understand the Method Putkisto Face first hand.
• It is a whole body experience – the posture of the body and the position of the head upon the body are crucial to the work.
• It involves being aware of the face as a 3-dimensional structure and thinking from the inside- out – breathing, massage, stretching/releasing tight muscles in facial exercises, as well as a small amount of posture awareness and upper body releasing exercises.
• No mirrors are used for the exercises so changes are felt rather than seen, although a mirror is available to assess changes.
• The overall experience leaves you feeling energized, relaxed and the feeling that you have a new relationship with your face and a better understanding of its structure.
• The results are instant, you can see and feel that the face is more open and uplifted than before, with a great sense of mobility. Of course for the results to become permanent a course of classes is necessary. The programme is carried out one to one or in a group/ workshop format.

Eva Fraser Method – http://www.evafraser.com/

I have a colleague who has participated in the Eva Fraser method.

• From what I can gather, it is very precise and prescriptive with very specific exercises and repetitions. I think the main difference between the two methods is that this is carried out in front of a mirror and you watch rather than feel what is happening, the work is from the outside.
• Also the work is very much focused on the face and neck, rather than connecting it to the whole body.
• This is a beautifully organized and tried and tested programme with highly specific diagrams and an absolute knowledge of what is expected.
• The focus seems to be more on strengthening the lifting muscles of the face; although it plumps up the face, it doesn’t encourage mobility. The results happen over time as the muscles gain tone.

Yoga Face Method

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yoga-Face-Eliminate-Wrinkles-Anti-aging/dp/1583332774

• The exercises again are generally done in groups, which adds a lovely dynamic and energy. With breathing and meditation it can sometimes also be a full body experience.
• It is more about creating shapes with the face than precise exercises, which helps to release and strengthen the structure as well as encouraging mobility and fun.

In Summary:
You should choose a programme depending on what are the most important aspects to you.

• Knowledge of the face and its structure
• Release of muscular tension
• Relaxation
• Improved postural awareness
• Exercises and massage to do at home
• A feeling of the face being opened, uplifted and mobilized
• Fun approach so you will want to do it regularly

For more information about Lynn’s work and classes in London, please go to her LinkedIn profile

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lynn-rae/28/636/60b

FaceLift or 12 Years Of Anti-Ageing Facial Massage. Same Price.

In terms of facial ageing, prevention works always better than repair! A facelift in your 50′s and 60′s or 12 years of relaxing facial massage – the price is the same!

Dr Frances Prenna Jones, a London based dermatologist, states that a British woman starts to show signs of facial ageing at the age of 26. And it is not a coincidence that in continental Europe, the age of 27 is the point when women start investing into their preventative facials. In Britain this is not always the case – as with any preventative treatment, we might not see and therefore appreciate the long-term benefit. We are busy building our families and professional life, and give more attention to our bodies, yet not the face. The consequences of inadequate care come later, when we reach the menopause, for a British woman around the age of 51.

Reduced levels of estrogen lead to a sudden drop of hydration, increase in lines and wrinkles, loss of elasticity and sagging. The sun damage done in our teens and twenties comes to the forefront as an uneven pigmentation. We wake up wanting a radical, quick fix!

The costs of a face lift with a good surgeon goes to £7000 – £8000 in the UK. There is a risk associated with any surgical procedure that we might not be entirely satisfied with the final result, subject to our individual skin and bone structure, ability to heal and our psychological well-being. The same investment would get you more than 12 years of monthly facials – preventative and relaxing treatment that becomes a part of our lifestyle.

We pay great attention to our hair and have a hair appointment at least once a month. But our facial skin is a living organ, far more delicate and susceptible to damage that is difficult to repair than our hair that can always grow back.

Our facial skin requires regular attention and professional care, one-off pampering is not a solution. Contrary to common belief, it is not the skincare products – these work mainly on the skin surface – but the treatment of facial muscles that support the structure of our face, facial massage and facial yoga – that are the key in anti-ageing!

The Habit of Frowning “Computer Face”

There is a growing evidence that more women in office-based jobs are developing a “computer face” and premature signs of ageing. Working long hours in front of a computer screen results – in a decade or so – in sagging  jawline, “turkey neck” and deep-set wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. 

It is a habit. When stressed or thinking hard, people often put on a grumpy face to appear more serious. 

• Concentration leads to frowning and squinting that overtime brings on the frown lines.
• Sagging is due to shortened neck muscles and sitting in one position for too long.  This repetition leads to pre-mature signs of ageing - and in two decades of looking at the screen - these may be really significant.

To me, it is not the Botox but small changes to break the habit include:

• taking regular screen breaks
• stretching neck muscles – Dr Prager, a London cosmetic surgeon, also recommends “Kiss the ceiling” exercise we teach in facial yoga classes
• and raise your computer screen higher so that you are not looking downwards at it.

Come for facial yoga tuition or organise a facial yoga party.

Source: Eccles, L. Screens put years on you.  Daily Mail Sep 2010.

Facials With A Difference

What are your expectations of a facial? Is it that ”the glow” in your complexion will be short-lived as what you are really paying for is a quiescent body and mind? Are you reaching a point when – lovely and relaxing as a traditional facials are – you need to do more?

From a dermatology point of view, ageing should be considered in three dimensions: 

• 1. the internal skin structure,
• 2. the surface of your complexion and
• 3. the underlying muscles.

There is no quick fix that can stop ageing but a careful and diligent routine can help you look younger and slow down the rate of ageing. Go for facials with elements that were once mutually exclusive – pampering and lasting results.

What To Do: For brighter complexion

In autumn, repair of  an ageing complexion means having a seasonal facial peel. The benefits include

• brighter and even skin – and as we know pigmentation is ageing
• enhanced skincare penetration and improved performance
• fading of fine lines and acne scars.

Use products with a mix of acids (combination suitable for your skin type, not aggressive and irritating) that will make you mildly red afterwards but induce no flaking when removing the dull surface skin.

What to do: For internal skin structure (collagen production and alignment) and soft, supple muscles

Anti-ageing facial exercise. Reclaim your jawline without surgery! with facial yoga.  Anti-ageing facial massage. Just as you layer your skincare, layer up your treatments to ensure you are ageing as slowly as you can. Long and relaxing European massage that nurtures your inner wellbeing as well as lifts the jawline? A radical Chinese face-lift massage that works on relaxing or stimulating specific facial muscles and leads to a sunny, energetic and lifted face?

“With so many shades of grey between the facial and the scalpel, to age gracefully is not to do nothing but to look like youve done nothing.” Kelly Gilbert,  Beyond facials. Vogue 2010

Anger, Botox and Smile…

“Bad Botox made Sally’s eyebrows pushed so far down that she looked constantly angry. She felt it, too. She felt angry all the time and was reminded by a therapist that if we want to lift our spirits, one of the ways we can do that is to smile. The opposite is also true.“

Research shows that controlling our facial expression controls our mood.  A smile can help to defuse a potential toxic reaction but Botox might paralyse you outwardly and inwardly into hostility.

It is meditation and yoga that are helpful in combating our anger and the natural methods of facial yoga and reflexology that achieve radiant skin, reduce wrinkles and improve definition.

Source: Sally Brampton, Seeing Red: How to handle your anger. Sunday Times

Even A Small Reduction In Wrinkles Makes Us Look Younger

New ground-breaking research shows that even small changes in skin surface topography (wrinkle depth, volume, skin relief) are noticeable to our eyes and affect the perception of our facial age and attractiveness!

It is widely known that visible signs of ageing impact on how attractive we appear to others. Perception and noticeability of skin surface topography was studied by computer manipulation of six facial images of British women, aged 45–65 years. All topography cues (e.g. wrinkles, skin relief) were removed from the cheeks, the “crow’s feet” and the under the eye area, above the upper lip, and on the forehead at once and also gradually (in 20% increments). The images were judged by 300 Americans and Germans (aged 15–55 years) who were asked to determine the “younger looking” and “more attractive” image in a comparative pair.

It could be expected that images with wrinkles removed were judged as significantly younger and more attractive than the originals. As we look into people’s eyes when talking to them, it is also apparent that the forehead and the eye area are the most noticeable. In these areas, we are able to detect at least a 20% visual change in skin surface topography e.g. wrinkle reduction.

What Does It All Mean

• Frown lines, crows feet and the under eye area are the most important in how young we look.
• Even a small effect in terms of wrinkle reduction has an impact!
• Practice facial yoga to relax your face and buy skincare with good efficacy. Our ability to understand and quantify the discerning power of our eyes enables us to predict the efficacy of chosen skincare products.

 Reference: www.mdlinx.com/dermlinx/news-article.cfm/3176525

 

 

Facial Expressions Lead to Permanent Wrinkles at 40

From Temporary Lines to Permanent Wrinkles

Wrinkles develop progressively through our lives. When young, we only see temporary lines when making a facial expression. Later in life, lines and wrinkles become visible permanently. It is the mechanical stress caused by repeated facial expressions along the same skin groove that makes temporary lines become permanent wrinkles. The most significant period of change is in the 40s!  Light skin tone and low hydration make our skin more prone to wrinkling. Also a low intake of water and a belief that tanned skin is healthy looking skin will contribute.

A Tipping Point

Research presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in San Francisco shows that skin elasticity and resilience has a tipping point at about 35 years of age. Compressing the skin of a 20-year old and that of a 40-year old skin with the same amout of stress and force – a skin compression imaging device - shows a big difference in the ability of the skin to withstand pressure. In a study of 100 women aged 25 – 55, skin power gradually declined through their 20′s and early 30s but dropped precipitously at their mid thirties. This is due to collagen and elastin, skin’s two main structural components, being damaged by oxidation (UV rays, pollution and intrinsic stress).  The damage builds up till the scaffolding can no longer hold it at bay and the loss of elasticity and thickness shows as textural changes in our face e.g. wrinkles and sagging. It is a dramatic shift rather than slow degrading overtime but whether it is at the age of 35 depends on how much damage you’ve had accumulated so far.

What To Do

• Attend a Facial Yoga Party to see how your feelings show in your face and “unlearn” your bad habits e.g. frowning.
• Be gentle with your face – avoid stretching and pulling, particularly your jawline and eye area.
• Use the right skincare products. Come for a personalised skincare consultation to establish the correct routine.

Source:

http://www.pgbeautygroomingscience.com/assets/files/posters/AAAS09/Hillebrand%20P101%203MB.pdf

Maggie Bullock. A Wrinkle in Time. US Elle Oct 2009

The FaceWorkshops Interview 2 on Lara King Morning Show

For those of you who did not get a chance to listen to the interview live on the BBC Radio Humberside today, this is the BBC IPlayer link.  

 

The interview starts at 2 hours 15 minutes into the show. I am happy to answer any questions you might have. Please email info@faceworkshops.com.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0059d9v/p0059db9/Lara_Kings_Morning_Show_02_12_2009/

Happy Listening. 

20 Years of Skincare Inspiration

Watching the commemorations of the events of 20 years ago, when the Berlin Wall came down and the Velvet Revolution took place - I was a student in my first year at University studying biochemistry then – has made me think about where my love for skincare comes from. I was born in Tabor, a small town in southern Bohemia. Skin biology and plants in skincare always fascinated me and, like any girl at that age, I wanted to look beautiful. The Czechs have quite a strong tradition of herbal remedies as well as spa therapy – not many people know that the famous London facialist, Eve Lom, as well as the “10 Years Younger” Channel 4 celebrity surgeon, Jan Stanek, are also Czech.”

In my second year of University, the government opened a new route to professional qualification for people who had A-levels, so I qualified as a beauty therapist. I loved it and had about 20 clients on my books till I graduated in 1994. My MSc. is in self-tanning of the skin. During my studies, I was fortunate enough to work for Shiseido in Japan and later for La Prairie in Switzerland. I found travelling the world amazing! These cultures place a great emphasis on skincare – my stay in Japan in particular was truly inspirational. I went on to do a PhD in Transdermal Absorptions (research into plant compounds – phytoestrogens – passing through the skin with a therapeutic effect) in Finland and moved to the UK in 1998 to work in the wound-healing industry (Smith and Nephew) in roles ranging from skincare science to strategic marketing. 

People’s faces interest me – they convey so much about our feelings and life experiences! Recently, I went back to the Eastern therapies by qualifying as a facial reflexologist as I believe they offer huge benefits that can offset the ever-so-busy British lifestyle. Facial yoga and anti-ageing massage should not be a luxury but a part of our everyday life as much as a good book or a nice cup of coffee!