Ageing affects all parts of our bodies and the face is no exception. We exercise our bodies to maintain them yet we seldom exercise our face…exercising our face muscles cannot prevent ageing but it can maintain the muscles which delays and lessens the aging appearance.
Every year as we age our dead skin cells don’t shed as quickly as they should and our skin turnover slows down leaving our skin dull and rough. Young skin has a 28 day turnover older skin has a 40-50 day turnover and once we are past 70 it takes a couple of months for skin to renew.
Just another unfair little effect that is called getting old or ageing!! Oh to maintain our youth where we could just party all night, not moisturise for days, not drink enough water....water what was that? Who hydrated back then? When we were thirsty another wine or cider hydrated us perfectly well!! All the damage we did back then will come back and haunt us. Back then a healthy tanned face was the go. You were considered "well fit" if you sported tanned skin and it was thought to be a picture of health if you had a tanned face. If you were the typical english rose skin (like me )and managed to look as if you had spent your life living under a dark rock you would go to all sorts of levels to produce that trendy look!! Nowadays we are much better informed and know that these healthy trends actually have contributed to our ageing lines as well as more serious issues.
As we grow older our collagen levels decrease. Collagen is a fibrous protein made up of amino acids that supports our inner layer of skin. Collagen makes up approx. 30% of the bodys natural proteins. When gaps form in our collagen as we age it produces wrinkles in our skin. Our elastin also depletes with age. Elastin is another protein and it is the elastin that keeps our skin tight and flexible. Every year as we age our dead skin cells don’t shed as quickly as they should and our skin turnover slows down leaving our skin dull and rough.
We have options of botox and /or collagen creams to aid in the anti ageing process. Botox works by freezing and paralysing facial muscles. It works by suppressing the muscles and this can result in uneven facial expressions. For instance the frozen in one pose look, or the i am smiling but i cant actually move my mouth grimace. But if you decide that injecting a bacteria into our skin to paralyse it is a good option then off you go however you should still read on because you can still do face yoga after youve had botox. Botox is a temporary measure that has to be repeated regularly so is costly and it affects our muscles in a bad way. It merely masks the problem it doesnt fix it of even help it in any way at all.
Likewise collagen enhanced creams are only temporary. They sit on the upper skin layers and as this layer sheds dead cells regularly the cream and its benefits are lost quickly.
So what else can we do to avoid looking like a wrinkled prune as we age
So if youve gone through the young carefree years where age was just a term of saying for the adults to worry about because it was never going to come to you, you were going to stay young forever! Youve staggered tiredly through the parenthood years where moisturising as a skin care routine was a distant memory lost in a constant whirl of nappies, school runs and the sports runs, and then the teenage disaster years...(you were never like that you were so sensible and always did as you were told! ) You need to be you again and you go to the gym and get your body back into shape....and suddenly you look in the mirror one morning and gone OH MY GOD who is that old person im looking at.....don't despair (or rush for a botox appointment) Face Yoga can help!!
Face yoga is a natural option. It works on building and training the muscles that support the skin and also strengthening the muscles underneath the skin which builds a strong facial foundation to fight the ageing process naturally. Its just like going to the gym to tone and strengthen body muscles
There are approx 60 muscles in your face. Face yoga works more than 56 of them (the other 4 obviously arent important) improving facial and neck tone, improves blood circulation to facial areas, strengthens elastic fibres in the face. Face yoga lifts, tones and softens. It reduces wrinkles and creases.
Face yoga stimulates energy points and enhances blood flow to the face and neck.
A lot of our face muscles are used every day for instance, talking, laughing smiling and chewing etc. But how often do we concentrate on how we use them? Face yoga teaches us the right way to use our face muscles and this will lessen and help prevent the appearance of facial lines. We use our facial muscles constantly and unconsciously throughout our day. We repeat the same movements daily and this creates lines.... laughter lines, worry lines and crows feet are good examples. If youve worried more, constantly been laughing or allowed the local crows to stamp all around your face you will have a few more of these than the next person
Face yoga also uses the correct breathing techniques that are so important. Focussing on your breathing not only relaxes and calms you it resets your body and mind. Deep breathing is very important as it promotes healthy blood circulation and this results in more oxygen and nutrients to the face. Deep breathing helps release facial tension and promotes muscle movement.
We have trained in teaching Face yoga and cant wait to teach you how to strengthen your face muscles. Its not an instant fix it takes regular practise and regular routines (just like the gym) We cant promise you will leave looking like a 20 year old (unless you came in as a 20 year old) but we can promise to help you build and strengthen you facial muscles and lessen the signs of age. We can also promise it will be fun and anyone can do it. You dont even have to rush out and buy the latest trendy workout gear you can come in anything you feel comfortable in..(except your birthday suit....or pyjamas 😃 )
Watch this space we are running Face yoga classes soon. If you dont live locally we also have an online option coming soon
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