Does Face Yoga Work?What Facial Exercise Studies Show
SkinArticleFace yoga promises fuller cheeks and a younger look without needles. In a small Northwestern University pilot, 16 women aged 40 to 65 who did 30 minutes of facial exercises daily, then every other day, for 20 weeks were judged about 3 years younger in photos. But there was no comparison group, 11 of 27 dropped out, and the program's founder was an author. A review of earlier studies found none were controlled.
Face yoga, a routine of facial muscle exercises, is sold as a needle-free way to lift and fill out the face. Here’s what the research can and can’t say.
The best-known study
Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago recruited women aged 40 to 65 with some sun damage and loss of facial fullness:1
- After two live 90-minute classes, they did 30 minutes of exercises daily for 8 weeks, then every other day until week 20.1
- 27 enrolled, and 16 finished; 11 dropped out.1
- Two doctors who didn’t know which photos were before or after rated them.1
| Measure | Start | 20 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Upper cheek fullness score | 1.1 | 1.81 |
| Lower cheek fullness score | 0.9 | 1.61 |
| Estimated age | 50.8 years | 48.1 years1 |
The limits
The authors listed them: the group was small, there were many dropouts, and there was no comparison group.1 Women who stayed may have been the most motivated. One author founded the face yoga program that was used.1
The wider evidence
A 2014 review found 9 studies of facial exercises.2 All reported good results, but none had a comparison group or random assignment, and most relied on the authors’ or patients’ own opinions.2 The reviewers concluded the evidence was too weak to say whether facial exercises work.2
Should you try it?
- It costs little beyond your time.
- Expect a big time commitment: the study used about 30 minutes a day.
- Keep up daily sunscreen alongside it; see choosing a sunscreen.
- Stop if you get jaw pain; see jaw clicking.
To judge any change fairly, photograph your face in the same light before you start and every few weeks.
Try: “I’ve started face yoga to look less tired. Is there any reason I shouldn’t, and what else has better evidence for loss of fullness in the cheeks?”
Skin, Head to Toe covers how to test anything new in Chapter 4, “Four Boxes,” which sorts a product or habit into Normal, Clue, Try or Skip. Its Skin Log has you take a same-light photo every two to four weeks, so you judge a change by pictures rather than the mirror. See the book.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It isn't a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional who knows your health history. Stop facial exercises that cause jaw or face pain, and see a clinician for jaw pain, clicking with locking, or new facial weakness, which can be an emergency. Girl Playbook does not endorse any specific product, test, or provider.
Girl Playbook sells this book. It provides education and worksheets, not individualized medical care.
Sources
The research behind this article, in the order it’s cited. How we source our articles.
- JAMA Dermatology (via PubMed Central), 2018Association of Facial Exercise With the Appearance of Aging (opens in a new tab)abcdefghi
- Aesthetic Surgery Journal (abstract via PubMed), 2014The effectiveness of facial exercises for facial rejuvenation: a systematic review (opens in a new tab)abc
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