How do facial workouts hold up to a dermatologist's scrutiny? Unfortunately, not as well as you might have hoped. "While these exercises might increase blood flow, which is beneficial for fighting wrinkles, the repetitive movement of facial muscles actually makes wrinkles more defined — especially on the forehead, crow's feet and eleven lines," says dermatologist and founder of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, Dr. Dennis Gross. "I have also not seen any hard evidence that these exercises actually stimulate collagen production enough to make a noticeable difference."
Gross, whose clients include Olivia Palermo, Rosie Whitely-Huntington, Jordan Dunn, Lindsey Ellington, Zoe Kravitz and Selena Gomez, says that if you really want to ramp up your skin's natural production of collagen, use clinical skin care with ingredients like alpha beta hydroxy acids, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and ferulic plus retinol acid. "There are even at-home devices, like my SpectraLite Eye Care Pro, which uses red LED lights to stimulate your body's natural production of collagen and decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. If you want to take it a step further, in-office procedures like filler, Botox and laser treatments are available to achieve results faster."
While Gross doesn't consider facial workouts an equal alternative to any dermalogical procedure — he says they're simply not as efficacious when it comes to delivering ingredients directly into the skin to truly increase collagen fibers, which is the legitimate scientifically proven way to firm, lift and thicken skin — it's worth highlighting a 2018 study from Northwestern University that found that 30 minutes of daily facial exercises can improve the appearance of middle-aged women.
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