Two Facial Exercises That Can Help Preserve Your Facelift's Beneficial Effects

Getting a facelift can be an ideal way to correct sagging skin and eliminate the damage done by advancing years. If you have had a facelift, then you know preserving and enhancing the work performed by the cosmetic surgeon is a worthwhile goal. One important means of helping you maintain your younger appearance and prevent signs of aging from re-appearing is by performing facial exercises. Facial exercises are safe, simple and take only a few minutes a day; however, the benefits gained are well-worth the small personal investment in time and will help keep surgically-corrected skin in tip-top condition. Below are two exercises that target your particularly vulnerable areas, the skin that tends to droop beneath the chin, often called 'jowls', as well as the skin beneath the eyes.

General considerations before starting facial exercises

  • Perform facial exercises in front of a mirror - one advantage of facial exercises is they can be performed anywhere. However, you will gain the most benefit if you perform them in front of a well-illuminated mirror. The mirror enables you to accurately place your fingers and helps you verify that your movements are correct and complete. In addition, over time, you will notice a visible difference as you continue the exercises and the mirror will confirm your efforts are working.

  • Consult with your physician - as with any exercise regimen, consulting with a physician before beginning is always advisable. This is particularly important if you have had cosmetic surgery performed within the previous year; ask your cosmetic surgeon for feedback concerning your plans to perform facial exercises and to ensure your activity won't be counterproductive.

  • Be well-hydrated - immediately before your session, drink at least one 8-ounce glass of water to keep your tissues well-hydrated. You will find your skin more pliable and it will make your efforts more productive.

Exercise 1 - Cheek Circles

Cheek circles are an excellent means of tightening facial tissues and can help restore some of the lost structure within the central part of your face. Cheek circles are performed as follows:

  1. While standing in front of a mirror, locate the spots on your left and right cheeks just below the bony prominences. These locations will be directly beneath your pupils and roughly parallel with your nostrils.

  2. Push your index finger tips from each hand into your left and right cheeks, respectively. Use moderate force, but don't press so hard that it is painful.

  3. Move the finger tips to make circles in the cheeks. Make each circle in a motion up toward the eyes, across toward the ears, down toward the upper jaw and back around to the starting point. Make full circles at a rate of one about every two seconds.

  4. Continue making circles for three minutes while maintaining consistent pressure. When you are finished, your cheeks should tingle and feel flushed if you performed the exercise correctly.

Exercise 2 - Jowl Slaps

Jowl slaps aid in stimulating muscle development in the neck and lower jaw muscles as well as introducing blood flow into this vulnerable area of the face. Here is how to perform this exercise:

  1. Push your chin out while standing, and stiffen and flatten either your left hand or right hand. Remove any rings or jewelry on the hand you choose to use.

  2. Keeping your chin pushed outward, begin making rhythmic slaps with the back of your hand of the base of your chin and up around each side of the jaw. Slap at a rate of about three slaps per second, and keep your hand moving across the bottom of your chin and jaw.

  3. Do not strike your face hard, and keep your hand stiff and flat. Be careful not to strike yourself in the neck with your knuckles.

  4. Continue this exercise for two minutes. After finishing, your chin will feel hot and tingly; this is normal and indicates that you have stimulated the tissues beneath your chin.

Now that you know how to keep your skin firm after a facelift, you can make an appointment with a clinic like My Plastic Surgery Group to have the procedure done.


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