Facial Exercises: A Habit I've Kept for More Than 25 Years (Book Review: 5-Minute Facelift)

When I was in medical school, one of our anatomy professors was an attractive older man. Several of us noticed that his face looked much younger than we would have expected for his age. Naturally, we were curious.

One day, a friend asked him what he was doing. His answer surprised us. He told us he followed a book that recommended five minutes of facial exercises each day.

News spread fast among our little group. Another friend and I headed straight to Barnes & Noble, our usual study spot. We found the book, 5-Minute Facelift byRobert Thé, and proceeded to sit there and read it without buying it (we were poor medical students). That was over 25 years ago. No, I have not done the exercises every day for the last quarter century. However, I still do them regularly. Sometimes it's once a week. Sometimes it's more. I've found the most convenient time is while sitting at a red light. Other times I do them during the rest periods of my regular workouts.

An oldie but goodie: 5-Minute Facelift Robert Thé — 1997.

Facial Exercises Are Everywhere Now

These days, there are countless influencers on YouTube and social media teaching facial exercises, face yoga, facial stretching, and other techniques. One influencer (who is also a facial physical therapist) I recently came across focuses primarily on stretching the facial muscles rather than strengthening them. I do think stretching has value, especially for facial asymmetry, TMJ disorders, scleroderma, and certain patterns of muscle tension. However, I question whether focusing only on elongating muscles while neglecting strength training is the best approach. After all, we generally do not recommend stretching the body while completely ignoring strength.

Why Muscle Strength Matters

One reason I believe facial muscle strengthening is important is that muscles help maintain bone and teeth. This is particularly true when it comes to the jaws and the masseter muscles, which are the largest and strongest muscles of the face. These are your primary chewing muscles.

Tip: Chewing gum and eating tougher foods, particularly meats, are excellent ways to exercise the masseter muscles. I make it a habit to keep sugar-free gum in my car. Driving is when I typically chew it. I usually place two to four pieces in my mouth and make a conscious effort to chew equally on both sides. Otherwise, I tend to favor my left side, which has always been my dominant chewing side.

Concerning the teeth and jaw bones, when I was doing my ICU rotation during internal medicine residency, I was struck by how rapidly the body deteriorates when it is not being used. Muscle loss begins within days, and bone loss follows. In critically ill patients, oral health can also deteriorate significantly, sometimes resulting in loose teeth or tooth loss. Multiple factors contribute to this, including inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, dry mouth, and lack of normal chewing forces on the jaws. This experience reinforced my belief that even facial muscles serve an important purpose beyond movement. They help maintain the integrity of the structures attached to them, including the bones of the face and jaw.

Muscle and Collagen

Another benefit of muscle building is collagen production. Keeping the body fit and strong increases collagen production throughout the musculoskeletal system, including bones, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues. While much of this collagen is produced locally where it is needed, maintaining healthy muscle mass and physical activity supports overall connective tissue health, including the skin. This is one reason exercise remains one of the most powerful anti-aging interventions available.

My Concerns About Cosmetic Muscle Weakening

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of Botox and similar neurotoxin products to reduce wrinkles by temporarily weakening muscles.

Initially, treatment focused primarily on the forehead. Today, injections are commonly performed in the platysma muscle of the neck and increasingly in the masseter muscles of the jaw. For certain conditions, such as TMJ dysfunction and severe teeth grinding, this can be very helpful. However, I do question the long-term cosmetic trend of weakening muscles that play important roles in chewing, jaw stability, dental health, dental alignment, and maintenance of facial bone structure. Muscle and bone exist in a constant relationship. When muscle strength declines, bone often follows.

One Important Detail Most People Miss

Going back to that original facial exercise book I read all those years ago, there is one principle that has always stuck with me: every exercise involved supporting the skin with the hands.

The goal was not simply to contract the muscle. The skin was held in place to minimize creasing and folding while the muscle worked underneath. The idea was to strengthen the muscles while avoiding repetitive skin folds that might contribute to wrinkles.

Consider the appearance of a smoker's lips. Over time, repeated puckering creates numerous fine lines and creases around the mouth. The purpose of supporting the skin during facial exercises is to help prevent this type of repetitive folding while still allowing the underlying muscles to be trained.

Whether you choose facial exercises, face yoga, or other techniques, I think this is an important concept. If you are going to exercise the muscles of the face, supporting the skin during the movement may be just as important as the exercise itself.

The Book

5-Minute Facelift by Robert Thé is now out of print but can still be found on the used book market. Fortunately, there are other authors whose work is very similar and who teach many of the same concepts regarding facial muscle strengthening and facial exercises.

Reference:

5-Minute Facelift Robert Thé — 1997.