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Chelsey Hamilton, a journalist at Health, admits to having always been self-conscious about her “full cheeks and dramatic expression lines.” So when she was in New York and heard that there were “face fitness” studios where she could, ostensibly tighten her wrinkles and improve her complexion, she figured it was worth a shot. There wasn’t much to be lost.
Hamilton’s session at the “face fitness” studio FaceLove Fitness began with her sitting in a beach chair, relaxing to the sound of peaceful music and aromatherapy oils held beneath her nose by one of the owners, Rachel Lang.
After this relaxation period, Lang began to massage Hamilton’s scalp, neck, face, and temples. Even as someone who generally dislikes having people touch her face, Hamilton had to admit the massage felt akin to a deep-tissue massage and was “too good to protest.”
Like with any other massage, Lang gradually increased the pressure and focused on particular parts of Hamilton’s body after a period of time. Hamilton confessed that the massage did hurt at some points, but she could feel her body gradually releasing tension.
Following the massage session, Lang taught Hamilton three different face exercises that she could practice at home:
- Place three fingers on your forehead above your eyebrows, parallel to them. Press in and down with your fingers. Then raise your eyebrows and hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Place three fingers, horizontal, across your cheekbones and press. Then smile as hard as possible while squinting your eyes for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Place your fists under your jaw and press your elbows into your chest. Have your fists create resistance as you push your jaw down toward your chest, and keep your mouth closed. Hold for five seconds and repeat 10 times.
When the workout session was complete, Lang gave Hamilton’s face a cool down massage.
Immediately after Hamilton left the studio and glanced in a mirror, she believed that she could already see the difference one session had made. “For the first time in my life, the expression lines on my forehead and cheeks were gone. My face looked bright and awake,” she recalled.
Ten days later, Hamilton can’t be certain that the same post-session glow is still lingering, but she can personally feel that her face is firmer and stronger than before, and she loves the extra boost of confidence this gives her.
Interested in attending your own face workout session? You can try one out for a price as low as $10, or up to $65, depending on the type of session you’d like.
