Facial Exercises for Cheeks and Mid-Face

I've been searching for simple facial exercises for the cheeks and mid-face area. Firmer, fuller cheeks can really give you a more youthful appearance. Plus, when you lift sagging cheeks the lower part of the face gets a small lift too.

I'll show you the facial cheek exercises that gave me the best results in the least amount of time.

How to get defined cheekbones

With that being said -  here is one simple facial exercise that can help firm the cheeks and even tighten the lower half of the face.

This cheek exercise is from Carolyn's Facial Fitness program. She adds an interesting twist to this and suggests doing these exercises lying down for best results. 

This allows you to take advantage of gravity for faster results.

Try this exercise for firmer cheeks

Start with a clean face. Lie flat on the floor or in bed (without a pillow).

Then...

• Curl your upper lip over your top teeth and your lower lip over your bottom teeth.

• Open your mouth as wide as you can (comfortably) making an "O" shape with your mouth.

• Place an index finger on top of each cheek to act light a weight.
  

• Contract your cheeks by "trying" to smiling wide. This will also raise them too.

• While you’re contracting/raising your cheeks, try to “push” them down with your index fingers. I use the butt of my palms because my cheek muscles are stronger now.

• You'll feel resistance here. Now hold this position for a count of 5, then release, relax and repeat.

• Do this in a pumping motion (up and down, up and down) sort of like lifting weights.

• Do 10 reps. Repeat this workout about 2-3 times per week, in conjunction with your regular face exercise workout.
  

Facial exercise resistance

To create more resistance, try raising your head a few inches off the floor at the same time you're pushing down on your cheeks. Then lower your head back to the floor when you release the push.

Results - Aside from a little soreness, most people begin to see results within a couple of weeks. Yes, a couple of weeks! Cheek muscles tend to build quickly for most people.

Warning about facial exercises for cheeks

Most experts in the facial exercise field warn about exercising only one area of the face (i.e. spot training).

It’s fine to do extra exercises for troubled spots or if you want faster results in a particular area, but don't over do them and make sure you're doing a full complete facial exercise program. 

In the past I've been tempted to spot train certain areas that bothered me. What I got was a bulky odd, overbuilt look. 

Working ALL the muscles of the face and neck on a steady schedule is best for several reasons:

1. Overworking one area you risk the chance of over-training certain muscles. This can sometimes cause an imbalanced look to the face.
2. Eventually all areas of the face will be of concern and will eventually droop. From your forehead to your neck - so take care of it now. 
   

And speaking of the neck: You should have seen what a mess my neck was before starting this facial workout! Check out my before and after neck pictures.These results came about after only a few short weeks!

It only takes 15 minutes using this Facial Fitness program to lift sagging cheeks and firm the whole face too.

Soothing cheek glow massage

After doing facial cheek exercises, consider performing this lovely massage for firmer cheek muscles and smoother skin. This massage (called the Circle-Up Rub) was developed by Carolyn.

You'll be massaging your face and cheeks using small circles as indicated in the picture above. Make sure to moisturize your face well before performing this massage.

Here's how to do this cheek glow massage:

1. Moisturize your face well
2. Wrap your upper and lower lips around your teeth and smile wide
3. Place three fingertips on the lower part of your face, press gently and make small quick circles.
4. While making small circles, slowly move your fingertips up the sides of your face, cheeks and temple.
5. Keep your face muscles contracted with the wide "O" shape for the whole time.

Facial exercises for Cheeks - Do they work

Do cheek exercises work? For some they can work too well, meaning you can build up the cheek muscles pretty easily creating an overbuilt, awkward appearance.  

That's why it's best to do your favorite facial exercise routine for a few months first. Then evaluate your face and if you need more "oomph" in the cheek area, you can add extra cheek exercises. Perform the extra cheek exercises no more than 2-3 times a week, spaced out over the course of 7 days.

That's why experts in facial exercising field highly recommended you perform a full facial workout - in conjunction with spot training with cheek exercises.  This combination ensures you get a beautiful balanced look.

What about studies on facial exercises and facial aging

A pilot study published in the JAMA Dermatology showed that after 20 weeks of steady facial exercising, there was a significant improvement in upper and lower cheek fullness. And that the study participants were highly satisfied with their results.

While researches state that since the sample group was small and there was no control group to compare the results; further research is warranted to fully asses the findings. I say, just look at your before and after pictures.  

Home › Face Muscle Toning › Face Exercises for Cheeks

References:

JAMA Dermatol. 2018 Mar; 154(3): 365–367.

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