One of Dr. Chasan’s new patients recently asked about a new skin-tightening exercise that we HAVE to talk about today.
This patient had returned from a trip to Japan where “pacific exercises” are all the rage for helping tighten the skin around your mouth and eyes.
Apparently, sucking on a pacifier “strengthens” your facial muscles.
Repeated often enough, this facial exercise tightens your skin.
Buuuut this didn’t sound quite right to Dr. Chasan, so he asked me to investigate…
When I reported back to Dr. Chasan, I gave him the truth:
There’s NO science supporting the supposed benefits of “pacifier exercise.”
In fact, all that ‘puckering’ may actually make the appearance of wrinkles and lines even worse!
After this discovery, I knew we had to address the other common, seemingly valid skin-tightening tips and tricks floating around the internet.
Which is why today’s blog post covers 5 unsavory skin-tightening methods to AVOID:
There’s no shortage of YouTube videos showing you how to twist, stretch, and contort your face into all kinds of shapes with the promise of tight, firm, youthful skin.
The premise is, if you exercise certain muscles of your face, you’ll create a more defined, toned look.
Facial Yoga is meant to be safe, dun, and effective… But here’s the problem:
When you pull, stretch, or squeeze your skin, you can actually promote the formation of MORE wrinkles (which isn’t what you want).
Take ‘crows feet’ for example, which are often a sign of excess squinting, smiling, and the combination of losing your skin’s elasticity.
In short, when you put undue strain on your skin, the natural result is inevitable: More wrinkles. So stay away from facial yoga!
Facial cupping is SUPPOSED to be great for your skin’s health and appearance because it opens up your pores, bringing more blood flow to the surface, leaving you with a temporary “glow” on your skin.
But this technique can make your skin look worse in the long run!
Since cupping involves suctioning your skin upward and pulling it away from your body with force, your collagen and elastin fibers can break down.
And when collagen and elastin break down, your skin becomes a breeding ground for wrinkles, and signs of premature aging like saggy skin.
Hard pass!
Jade rollers have been around for ages, and seem to be growing in popularity.
The idea is that you use the roller (made of jade) on your face to aid lymphatic drainage, and support collagen production.
While there are a few studies showing that facial massages can help with lymphatic drainage, there’s nothing to support the benefits of using a jade roller on your skin.
As for enhancing collagen production, there are only two ways to do this:
1. Visit a cosmetic clinic that specializes in treatment with lasers, radiofrequency, ultrasound, micro needling, and fillers.
2. Eat a diet composed of healthy proteins, Vitamin C, and take a high-quality collagen supplement.
So our suggestion is to skip the jade roller, and support natural collagen production through a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet.
This one might come as a surprise…
Facial masks may temporarily give you the appearance of tighter skin, but their effects don’t last long, and your skin will soon revert to how it looked before the mask.
Plus, you have to be SUPER careful about which mask you choose, as many contain harsh ingredients and chemicals that do more harm than good.
So steer clear of masks containing:
- Parabens (Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl)
- PEG (Polyethylene Glycol)
- Phthalates
- Propylene Glycol (PG) & Butylene Glycol
These ingredients can easily penetrate your skin, weakening your collagen and elastin fibers. Avoid!
I can’t believe this is even a thing…
There’s a trend where people are slathering toothpaste on their face in an effort to reduce wrinkles and moisturize their skin.
Supposedly toothpaste can remove skin problems such as blemishes, acne, dark spots, and wrinkles…
But toothpaste is full of cleaning ingredients such as fluoride and menthol, which don’t pair well with delicate facial skin.
Dryness and redness is inevitable, but used repeatedly, you can expect skin damage as well—NOT the youthful, glowing look you’re after.
Phew! There are a lot of facial skin-tightening techniques out there claiming to restore youth to your skin, but many are NOT safe or effective.
As always, the best way to firm, tighten, and rejuvenate your skin is to nourish it from within with plenty of water, a nutritious diet, and safe, proven supplements.
