Both experts agree on the key limitations:\u00a0Facial exercises cannot change bone structure, significantly reduce fat, or shrink enlarged muscles in a lasting way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese techniques cannot alter your natural bone structure, such as a square jawline or flat cheekbones,\u201d said Ho. \u201cIf someone has a naturally broader facial skeleton or fuller fat compartments, these approaches are unlikely to make a significant long-term difference,\u201d Dr Yong added.<\/p>\n
There are also risks if done incorrectly. \u201cRepetitive facial movements may accentuate expression lines over time,\u201d Dr Yong noted, particularly if exercises are performed too aggressively or without proper technique. Ho echoes this: \u201cFacial muscles are often difficult to isolate. It\u2019s vital to understand the ‘why’ behind a movement rather than blindly following a video.\u201d<\/p>\n
SO ARE THEY STILL WORTH IT?<\/p>\n
That depends on what you\u2019re hoping to achieve.<\/p>\n
For quick, visible changes, gua sha can offer a temporary boost by reducing puffiness and enhancing definition. Face yoga, on the other hand, works more gradually, with consistent practice helping to improve muscle tone and facial habits over time.<\/p>\n
But for significant contouring \u2013 especially when driven by bone structure or fat \u2013 medical treatments remain more effective. \u201cManual techniques can play a supportive role,\u201d said Dr Yong, \u201cbut medical treatments are generally more effective when the goal is true facial contouring.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, facial exercises can change how your face looks \u2013 just not necessarily in the way most people expect. Rather than shrinking the face, they tend to refine it:\u00a0Easing tension, reducing puffiness, and gradually improving muscle tone. The \u201cslimmer face\u201d effect is less about losing volume, and more about removing what doesn\u2019t need to be there.<\/p>\n
As with any form of self-care, results come down to consistency \u2013 and realistic expectations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Both experts agree on the key limitations:\u00a0Facial exercises cannot change bone structure, significantly reduce fat, or shrink enlarged…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":402604,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[1244,565,134,111,139,69,14298],"class_list":{"0":"post-402603","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-beauty","9":"tag-fitness","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz","14":"tag-yoga"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=402603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/402604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=402603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=402603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=402603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}