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Most of us make regular trips to the gym in an effort to tone up and keep fit – but it turns out we should be exercising our faces, too.
A trend that promises to sculpt, de-puff and energise your face has been sweeping London in recent years.
A series of ‘personal trainers’ use a combination of tools to massage, whip and pinch key areas into shape.
I’ve been desperate to give it a go as, despite being happy overall with my appearance, I’ve always had a bit of an issue with my jawline.
If I put on any weight it shows in my face, and nothing is worse than a candid photograph where I can suddenly see my lack of definition from another angle.
I was booked into a 45-minute ‘signature sculpt’ session at one of the capital’s FaceGym locations. And, as you can see from these pictures, the results really are quite impressive.
In under an hour one of the technicians – Shannon – worked her lymphatic drainage massage magic to transform my face into something much more chiselled and sculpted.
The results lasted several days, making it a great option for those who have a big event coming up. But the best part is you can also do some of the face workouts at home.
In under an hour one of the technicians – Shannon – worked her lymphatic drainage massage magic to transform my face into something much more chiselled and sculpted
FaceGym, which officially launched inside Selfridges in London in 2014, has pioneered the ‘facial workout’ concept.
It focuses on training the 40+ muscles in the face in the same was as a personal trainer would target the body.
A session is designed very much like a gym workout, with a warm-up, cardio and sculpting phase.
During my session Shannon began with a deep cleanse and by pushing down on my shoulders to relieve tension.
She also used a bright red ‘face ball’ to actively stretch tight facial muscles and kick-start my lymphatic drainage system.
Next up was high-energy knuckling, whipping and flipping movements across my face and neck to stimulate circulation and release tension.
A metal gua sha tool – one of their best-selling products – was swept across certain areas to promote further lymphatic drainage.
Finally, she made my face do a bizarre ‘dance’ with an electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) device. This uses low-level electrical currents – like ‘sit ups for the face’ – to actively tone and lift my facial muscles as part of a non-invasive facelift.
I’ve always wished that my jawline would be a little more defined. After the session, I noticed a distinct improvement with less fluid retention
This felt very, very bizarre and made my lips, cheek and eyes twitch uncontrollably – but it wasn’t painful.
At the end of the session, I couldn’t believe the difference between my ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures.
At 3:55pm my face looked puffy and tired, but by 4:41pm I was glowing and – most importantly – noticeably slimmed down.
As I exclaimed at how effective it had been, Shannon simply laughed – she’s used to this reaction.
‘Many clients are surprised by the immediate difference they see, particularly around the jawline, cheekbones, and under-eye area,’ a spokeswoman for FaceGym told me.
‘A significant amount of facial puffiness is caused by temporary fluid retention, so targeted massage and drainage techniques can create visibly more sculpted features after just one session.’
Fluid builds up in the face when more fluid enters the tissues than the body can remove. This creates facial puffiness or swelling.
Poor sleep, dehydration, excess salt, alcohol, hormones, allergies, and inflammation can all increase fluid retention, making the face appear puffy.
This is where the lymphatic system comes in. It is a network of vessels that removes excess fluid, waste and proteins.
Unlike the circulatory system, it has no pump and relies entirely on muscle movement and external massage to function.
The repeated muscle contractions that take place during a FaceGym session create gentle pressure changes that encourage lymph – the fluid containing waste products and excess water – to travel to lymph nodes where it is filtered before re-entering the bloodstream.
While these instant results last a few days, regular visits and at-home workouts can help provide longer-lasting benefits and results.
It’s also suitable for everyone, with clients including both men and women, young and old.
‘FaceGym attracts a broad range of clients, from people in their 20s looking to maintain skin health and enhance glow, to older clients seeking non-invasive lifting and sculpting treatments,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘The brand’s appeal spans genders and age groups, reflecting growing interest in preventative skincare, facial wellness, and alternatives to more invasive cosmetic procedures.’
