TikTok is often a rich source of wellness and beauty inspiration, with many users sharing their tips and tricks on how to care for your skin—the latest trend is facial yoga.
Having accumulated a huge 81.8k posts for the hashtag #faceyoga on the video streaming platform, the treatment is designed to lift facial structure, tone the skin, and reduce the signs of aging.
However, Dr. Akis Ntonos, co-founder of Aion Aesthetics and partner with Certainly Health, has warned that despite the supposed benefits of the trend, it doesn’t actually do much in the long term for your skin and can actually inadvertently worsen wrinkles.
What is face yoga?
“The latest skin care trend that is going around on social media platforms such as TikTok is known as ‘face yoga’. Essentially, the trend is engaging in a series of exercises and different massages for the face that are supposed to sculpt facial muscles and reduce wrinkles.
“Much of it involves massaging areas such as the forehead, jawline, and sides of your neck, in order to stretch skin away from the central part of the face to sculpt and tone the muscles.
Does it actually work?
“While many celebrities and people in the aesthetics world have promoted facial yoga for years—with many engaging in the popular trend—it’s one of those things that ultimately seems like a gimmick. It’s trendy for a while and then fades out and doesn’t really have much medical benefit.
“Not only that, but the term ‘yoga’ implies that the trend is supposed to be soothing and relaxing, while having a ton of wellness benefits. But stretching and pinching the skin in this way can feel uncomfortable and actually worsen skin conditions rather than improve them.
“For example, for those who suffer from acne-prone skin or redness, touching the face consistently may exacerbate the spread of acne-inducing bacteria.
“What’s more, this trend is supposed to help with wrinkles, but massaging and manipulating the skin in this way can actually have the opposite effect. Stretching the skin, especially around the eyes, which are thinner and more sensitive to sagging as we get older, will only enhance wrinkles.
How can you receive the same results without engaging in face yoga?
“Doing facial yoga every day isn’t really going to do much for the skin on its own, so for effective, longer-term solutions to treat wrinkles, you should consider Botox.
“Botox is a safe and minimally invasive, temporary treatment that can help to reduce aging and enhance a person’s natural beauty.
“Not only that, but unlike trends such as facial yoga, most procedures for Botox are pain-free and have lasting effects for three to six months, which helps boost your self-esteem and confidence.
“You can also get advice from qualified medical professionals who will be able to discuss your skin type and administer any procedures safely, so you avoid worsening preexisting skin conditions.“