4 Minute Wrinkle Release Facial Exercise Workbook

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Carolyn’s

Facial Fitness™

4 Minute Wrinkle Release Facial Exercise Workbook

(Facelift Through Exercise)

by

Carolyn Cleaves

(Facelift Through Exercise)

All Right Reserved.

Copyright © 2001 by Carolyn Cleaves

This Workbook may not be reproduced

by any means, without permission.

The logo and name Carolyn’s Facial Fitness™

is the registered trademark of Carolyn Cleaves

www.carolynsfacialfitness.com

Foreword by Dr. Stan Gore, M.D.

Why has your appearance changed over time?

There’s no question that the gaunt, drawn look of the aging face is partially the result of skin changes. With age, your skin loses both thickness and elasticity due to breakdown of collagen and elastin. Both internal factors (decreasing estrogen and progesterone levels in pre-menopause, smoking and ingested toxins) and external factors (ultraviolet radiation and other free-radical generators), weaken facial skin, making it susceptible to wrinkles and to the downward pull of gravity.

The cause of facial aging is not only skin-related, although cosmetic manufacturers would have you believe otherwise. Weakening of underlying tissue – the integument – is equally at fault. Muscles play a critical role in structuring your face, forming the framework or scaffolding over which the skin drapes. Because there’s no bone at all between the orbit and the jaw, only muscle, you can appreciate why a slight change in muscle bulk or tone can change the shape and height of cheeks, turning around, convex structure into a hollow concavity. Degeneration of facial muscle is primarily the result of lack of exercise (disuse atrophy) and is compounded by the decline of both estrogen and progesterone during pre-menopause.

Facial muscles, like muscles everywhere in your body, weaken in the absence of proper exercise. If you’ve ever worn a cast, you know how quickly disuse atrophy occurs and how dramatic it can be. Within a week, you can lose significant bulk and strength in the entire casted limb. In your face as well as in your body, with the absence of proper exercise, individual muscle fibres quickly become thinner, weaker and eventually disappear. You may believe you use all the muscles in your face, so how can they be weakening? Regular use doesn’t mean you’re strengthening muscles. Swinging your arms back and forth doesn’t build biceps and triceps. Only contraction against resistance builds muscles. The most effective exercises are those that work on individual muscle groups. Belly dancers are the best exponents of muscle isolation exercises and the results are obvious. In addition, body builders know they can improve results even further by feeding working muscles with specific nutrients. Just as your body requires regular resistance training to maintain strength and tone, so does your face! In short, if you want to restore and maintain a youthful appearance you need a tailored muscle-building/nutrition program for your face.

Dr. Stan Gore, M D Director, LIPIDOCTOR Medical Clinics Toronto, Canada

Why Perform these Wrinkle Release Exercises?

Carolyn’s Facial Fitness 4 Minute Wrinkle Release exercises will help to tone your face and neck and alleviate wrinkles and lines in the face in only a 4 minute workout. Everybody knows that through exercising in a gym, you can firm up the body and skin. Naturally, the same is true about the muscles in the face and neck.

Here it works even better. Most of the muscles in the face are attached from the muscle, directly into the skin or another muscle, as opposed to bone to bone, as is the case for the rest of the body. This means, of course, the firming results are therefore faster for the face.

While I’ve had great success in firming and toning my face and neck using my CFF™ complete program (read more … on page 31), I still had fine lines and wrinkles left on my face that seemed to refuse to budge. After all, I was already 52 years old when I started facial exercises and I had many lines and wrinkles on my face from having lived a very full life! So, I decided to try and do something to alleviate this condition even further. This is what I found:

A deep wrinkle is caused by skin adhering to underlying tissue. Whenever the muscle contracts, the skin is pulled down, creating a valley. Botox® paralyzes muscle. If the muscle can't contract, you don't see the valley. The problem is, as soon as Botox® wears off, the wrinkle is back! A more sensible and permanent approach for deep wrinkles is to strengthen muscle, but also to free up the skin where it is stuck down.

CFF™ offers this book, including a three-step technique for actually releasing or "detacking" the adhering skin that we call a ―wrinkle‖ and then it teaches you how to actually rub out that wrinkle. Just as you can rub out a wrinkle in a piece of shoe leather, you can also rub out a wrinkle in the face. As with a shoe, you must place a sock under the area on which you wish to work so that you create a firm surface on which to rub out that line. Please note, you will need to be sure you always contract the muscle underneath the skin area on which you work, as well.

This 4 minute workout will certainly firm your face, lift up the skin and build some muscle fiber, while also addressing those deeper wrinkles and fine lines on the face and neck. In fact, you can always perform this quick and easy workout on those days you may not be able to perform the more advanced CFF™ 15 minute workout that is part of the CFF complete program mentioned on page 31 of this book.

What about older, "set" wrinkles in the face and neck? How can this program help with getting rid of these?

Dr. Frederick Rossiter M.D., a professor of anatomy and physiology from the 1960's talks about how beneficial massage is to the forehead in particular and the entire face, over all. He's the one that emphasizes the importance of contracting a muscle underneath the skin before rubbing out a wrinkle. Essentially he says a massage without contraction is beneficial for relaxation and circulation but not to eliminate wrinkles. He is very emphatic about keeping the muscles in contraction. He began to use this method himself when he was in his sixties and he had great results. In the meanwhile, so have we, using the exercises and techniques offered in the CFF™ program!

Furthermore, Dr. Rossiter states that massaging the skin (the way we do in CFF™ ) increases and improves circulation of the blood and lymph nodes in the skin and to the structural changes in the fat deposits. When wrinkles are stubbornly set after many years, these wrinkles seem almost "rooted" in the skin and cannot be entirely erased. Such wrinkles characterize a definite microscopic change in the tissues under them. Elastic fibers are absorbed, tiny skin muscles are absorbed, fat is absorbed at that point and so the wrinkle actually is a scar in the skin. This is the reason why in some cases, massage will not remove the wrinkles completely. Using CFF™ techniques, however, you can take the wrinkle to the point where it is only a very faint line or eliminate it entirely.

Dr. Rossiter goes onto to say that anyone having a fair degree of health and some determination can improve sagging tissues of the face through exercise and massage. The old saying that a machine will rust out sooner than it can be worn out, also applies to the human body. Continued activity of physical functions keeps them in constant repair, hence promoting their longevity. The skin is no exception to the rule. The facial and neck exercises as well as the massage one does using the CFF™ program will help prevent, delay and minimize wrinkles as well as tighten, firm and lift the face and neck.

Perform these exercises every day and you’ll soon see a smoother, firmer more youthful face and neck appear before your very eyes!

How to use this program:

It is suggested you try to perform the whole routine listed below every morning and/or every evening when you wash your face and apply your daily moisturizer. Performing the exercises once a day is fine. However, twice a day may show faster results.

You can also choose those exercises that may address your particular trouble spots and you can perform them during the day, one more time if you wish.

The following exercise routine takes no longer than 4 minutes to perform. Simply stand in front of your mirror and then execute each exercise by checking your handholds against the photos in this booklet with yourself in the mirror, so that you have it right. Take your time, checking back and forth until you feel you can execute the proper handholds.

Here are the exercises and techniques you will be doing:

Exercise # 1: Circle-up Rub Technique 2

Exercise # 2: Crows Feet 4

Exercise # 3: Long Crows Feet 6

Exercise # 4: Bridge Smoother 8

Exercise # 5: Worry Line Smoother Plus 10

Exercise # 6: Forehead Smoother 12

Exercise # 7: Lip line Eradicator 14

Exercise # 8: Sad Face 16

Exercise # 9: Face Energizer 18

Exercise #10: Neck Firmer 20

Wrinkle De-tacking: 22

Exercise #11: Wrinkle Release Technique 23

Exercise #12: Rubbing Out the Wrinkles 25

Exercise #13: The “Dancing Cs” Technique 27

Exercise #14: Face Firmer 29

To Build Your Face even More Dramatically 31

Muscles of the Face 32

Contact information for CFF™ 35

Only perform this technique on a wet face and be sure to keep your facial muscles contracted the

whole time you perform the circles.

Start the workout with the Circle-up Rub Technique. You can do this when you apply your cleanser to your face, first thing in the morning.

Exercise #1

Circle-up Rub Technique

Purpose: To firm the muscles of the face and eliminate fine lines on the jowls, cheeks and to the temples

Caution: This exercise must be done when you are either washing your face or applying cream to the face. Never perform on a “dry” face Make a strong “O” shape with your mouth by wrapping your lips around your upper and lower teeth. Your mouth is open about one-inch wide. Smile with your cheeks. Using your fingertips from both hands, massage the entire lower part of your face, starting at the jowl area and going up to the temples. (photos 1, 2, 3 & 4) Press gently, yet firmly making small, rapid circles with your fingertips on your slippery skin and move up the face, across the jaw and cheeks ending at the temples. Be sure to keep your facial muscles contracted the whole time you perform the circles.

Repeat 10 times

Remember to only do this on a face that is either wet with cleanser or wet with moisturizer and be sure the muscles are contracted. You can now apply your daily moisturizer and continue with the Circle-up Rub Technique

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Circle-up Rub Technique

Photo #1 Photo #2

Make a strong “O” shape with your mouth by wrapping your lips around your upper and lower teeth. Place your three middle fingertips from each hand on the chin, below the middle of the lower lip. Fingers from both hands are opposite each other.

Photo #3 Photo #4

Contract your cheeks by smiling with the corners of your mouth. Pressing gently, yet firmly start to make small, rapid circles with your fingertips on your slippery skin and move up the face.

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Exercise #2

Crows Feet

Purpose: Alleviates crows feet radiating from the corners of the eyes out towards the temple

Place the thumb pad, pointing down, from each hand at the outer corners of the eyes. Fingers rest on top of your head. Slide your thumbs from the corners of the eyes toward the temples. At the same time, squeeze the eyes shut and hold for a count of 5. (photo 5)

Repeat 10 times.

Be sure to keep eyes squeezed shut very tight as you count.

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Crows Feet

5

Photo #5 Squeeze the eyes shut tight and Slide your thumbs towards the temples. Fingers rest gently on top of your head.

Exercise #3

Long Crows Feet

Purpose: Alleviates the long crows feet lines forming down the cheeks that appear as an extension to the smaller crows feet that occur at the sides of the eyes

Flex your upper cheek muscles so that your lower eyelids are flexed, as well. Place your thumb pads from each hand, pointing down, so they rest at the ―inner-part‖ of your upper cheek muscle about one inch from the sides of your nose nostrils and one-half inch up from the bottom of your nose nostrils. (photo #6) Fingers rest on the sides of your head. Check in the mirror that you have the correct handholds. Keeping your muscles tight, slide your thumbs out towards your temples along the contracted muscles of the cheeks, counting to 5, and stop at the temples. Be sure you are below the thin skin of the lower eyelids, sliding your thumbs along the top part of the contracted upper cheek muscle.

Repeat 5 times

Do twice a day to correct the condition.

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Long Crows Feet

Photo #6

Place your thumb pads from each hand, pointing down as seen in the photo above.

Fingers rest on the sides of your head. Keeping your muscles tight, slide your thumbs out towards your temples along the contracted muscles of the cheeks, counting to 5, and stop at the temples. Caution: Be sure you are below the thin skin of the lower eyelids, sliding your thumbs along the top part of the contracted upper cheek muscle.

Exercise #4

Bridge Smoother

Purpose: Alleviates lines and drape at the bridge of the nose

Put the tips of your middle fingers between the eyes. Slide your fingers up towards the hairline while making a frown with your nose and eyebrows. (photo #7) Count 1,2,3,4. Next, slide the fingertips back down to start while raising the brows up. Count 5,6,7,8. (photo #8)

Repeat 10 times.

Decreases the lines at the bridge of the nose.

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9

Bridge Smoother

Photo #7

Fingers slide up while you push down your

brows.

Photo #8

Fingers slide down while you push up with your

brows

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Exercise #5

Worry Line Smoother Plus

Purpose: Smoothes and flattens the vertical lines between and in front of the eyebrows as well as decreasing the small horizontal lines extending down the sides of the nose

Place the tip of each middle finger one inch below the inside corner of each eyebrow so the fingers rest along the side of the nose. Slide up, gently yet firmly with your fingers while making a frown with your eyebrows. Count 1,2,3,4. (photo #9) When you reach mid-forehead, raise your eyebrows up while you slide your fingers down back to start, counting, 5,6,7,8. (photo #10)

Repeat 10 times.

Do at least twice a day if you have strong lines in front of your eyebrows or down your nose.

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Worry Line Smoother Plus

Photo #9

Middle fingers slide up while you push down your brows into a frown.

Photo #10

Middle fingers slide down while your brows are

raised up.

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Exercise # 6

Forehead Smoother

Purpose: Alleviates Deep Eyebrow Lines and Smoothes Forehead

While making a frown with your forehead, rest the three middle fingertips from each hand on top of your eyebrows. Slide your fingertips firmly up towards the hairline. Count 1,2,3,4. (Photo #11)

Next, slide the fingertips down while lifting your eyebrows up and count 5,6,7,8. (Photo #12)

Repeat 10 times

Reduces strong lines.

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Forehead Smoother

Photo #11

Fingers slide up while you

push down

your brows.

Photo #12

Fingers slide down while you

push up your

brows.

Exercise # 7

Lip line Eradicator

Purpose: To help alleviate stubborn lines around the mouth

Resting your middle and index fingertips from both hands lightly on the outside middle of your top lip, thumbs rest together just under the point of your chin, curl your lip up over your top teeth while sliding your fingers down towards the corner of your mouth, counting to 5. (Photo #13)

Repeat 10 times

Resting your middle and index fingertips from both hands lightly on the outside middle of your bottom lip, thumbs rest together just under the point of your chin, curl your lip up over your bottom teeth while sliding your fingers towards the corner of your mouth, counting to 5. (Photo #14)

Repeat 10 times

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Lip line Eradicator

Photo #13

Slide your fingers from the center of the top of the mouth down to the corners

of the mouth.

Photo #14

Slide your fingers from the center of the bottom of the mouth to the corners

of the mouth.

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Exercise # 8

Sad Face

Purpose: Smoothes the Furrow line from Corner of Lips to Jaw line

Draw the corners of the mouth down as in a sad face while placing the pads of your thumbs at the bottom of the "frown". Make a “steeple” with your fingers. (Photo #15) Continuing to hold, slide the thumbs up toward the corners of the mouth along the "furrow". Count to 5.

Repeat 10 times

Twice a day if the "furrow" along the

frown line is especially strong.

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Sad Face

Photo #15

Make a “steeple” with your fingers as you slide your thumbs up from the bottom of the frown to the corners of your mouth.

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Exercise #9

Face Energizer

Purpose: Redefines the Sides of the Nose, Smoothes the Area Around the Lips, Lifts the Cheeks and Smoothes the Jaw Line

Open your mouth as wide as comfortable, curling your lips over both your top and bottom teeth. Contract the cheeks and hold. Wrinkle your nose, up like a rabbit. Continue to hold the flex of the cheeks. Place the middle fingertips from each hand along the jaw line below the corners of the mouth. (Photo #16) Gently, but firmly slide your fingers up across the cheeks, ending at the temples. (Photo # 17) Count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.

Repeat 5 times

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Face Energizer

Photo #16

Keep your mouth open as wide as is comfortable; curl your lips, scrunch up your nose and flex your cheeks. Fingers start at the jaw line.

Photo #17

Slide your fingers up across the cheeks, ending at the temples.

Slide 5 times.

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Exercise #10

Neck Firmer

Purpose: To tighten and firm the skin directly under the chin and on the neck

Grasp the top of the neck with your open hand. (Photo #18) While sliding down the neck with a firm grip, tilt your head back to feel a strong pull on the chin and neck muscles. At the same time, reach for the ceiling with your bottom jaw only. Hold your hand on the collarbone while counting to 10. (Photo #19)

Repeat 5 times

Twice a day to firm up a “turkey neck” and alleviate “wrinkle rings” that have developed around the neck.

Since this exercise involves a joint, if you feel

any pain STOP! Consult your physician.

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Neck Firmer

Photo #18

Grasp with an open hand just under the front of the chin. Tilt your head back and stretch with your chin towards the

ceiling.

Photo #19

Slide with your open hand down your neck to the collarbone and hold for a

count of 10.

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Wrinkle De-tacking

A deep wrinkle is caused by skin being stuck down to underlying tissue. Whenever muscles contract, the wrinkle is pulled down, creating a valley. Botox®,

for example, paralyzes muscles. If the muscles can't contract, you don't see the valley. The problem is, as soon as Botox® wears off, the wrinkle is back! A more sensible and permanent approach for deep wrinkles is to strengthen muscle, but also to free up the skin where it is stuck down. You can actually release and de-tack these wrinkles by following the three-step, techniques on the following pages.

Just as you can rub out the wrinkles in a piece of leather, you can also diminish the wrinkles on the face and neck. Just be sure that you follow the directions as stated and never over-do.

Please be aware, as you work on the lines of your face and neck, deeper wrinkles can flatten out as the muscles tone. They may look wider for awhile before they become thinner, very faint or even disappear. It’s part of the process.

There are many variations on this technique but I’ve found that these are by far the most effective use of the different methods. Caution: Remember that this technique can irritate the skin so go slowly. When first starting this regime, I always rub a nice moisturizing cream into my face and neck at the beginning and end of this workout. And, never treat the area under or above the eyes. This skin is especially sensitive.

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Exercise #11 Step #1: Wrinkle Release Technique

Purpose: To de-tack the wrinkle from adhering to underlying tissue and free it up so it may eventually be rubbed out.

Caution: Always make sure you are contracting a muscle below the surface of the skin on which you are working so that the skin does not move. The contracting muscle should keep the skin taut and immobile. Place the tips of each index finger so they are facing each other and they are resting on the face or neck in line with the same direction as the wrinkle on which you wish to work. Leaving the left tip on the upper side of the wrinkle, place the right tip below the left index tip so the tips are in opposition to each other, side by side. In other words, the left tip is opposite the first knuckle of the right index finger and the right tip is opposite the first knuckle of the left index finger – side by side. (Photo #20)

Next, Pressing firmly down with both tips, move the fingers back and forth in an alternating fashion without lifting the fingertips off the face or pulling or stretching the skin. Do ten to twenty repetitions, alternating back and forth until you see the area becoming a little pink.

Next, lift the fingers and press down, moving a fraction of an inch along the wrinkle. It’s as if you are ―walking‖ your fingers with this alternating pattern all across the wrinkle, spacing the repetitions just a fraction of an inch apart.

Remember to keep the fingers pressed down when doing each repetition. No sliding of the skin under the fingers should occur.

Perform this technique to all the wrinkles on your face and neck and then proceed to Step #2, the ―Rubbing Out the Wrinkles‖ technique.

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Photo #20

Fingertips are in opposition to each other. Press down and move the fingertips back and forth. Be careful not to over rub. Next, lift the fingertips up and move further along the same wrinkle and again, press down and move the fingertips back and forth in a rhythmic way. Remember to keep the fingers pressed down when doing each repetition. No sliding of the skin under the fingers should occur.

Wrinkle Release Technique

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Step #2: Rubbing Out the Wrinkles Technique

Purpose: To literally rub out a wrinkle to make it disappear or become very faint

Caution: It is important to always make sure that you are contracting a muscle below the surface of the skin on which you are working, so that the skin does not move. The contracting muscle should keep the skin taut and immobile.

Start by contracting the muscles between the eyebrows. Making a “V” with your index and middle fingers from one hand, place this “V” so that the wrinkle you wish to erase is between the “V”. Slightly pull the fingers apart so that the muscle stays contracted and the wrinkle is pulled apart between the two fingers. With the opposite hand, using your middle or index finger, rub the wrinkle back and forth, creating some friction. (photo #21)

DO NOT OVER-DO, especially in the beginning when the skin has not yet ―toughened up‖ from such an action. Do the entire forehead in this way or wherever you see a wrinkle you wish to eliminate. You can apply this technique to any wrinkle on your face or neck except NOT around the thin skin of the eyes. Rub in the same direction as the wrinkle is formed as opposed to perpendicular to the wrinkle.

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Photo #21

Making a “V” with the index and middle fingertips from one hand, rub out the wrinkle by rubbing over it gently, yet energetically with the middle fingertip of the other hand. Be sure the muscle underneath the wrinkle on which you’re working is contracted.

You can use this technique with any wrinkles on the face except NOT those around the thin skin of the eyes. You can use the Rubbing Out the Wrinkles Technique on the crows feet at the sides of the eyes, the nasal/labial fold lines (marionette lines from the edge of your nostrils to the corner of the mouth) and along the cheeks and the forehead, as well as the neck.

Rubbing Out the Wrinkles Technique

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Step #3: The “Dancing Cs” Technique

Purpose: To erase the lines of the forehead and smooth out the skin

Place the tips of your middle fingertips on your forehead from each hand side by side, one above the other, facing in opposite directions. (photo 22)

Slide each finger forward, making a large “C” shape in a rhythmic manner so that the fingers are sliding around each other, back and forth, up and down, while making the “C” shape. (photo #23)

The movement of the fingers is rather fast-paced. Be sure to apply gentle, yet firm pressure with the fingertips. Make the “dancing Cs” across the entire forehead, being sure to include rubbing over the lines between the brows.

You can perform this exercise throughout the day, whenever you wish.

Contracting the muscles of the forehead are not necessary for this forehead only exercise.

Caution: Just be aware not to over-do and cause an abrasion.

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Photo #22

Fingertips are facing each other and side by side, ready to move in semi-circles.

Photo #23

Slide the fingertips around each other, making semi-circles all over the forehead. The movement of the fingers is rather face-paced… like ―Dancing Cs‖!

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The “Dancing Cs” Technique

Exercise #14

Face Firmer

I first saw a form of this exercise in a book by Sanford Bennett, OLD AGE, It’s cause and Prevention, copyright 1912! Amazing. It did take me awhile to figure out how to do this and then modify and update it, but it’s an amazing exercise/massage for the face. It addresses those more difficult to access muscles in the cheeks and it’s the finishing touch that one needs to give the face an over-all even, strong, elegant build.

It’s suggested you perform this exercise at the end of each session. If you cannot do a full session every day, then try to at least perform this exercise twice a day, in any case. In fact, always try to perform this exercise/massage twice a day even on those days you don’t perform the full Wrinkle Release program. The results are wonderful!

Remember to do this in front of the mirror in the beginning so that you’re sure you have the proper handholds. Use a firm, steady pressure as you press down with the heel of your hand and make the little circles. Always end at the temple area.

You’re on your way to a younger-looking, firmer, tighter, more youthful looking face. The face and neck you had when you were young!

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Face Firmer

To firm the facial muscles and stimulate the face, neck and skin

Note: Only ―massage‖ the face when the muscle is contracted.

First, open your mouth as wide as comfortable while at the same time curling your lips up over your upper and bottom teeth. Place the heel of each hand on the area beside each side of the chin at the jaw line. Pressing gently, yet firmly, make firm, small circles with the heel of each hand and count to 10, slowly. Keep the big ―O‖ shape contraction with your mouth during the entire exercise. Do not slide over the skin.

Next, move up the face, making circles in spots about one inch apart until you reach the temples.

Lastly, starting again at the corners of the mouth, work your way up, making circles in spots about one inch apart until you reach the temples, again.

Remember to keep the circles pressed against the contracting muscle as you work, lifting the heels of each hand up and moving to the next spot and again massaging the muscle in a circular motion for a slow count to 10. Do not slide over the skin.

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To Build your Face even more Dramatically As some of you may know, I am a researcher by heart. When designing the CFF™ facial exercise program, I acquired as many books, programs and articles I could find on the subject, so I could put together a program that offered the very best facial exercise course that not only is easy to learn and easy to use, but one that would give the most best looking build to the face and neck that was possible. It’s the combination of exercises in the CFF program that gives you the look you want. That is the most powerful, elegant and even build to the face that I could design.

Before being offered to the public, all of the exercises are tested for 6 months by a team of 6 men and women so we can see exactly what each exercise does to the shape of the face and neck.

These set of exercises you are offered here, will give you a taste of what facial exercises can do. They are great for not only releasing wrinkles on the face and neck, but they will firm up the muscles and help to tighten up the skin. You will have great results when you follow these directions.

If you wish to achieve an even more dramatic ―facelift‖, build muscle fiber and address those more difficult areas like hanging jowls, dark circles, bags under the eyes and an aging neck, please go here and purchase the 28 exercise, Carolyn’s Facial Fitness™ exercise program. This program has a DVD demonstrating each exercise, 2 CDs to talk you through a workout in only 15 minutes, a Workbook with bonus exercises and more:

http://www.carolynsfacialfitness.com/Order.html

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Muscles of the Face

When performing facial exercises with the CFF™ program, you are tensing the muscles and working them "against" pressure. We call this muscle resistance training. The muscle becomes toned, which means it's either bigger because you're building muscle fiber or shorter because you're literally shortening the muscle fiber. This can be seen with rounder, higher, firmer cheeks and jowls that lift up as well.

Wherever on the face we can move the skin voluntarily, there are muscles attached to the inner part of the skin and we have, therefore, the potential to make a wrinkle - a line, a fold or a furrow. In the rest of the body the muscles are attached bone to bone and slide underneath one of the layers below the skin and above the muscles, called the fascia. Therefore, wrinkles do not usually occur in the rest of the body. When we exercise the face, the muscle fibers literally smooth out, tighten and/or build, lifting up the attached skin on the face and neck with the newly toned muscles. Remember, the muscles become more relaxed as you're performing facial exercises. The result is a tighter, firmer face that is not only smoother and firmer looking; it's less wrinkled, more youthful looking and more defined as well. Fine lines easily smooth out as the muscle fiber builds and pushes out the wrinkle so it appears flatter and smoother. Deeper wrinkles can also be released with proper technique and literally smoothed out. This is not wishful thinking. This is a fact. There are thousands of people exercising their faces and having this result.

This diagram only shows some of the main facial muscles so as not to over-whelm you when studying them. It will give you a good idea of what the muscles look like you will be exercising.

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Main Muscles of the Face of Interest

to Facial Exercisers

Facial map courtesy of Thomas V. Hagerty From ―Gray’s Anatomy‖

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You will be working groups of muscles in the face to achieve a balanced and symmetrical build. Here they are for your perusal:

The muscles that surround the eye—the circular orbicularis oculi muscles. As these muscles are worked, the small eyelid, the palpebral muscles are also worked, helping to prevent hooded eyelids while opening up the look of the eye as well.

The muscle that surrounds the mouth—the circular orbicularis oris muscle. As this muscle is worked correctly, the other smaller muscles of expression, as the zygomaticus, the buccinators and the risorius are worked at the same time. Your lips become fuller-looking, the lines around the mouth become less and the cheeks are filled out and lifted up.

The muscle of the chin—the mentalis muscle. As you work this muscle, you not only smooth out the chin and give it more definition, you also bring the muscles in front of the neck into play.

The muscles at the front of the neck—the platysma and sternomastoid muscles. Not only do you smooth the texture of the neck, when these muscles are built properly you can more easily lift the jowls and the hooded eyelids, as well.

The muscles of the forehead and head—the frontalis and occipitalis muscles. As you work these muscles the forehead lifts up, bringing the eyebrows up with it and if you can gain control of the occipitalis muscle, it’s said that you can lift the eyebrows even further.

The jaw muscles - the masseter and others. These muscles are exercised when you chew your food and are consequently lifted as well when you perform the full 28 exercises of the CFF™ program, including the Face Firmer.

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For more information and to check out anything

new, please go to:

www.carolynsfacialfitness.com

Phone/Fax: (360) 830-0959

Email: carolyn@carolynsfacialfitness.com

Only perform the exercises to the point

of comfort. Please consult your physician before

you begin this exercise program.