Exercises For Bags Under The Eyes & Jowls

Exercises for Bags Under the Eyes & Jowls

Mar 19, 2012 | By Deborah Green

As we age and our facial muscles begin to lose their tone, various parts of the face may begin to sag. Drooping jowls and eye bags can add years to a person's face, and many sufferer's will seek the help of a cosmetic surgeon in an attempt to regain a more youthful appearance. Others prefer to use less invasive methods, and facial exercises are one way to reduce eye bags and sagging jowls.

Corner Mouth Pull

The musculus risorius is the cheek muscle that stretches from the corner of the mouth sideways toward the dimpled part of a cheek. Because the jowls hang from the cheeks, it is important to exercise the cheeks if you want to reduce the appearance of jowls. In order to exercise the cheek muscle, place your index fingers where dimples commonly form, and by using the cheek muscles, stretch your mouth into a wide smile. Hold to a count of six, relax and repeat five more times.

Jaw Lift

To help eliminate jowls and improve the line of the jaw and the neck, Eva Fraser in her book “Eva Fraser’s Facial Workout" recommends doing the following exercise while sitting in front of a mirror. Jut your chin forward and tilt your head toward the ceiling. Slide your upper lip behind your lower teeth, or place your lower lip in front of your upper lip. Gradually begin to smile, keeping your mouth closed, and increase the width of your smile with five small controlled movements. Hold the pose for a count of five, and in five movements return your mouth to the starting position. Release your lip and relax. Repeat two more times.

Under-Eye Lift

To diminish bags under the eyes, open your eyes wide, and place the side of your index fingers on the outer cavity of your eyes, where the wrinkles commonly known as "crow's feet" form. Keeping your upper lids as still as possible, raise your lower lids in five small measured movements. You should feel the eye muscles twitching against your fingers. Hold for five seconds, relax, and repeat five times.