Exercises To Tighten & Lift The Face

In addition to succumbing to the effects of time and gravity, your face begins to lose firmness as you get older because your skin produces less collagen and elastin. A regular routine of facial exercises, yoga poses and massage designed to strengthen the muscles in the face and increase blood circulation can help you tighten and lift your face, says Brooklyn-based yoga instructor Annelise Hagen, author of "The Yoga Face." In addition to toning the face, these routines also help you relieve stress, which helps prevent facial lines from forming.

Lion Face

In "The Yoga Face," Hagen introduces a series of movements designed to target specific muscles in your face. The lion face stretches all your facial muscles and helps you release emotional tension. Start the pose by inhaling through your nose. Then, make your hands into fists and squeeze all your facial muscles. At the same time, exhale through your mouth, stick out your tongue, roll your eyes up and open your hands. Repeat the exercise three times. Hagen says this exercise also increases blood circulation to your face.

Cat Cow Pose

Featured in traditional yoga, the cat cow pose tones the facial muscles and throat while firming the jaw, cheeks and neck, Hagen says. The pose also stretches the ring muscles around the eye and tightens and firms the skin around the eyes. To perform this exercise, get on your hands and knees. Make sure your wrists are under your shoulders and that your upper arm bones are slightly rotated. While inhaling, arch your back and look to the ceiling, stretching your jaw, eyes, throat and face as you stretch your spine. As you exhale, round your back and keep your arms straight. Repeat the exercise three or four times.

Acupressure

To stimulate collagen production and relieve stress that might contribute to wrinkles, Hagen recommends massaging specific points on your face. Starting from its center, rub your forehead with your knuckles and radiate out to the temples. In addition to helping reduce wrinkles, the massage relieves stress and headaches. To oxygenate the skin, Hagen suggests pressing your index finger into the apple of your cheeks. Hagen also says that rubbing the points on either side of your nose will release fluid that can create bags under the eyes.