As you all all know, I’ve been on a campaign to improve my sundamaged skin for some months now. DIY skincare has made an enormous difference to the state of my skin, there’s no denying that (see before and after pics from October, as well as my current regime here). If I had all the money in the world I would still make my own skincare because I know it’s so much better than anything I can buy off the shelf.
However, it’s the underlying slackening of muscle that I also want to target now. I’ve had hooded lids for about ten years now, partially through genetics, but also because of sundamage. You can see in the pictures below that the left eye on my ‘driving’ side is much more damaged than the other.
So I thought I’d try facial exercises. If I’m being honest, it took me a while to be convinced to try them – if anything looks like quackery in the skincare world, this is it. However, they actually work. I’m stunned. And very, very happy.
Below is a picture I took about three weeks ago before I started facial exercises. You can see that my skin is in pretty good condition, but my lids are clearly hooded. Note that the left eye is more damaged due to prolonged sun exposure whilst driving:
And I took the photo below this morning. Whilst you can see that there are still some issues of hooding (particularly on the left) doing these facial exercises has really lessened the hooding on both eyes.
The problem of hooding and sundamage is even more pronounced when I smile.
The photo below was taken about six months ago, but it’s the only photo I could find where I was smiling at the camera, and there’s a very good reason for that. As a result of all the sundamage I’ve collected on the ‘driving side’ of my face, when I smile, my left eye scrunches up much more than the other. In fact, the whole left side of my face srunches up more than the right when I smile, but I’ll spare you the photographic evidence of that.
Below is a photo I took this morning where I tried to replicate the pose and smile at the camera. You can see that even though I’m smiling in both photos, my left eye is much less ‘scrunched’ in the photo below because of the underlying muscle strength I’ve gained through facial exercises.
The photo below was taken about two months ago I think. Here is another closeup of my most damaged side, and the left eye with the most hooding…
…and here is a (rather blurry) picture I took this morning. You can see that the lid has been drawn upwards, even though there’s still some work to be done.
So what exercise did I do? This one from Cynthia Rowland’s Beauty Systems. It looks like the most outdated stuff in the world, but as you can see from the photographs above, this exericise actually works. I’ve been doing it morning and evening as part of my cleansing routine, but you could probably do it once a day and still see results.
I’ve also been doing this exercise to firm cheeks and my nasolabial fold, and I’ve noticed a huge difference there too! Tanaka massage has helped to smooth and lift my lower face, but I think strengthening the area has also helped with wrinkling when I smile, and has helped to banish those dreaded nasolabial folds. The only reason you’re not seeing before and after photos here is because I haven’t got time to arrange them all, but I might do a separate post on my battle with nasiolabial folds in a few weeks. Suffice it to say, the exercises in the video linked above look ridiculous, but they really work.
I’ve only started with a few facial exericses three weeks ago, but I’m keen to try more. I’ll keep you posted on how I get on.
My eyes are the same but my right eye is droopier than my left, I’m going to do these exercises and see how I go, thanks for posting about this Sarah
@Jade Great! Let me know how you get on
I have genetically hooded lids, but I’m going to give this a try!
@SilhouetteScreams Oh great! Yes, I look and my mother and grandmother, and I can see that it’s a genetic trait for me too. Years without sunscreen didn’t help though
I hope you get on well!
OMG. The difference is insane!
Definitely need to incorporate this into my routine.
@Angela I know! Crazy! I’m hoping that I can improve my eyelids even more. I’ll look 23 in no time
I can add/subtract years from my pics in the *same session* by changing positions/expressions alone! So your B/A pics are the most believable I’ve seen in a very long time, even how open your eyes are match up pretty closely. I’m going to try this exercise to see if I can get my left eye to not droop as much, which makes me look like a drunk when I’m sleepy LOL
That 2nd movie was fun (and funny too). The “Prom Queen” exercise reminded me of a modeling class where the instructor had us doing a similar smile, except that we couldn’t allow our eyes to wrinkle even the teensiest bit, requiring us to use more of our lower lip. Then we had to practice making the freaky smile look more believable – she encouraged us to emulate Goldie Hawn & Marie Osmand’s smiles. I don’t know if it was that class, or just lucky genetics+oily skin, but I barely have eye wrinkles 30 years later. She also had us tell stories with furrowed brows so we’d learn what it felt like when we engaged the 11′s, so we’d avoid engaging them in the future. I should have practiced that lesson more LOL
OMG so impressive!!!!
@Musing I know! Who would have thought it would work?? :O
@Shreela I know exactly what you mean! When you have hooded lids to get used to adjusting them for photographs
That Prom Queen exercise is hilarious! Needless to say, I don’t do those exercises in front of my significant other – some things are best left unseen 
The class you talk about sounds like a variation on facial exericses! Gosh, perhaps there are more people doing them than we know!
I have to give this a go, I have the same issue with my right eye being more droopy. I find it really hard to do things like eyeliner evenly on both eyes because of it.
@Megan Wow, really? Yes, I find it hard getting eyeliner even too!
It’s just awesome, I’m tempted to try these exercises now!
@Ana That’s great! Good luck!
My god, I’m impressed. Off to have a look and do these now. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
@Clare Thankyou! Me too! The exercises are not too much of an imposition on your normal routine either!
Bloody brilliant! I watched the video – not sure I need the gloves but I’ll give it a try!
@MsSparkleArkle No, I don’t use the gloves either, but some might find it useful I suppose? I still can’t believe it works!
wow! That amazing! inspired by you I tried the exercise for eye.But one thing concerned me:after finishing the exercise I saw quite deep lines above the brows which didnt go away until 3 hours later. did you experience the same thing…?
@Alania I did actually experience a few lines for the first few days, but they went away as the muscles underneath grew stronger. Keep going and see how you go!
thank you! I noticed as well that I have now some wrinkling ,or better say more hoods on my eyes now…weird..hope it will go away
If I had not seen the pictures Sarah I would not have believed it either. Whatever you are doing is working – which you can also see yourself. Amasing and as always thank you for sharing with us x
@Chloeblue2005 Thankyou – I’m so glad!
i’ll have to give those exercise a try!
@Coco That’s great! I’m still loving them!