I’ll be honest. The first time I saw someone pulling their ears and fish-pouting at a mirror to "fix" their jawline, I laughed. It looks ridiculous. But then you see those face yoga before and after photos circulating on Instagram and TikTok—the ones where people seemingly swap a double chin for a razor-sharp profile—and you start wondering if you’re the one missing out.
Is it magic? No. Is it a scam? Also no, but the truth is way more nuanced than a thirty-second reel suggests.
We’re talking about 43 distinct muscles in your face and neck. Just like your glutes or your biceps, these muscles can be toned, stretched, and strained. Most people forget that the skin is literally attached to these muscles. When the muscle underneath sags or loses volume, the skin hitches a ride downward. That's gravity. It’s relentless.
The Science Behind the Results
Let’s look at the actual data because anecdotal "glow-ups" aren't enough to bank on. Back in 2018, researchers at Northwestern University decided to put this to the test. They took a group of middle-aged women (ages 40 to 65) and put them through a rigorous 20-week program of facial exercises.
They weren't just doing random movements. They worked with Gary Sikorski of Happy Face Yoga. For the first eight weeks, these women did the exercises for 30 minutes every single day.
Every. Single. Day.
That is a massive time commitment. After that, they dropped to every other day. By the end of the 20 weeks, independent dermatologists—who didn't know which photos were "before" and which were "after"—rated the participants as looking nearly three years younger. Specifically, the upper and lower cheeks showed significant fullness.
When your cheek muscles (the zygomaticus major and minor) get bigger through hypertrophy, they act like a natural filler. They lift the mid-face. They smooth out the nasolabial folds. It's basically structural volume.
What You See in Those Photos
When you scroll through face yoga before and after galleries, you’re usually seeing three specific changes.
First, there’s the lymphatic drainage effect. This happens almost instantly. If you wake up puffy because you had sushi and a glass of wine last night, certain facial strokes move that stagnant fluid toward your lymph nodes. Suddenly, your cheekbones reappear. This isn't "muscle growth," but it makes for a killer "after" photo.
Second, there’s postural correction. Most of us have "tech neck." We stare at phones, our platysma muscles (the thin sheets in the neck) get weak and tight, and our jawline disappears into our chest. Face yoga teaches you to sit up and engage the neck.
Third—and this is the long game—is muscle hypertrophy. This takes months. You are literally building the muscle mass under the skin to take up the slack of sagging tissue.
The Dark Side: Can You Actually Give Yourself Wrinkles?
This is where the experts disagree, and you need to be careful. Dr. Murad Alam, the lead author of that Northwestern study, noted the positive results, but other dermatologists are skeptical.
Think about it. Wrinkles are often caused by repetitive motion. Crow’s feet come from squinting. Forehead lines come from raising your eyebrows. If your "yoga" involves aggressively scrunching your face, you might be trading a lifted jaw for deeper forehead furrows.
The key is isolation.
If you’re doing an exercise to lift your cheeks, your forehead should be completely still. If you can’t move one part of your face without the other parts wrinkling up like a raisin, you’re doing it wrong. You’re actually accelerating the aging process in those secondary areas. Professional instructors usually tell you to use your hands as "weights" or anchors to keep the skin flat while the muscle underneath contracts.
Why Most People Fail
Consistency is the killer.
Most people try it for four days, don't see a new jawline, and quit. Or they do it while driving, which means they aren't focusing on form.
You have to be realistic. Face yoga is not going to erase thirty years of sun damage. It won't fix hyperpigmentation. It won't replace a surgical facelift if you have significant skin laxity. But if you’re looking for a natural way to maintain "bounce" and contour? It's a solid tool in the kit.
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Real Results: A Breakdown of Areas
People usually target three main spots. Each has its own timeline for success.
The Jawline and "Double Chin": This is often the fastest area to show change. By strengthening the suprahyoid muscles under the chin and the platysma, you can tighten the "hammock" that holds your neck shape. Most people see a difference here in 4-6 weeks.
The Cheeks: This takes longer. You're trying to build muscle volume. Think 3 to 4 months of consistent resistance work.
The Eye Area: This is the riskiest. The skin is paper-thin. Most "before and after" eye results are actually just reduced puffiness from better circulation rather than actual structural lifting.
Putting it Into Practice
If you're going to dive into the world of face yoga before and after transformations, don't just wing it.
Start with the "The Cheek Lifter." Open your mouth and form an "O." Fold your upper lip over your teeth. Smile to lift cheek muscles up. Put your fingers lightly on the top part of the cheek to feel the muscle working. Lower the cheeks and repeat.
Then try "The Giraffe." Look up, stretching the neck. While your head is tilted back, try to push your tongue against the roof of your mouth or poke it out toward the ceiling. You’ll feel the front of your neck straining. This targets the area people hate most—the saggy "turkey neck."
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Essential Next Steps for Success
- Take a baseline photo today. Use flat, natural lighting. Take a front view and a 45-degree profile view. Do not smile. Do not wear makeup. You won't notice the gradual changes in the mirror, so you need the digital proof.
- Commit to a "Starter" window. Give yourself 30 days of 10-minute sessions before you decide if it's working. Anything less is just wasting your time.
- Cleanse first. Never do face yoga with a full face of heavy foundation. You’re increasing blood flow and opening pores; you don't want to shove makeup deep into the skin. Use a light face oil (squalane or rosehip) so your fingers glide instead of pulling and dragging the skin.
- Watch the forehead. Keep a mirror in front of you. If you see your forehead wrinkling during any exercise, stop. Re-adjust. Use your palm to hold the forehead smooth while you perform the lower-face movements.
- Manage expectations. Understand that your results will be subtle. You’re aiming for "well-rested and toned," not "I just had a surgical brow lift."
The real secret to those face yoga before and after successes isn't a specific "magic" move. It’s the boring stuff. It's the discipline to sit in front of a mirror for ten minutes every night when you'd rather be scrolling on your phone. If you can handle the repetition, the structural benefits are there for the taking.