You’ve probably seen her. Koko Hayashi—the founder of Face Yoga with Koko—has basically taken over the internet with her short, often hilarious, but surprisingly effective videos showing people how to "work out" their faces. If you’re scrolling through TikTok or YouTube and see someone sticking their tongue out at a weird angle or pulling their ears while making a "wow" face, there’s a high probability they’re following her methods. But honestly, is this just another wellness fad, or is there some actual science behind the idea that you can change your bone structure or skin elasticity just by moving your muscles?
Face yoga isn't exactly new, but Koko brought a specific Japanese-inspired perspective to the West that shifted the conversation from just "doing exercises" to something she calls "facial posture." It’s a subtle distinction. Most people think they need to spend an hour a day grimacing in the mirror. They don't. Koko’s whole vibe is that how you hold your face right now while reading this—how your tongue sits in your mouth, how you swallow, how you smile—matters way more than a five-minute workout.
The Core Philosophy of Face Yoga with Koko
Koko Hayashi didn't just wake up and decide to teach face exercises. Her journey started after a plastic surgery mishap in her 20s left her face looking asymmetrical. That’s a heavy motivator. She spent years researching how to fix her own face naturally, eventually moving from Japan to the US to spread the word. Her method, Face Yoga with Koko, is built on the idea that we have over 40 muscles in our face. Some are overworked. Others are lazy.
Think about it. If you’re constantly furrowing your brow because you’re stressed or looking at a tiny screen, those muscles get "bulky" and tight. That creates those deep vertical lines between your eyes. On the flip side, the muscles that lift your cheeks might be weak because we don't use them enough in our standard, muted social expressions.
It's All About the Tongue
One of the most viral aspects of Face Yoga with Koko is her focus on "mewing" or proper tongue posture. Most people let their tongue sit at the bottom of their mouth. Koko says that’s a mistake. Your tongue should be flattened against the roof of your mouth—not just the tip, but the whole thing. Why? Because the tongue is a powerful muscle that supports the maxilla (the upper jaw). When the tongue is up, it provides internal support that can theoretically help define the jawline and prevent the face from "collapsing" inward as we age.
It sounds simple. It’s actually hard to remember to do it 24/7.
What Most People Get Wrong About Face Yoga
There’s a huge misconception that face yoga is just about making "funny faces." In fact, if you do it wrong, you can actually cause more wrinkles. This is something Koko is very vocal about. If you’re doing an exercise to lift your cheeks but you’re wrinkling your forehead in the process, you’re just trading one problem for another.
The goal isn't tension. It's control.
Overworked vs. Underworked Muscles
Koko breaks the face down into two categories:
- The Overworked: These are the muscles we use for tension, like the forehead (frontalis) and the jaw (masseter). We want to relax these.
- The Underworked: These are the lifting muscles, primarily the zygomaticus (cheek muscles) and the ring muscle around the eyes. We want to wake these up.
If you’re grinding your teeth at night, your masseter muscle is getting huge. This can make the lower face look wider and more "square" over time. Koko’s approach involves literally massaging these muscles to "shrink" them back to a natural state, which can result in a slimmer-looking face without any fillers or Botox.
🔗 Read more: Baldwin Building Rochester Minnesota: What Most People Get Wrong
Does Science Back This Up?
The skepticism is real. Dermatologists used to laugh at the idea of face yoga. However, a 2018 study published in JAMA Dermatology gave the movement some serious legs. The study followed middle-aged women who performed 30 minutes of facial exercises daily for 20 weeks. The results? Independent raters estimated that the women looked about three years younger at the end of the study.
The mechanism is pretty straightforward: when you build muscle under the skin, it adds volume. As we age, we lose fat pads in our face (the "hollowing" effect). By increasing the size of the underlying muscle, you’re basically creating a natural "filler."
However, Koko often points out that consistency is the biggest hurdle. You can't go to the gym once and expect six-pack abs. Your face is the same.
The "Big Three" Habits Koko Swears By
If you want to dive into Face Yoga with Koko, you don't need fancy tools. You just need a mirror and some body awareness.
1. The Proper Smile
Most of us smile using our "side" muscles, pulling the corners of the mouth toward the ears. Koko teaches the "Hollywood Smile," which focuses on using the upper cheek muscles to lift the mouth. This prevents the "marionette lines" from deepening. To do it, you try to show your upper teeth only, keeping the lower lip relaxed. It feels weirdly robotic at first.
2. Sleeping Posture
This is a big one. If you sleep on your side or stomach, you’re essentially "ironing" wrinkles into your face for eight hours a night. Koko is a massive advocate for back-sleeping. It’s the cheapest beauty tip in existence, yet the hardest to master if you’re a life-long side-sleeper.
3. The "AI" Face
No, not artificial intelligence. Koko uses "AI" to mean "Always Interesting" or "Awareness Inside." Basically, you need to be aware of your face when you’re not looking in a mirror. Are you squinting at your phone? Are you clenching your jaw while driving? This constant micro-tension is what causes most of the aging we see in our 30s and 40s.
Is It Better Than Botox?
This is where the debate gets spicy. Botox works by paralyzing the muscle so it can’t move, which smooths the skin. Face yoga does the opposite—it encourages movement and muscle growth.
Koko’s argument is that Botox can lead to muscle atrophy over time. If you don't use the muscle, it thins out. If the muscle thins out, the skin has less "scaffolding" to sit on, which can eventually lead to more sagging once the Botox wears off. Face yoga is the "long game." It’s slower, it takes effort, but it builds the foundation of the face.
💡 You might also like: How to Use Kegel Balls: What Most People Get Wrong About Pelvic Floor Training
That said, face yoga isn't a miracle cure for everything. It won't erase deep sun damage or replace the need for a good SPF. It’s a tool in the toolkit.
Real-World Results and Limitations
You’ll see amazing transformations on the Face Yoga with Koko social media pages. People’s jawlines look sharper, their eyes look more "open," and their overall face shape looks more lifted.
But let’s be real. It takes a lot of discipline.
The biggest limitation isn't the method; it’s the human element. Most people quit after three days because they don't see a change. You have to treat it like a skincare routine. You don't wash your face once and expect never to have a breakout again. You have to keep doing the work.
Also, genetics play a role. Some people have hyper-mobile skin or very strong facial muscles that respond quickly. Others might take months to see a subtle lift.
How to Get Started with Face Yoga with Koko
If you’re looking to jump in, don't try to do every exercise at once. You’ll just get overwhelmed and stop.
Start with the Tongue Posture. Try to keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth for the next hour. Every time you check your phone, check your tongue.
Next, look at your Symmetery. Most of us chew on one side of our mouth more than the other. This makes the muscles on one side stronger and "bulkier," leading to an asymmetrical face. Koko recommends conscious chewing—try to use both sides equally, or even favor the "weaker" side for a while to balance things out.
The Face Yoga with Koko Daily Routine (Simplified)
- Morning: 1 minute of "Cheek Squats" to wake up the lifting muscles.
- Daytime: Maintain the "Tongue Up" position and keep the jaw relaxed.
- Evening: Massage the masseter (jaw) and forehead to release the day's tension.
Why This Matters in 2026
In an era where everyone is looking at themselves on Zoom calls or "FaceTuning" their photos, the pressure to look perfect is at an all-time high. We’re seeing "preventative Botox" in 20-year-olds. Koko’s approach offers a refreshing, pro-aging alternative. It’s about taking agency over your own face using your own hands.
📖 Related: Fruits that are good to lose weight: What you’re actually missing
It’s not about perfection. It’s about function. A functional face—one where the muscles work properly and aren't held in a state of constant stress—naturally looks better.
Actionable Steps to Improve Your Facial Posture Now
Instead of just reading about it, try these three things today to see how your face reacts:
The Face "Reset"
Inhale deeply and, as you exhale, imagine all the muscles in your face melting downward. Drop your jaw so your teeth aren't touching. Let your tongue fall. This is your baseline. Notice how much tension you were holding in your forehead or around your eyes without realizing it.
Check Your Mirror Height
Koko often points out that we spend hours looking down. This creates "tech neck" and contributes to a double chin. Raise your computer monitor or hold your phone at eye level. This forces your neck muscles to lengthen and your jaw to stay in a neutral position.
The "V" Exercise for Eye Bags
If you struggle with puffiness or "tired" eyes, try the "V" move. Place your middle fingers between your eyebrows and your index fingers on the outer corners of your eyes. Look up to the ceiling and start a strong squint. You should feel a slight tremor in the lower eyelids. Do this for 10 seconds, relax, and repeat three times. It increases circulation to the under-eye area almost instantly.
The reality is that Face Yoga with Koko is a lifestyle shift. It’s about moving away from the "frozen" look and toward a face that is mobile, strong, and relaxed. It costs zero dollars to start, and the only side effect is looking a little bit silly in the mirror for a few minutes a day. Given the cost of professional treatments, that’s a pretty fair trade-off.
Pay attention to your face while you sleep tonight. Try to stay on your back. Keep that tongue up. It sounds like such a small thing, but as Koko likes to say, your "face is a mirror of your habits." Change the habits, and the face will follow.
Focus on the jaw tension first. Most people carry an incredible amount of stress in their masseters, which pulls the rest of the face down. By simply using your knuckles to massage the area just below your cheekbones once a day, you can release the tension that leads to sagging. It's the most effective "quick fix" in the Koko arsenal.
Commit to one week of conscious tongue posture and see if you notice a difference in how your neck feels. Often, the "lift" we're looking for starts with the muscles we can't even see.