Could making faces in the mirror result in a natural facelift? The fish, the balloon, and the twist are all terms making the rounds on social media recently, as people attempt to contort their faces in the quest for fewer wrinkles.
Dr Rosemary Coleman, Consultant Dermatologist at Blackrock Clinic, joined Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio 1 to share her thoughts on the matter. You can listen back above or visit RTÉ radio for more.
So, is this the answer to smoother skin or are these facial gymnastics for nothing?
"I'm sitting on the fence myself, Claire, because repetitive movements and holding certain poses are probably what cause wrinkles in the first place," Dr Coleman told the presenter. "It really does depend on your aim."
"I suspect that, yes, they might strengthen your muscles, maybe a little firmness, maybe a little fullness in the cheeks," she continues, "but there's no evidence that they reduce wrinkles."
If you want to tone up your face, these might be the answer, but Dr Coleman insists that no evidence exists to support claims that these exercises can yield the same results as injections or surgical treatments.
In fact, if you're set on reducing wrinkles, these contortions may backfire.
According to Dr Coleman, those who have suffered a stroke or long-term Bell's palsy have lost wrinkles in the side of the face that lost movement, which brings her to believe that less movement leads to fewer wrinkles, not more.
However, although this is her intuition, she is open to the possibility that it may help certain areas of the face.
"It will help strengthen the muscles, it may give you more tone, it may give you a sharper jawline or, as I said, a little fullness in the cheeks," she lists.
When it comes to younger generations delving into more drastic treatments such as lip filler and 'preventative Botox', Dr Coleman says that young people should allow their bodies to fully develop before stepping in to change things.
"People's faces really don't properly develop until around 26," she explains. "I mean the bony structure. So, I'm concerned when people are over Botoxing their face at a younger age, they're causing a lot of atrophy and wasting of the muscles that are actually used to develop our face."
Additionally, Dr Coleman says that there is a good chance that young people will develop antibodies to procedures like Botox, meaning it will likely become less effective as they age.
As for filler, she believes that people can end up "stretching and distorting" their faces.
While small amounts of lip filler may work to replace loss of volume in an older person, Dr Coleman has noticed a trend of young people getting large quantities that can lead to distended lips.
This in turn may stimulate the growth of collagen, which can lead to a distorted shape - even if the filler is removed: "They can be causing permanent damage".
To learn more about skincare, listen back to Dr Coleman on RTÉ Radio 1 above.
