BLOG 105: 3 WAYS TO GET RID OF FOREHEAD WRINKLES WITH FACIAL MASSAGE
Nov 05, 2021
As you may well know by now if you regularly read this blog, I am a big believer in quick and effective wellness habits that we can easily add to our daily routines.
Today’s post falls into that category. The forehead is an area where many of us see lines and wrinkles developing as we age. We tend to use this area a lot when we express, which eventually causes lines to etch into our skin.
These three simple facial massage techniques from The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method focus on the forehead area and are great for reducing lines and wrinkles, releasing tension, and helping our skin to look healthy and glowing.
BEFORE YOU START
Whenever you follow one of my Face Yoga routines, I always encourage you to work very intuitively. Apply the pressure that feels right for you – there’s no need to go too hard. Even a light pressure can help to boost the circulation and improve the health of your skin.
Make sure you have clean hands and a clean face before you begin. I also recommend applying a few drops of my Fusion by Danielle Collins Facial Serum. This is specifically developed for use with facial yoga and helps your hands to glide smoothly over your skin.
Packed with botanical oils, the serum also moisturises and nourishes your skin. There’s no need to wash it off after the sequence – it absorbs easily, so you can leave it on as you go about your day or settle into bed for the night.
Find a comfortable place to sit. As we move through this short routine, try to use your breath alongside the facial massage moves.
When we are concentrating on learning new techniques, we often end up holding our breath. But there are so many benefits to combining face yoga with deep nasal breathing, so we definitely don’t want to do that here.
Concentrate on keeping your inhale and exhale long and deep. Feel your abdomen rise and fall as you breathe. On the exhale, focus on letting go of any tension or stress you may be holding in your face and body.
STEP 1: FRONTALIS MUSCLE
Form your hands into knuckles. We’re going to use the middle knuckles for this move – the one that forms the joint in the centre of your fingers.
Take your hands to your forehead so that your knuckles meet in the middle. Gently smooth outwards from the centre line.
Then return your hands to the middle. Continue to repeat this move for around a minute.
Start with a gentle pressure at first. If you feel comfortable, you can deepen the pressure as you go until you find the level that works for you.
We’re working with the frontalis muscle here – the large muscle that covers much of our forehead. Using this massage technique will help to release tension from the frontalis muscle and brighten the skin. It also encourages us to use our eyes more when we express, instead of our foreheads, preventing lines from developing in this area.
As you continue to repeat the move, check in with the rest of your face. Is there anywhere you are holding onto tension? Concentrate on relaxing your cheeks and jaw as much as you can.
After a minute, release your hands. Give them a little shake out if you need to.
STEP 2: CORRUGATOR SUPERCILII MUSCLE
Keep your hands in a loose fist. Still using the middle knuckles, bring your hands just above your eyebrows.
Move your knuckles in a small circular movement to massage this area, releasing tension from the corrugator supercilii muscles just above your eyebrows. Gradually work up your forehead towards your hairline, then replace your hands at your eyebrows and repeat the move. Continue for around a minute.
This massage will boost circulation, bringing fresh blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the skin’s surface and feeding the skin cells.
It also stimulates the production of elastin and collagen, both of which are essential to the health and appearance of our skin, especially as we age.
STEP 3: PROCERUS MUSCLE
For our final move, form the index finger of one hand into a hook shape.
Place the middle knuckle between your eyebrows and stroke it upwards. Replace it between your eyebrows and repeat the move. At first, we’re just going to move it straight upwards.
This stimulates the third eye point, which calms the mind and releases stress and tension. This well-known acupressure point is a favourite in many ancient healing systems, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Shiatsu.
If you feel comfortable, you can close your eyes as you do this move. Remember to connect to your breath and keep inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
After a few seconds, start to take the strokes up on a diagonal. Go in one direction a few times and then the other. Continue to alternate every few strokes for around a minute.
We’re working with the procerus muscle, which flares upwards from the bridge of our noses. Going out on the diagonal ensures we are reaching the full muscle.
This technique is great for reducing number 11 lines and those horizontal lines that can appear above the bridge of the nose.
DONE!
Release your hands down and take a few deep breaths to finish. And you are done! If you prefer to follow along with a video, you can find this routine on my YouTube channel too.
For more face yoga techniques and advice on how to make wellness a daily part of your life, my new book, the Face Yoga Journal, is now available from Amazon.
As well as 52 new Face Yoga techniques, the book has wellness hacks, affirmations, and plenty of inspiration to help you on your journey. It also has space for you to journal, record your progress, and stay accountable.
