I work out my body regularly, but up until a month ago it didn’t occur to me that my face might need some working out too. Your face and neck have over 50 muscles. Muscles that only get a workout during eating, yawning, talking, laughing, crying and general emoting. If we can sculpt and tone the muscles in the rest of our body through exercise, why not our face?
Enter FaceFit
FaceFit is not a facial. It’s gym for your face. It’s a workout for your face that prevents aging, enhances the jawline and gives you more defined contours.
FaceFit was developed by Tzvia Hermann, founder of The Laser Beautique. She combined her experience, trials and studies in skin, antiaging and technology, together with insights from around the world, to bring this one of its kind facial workout to South Africa. FaceFit combines ancient beauty techniques, deep tissue massages, acupressure and cutting-edge technology to tone and tighten your face.
The Laser Beautique offers 4 different levels of FaceFit workouts, ranging from 15 minutes to a full hour. Each workout combines face exercises, muscle manipulation and some form (or forms) of technology such as LED light therapy, micro needling, electrical cleansing, electrical current lifting, near infrared and others depending on the workout selected. Price varies depending on the level you choose.
The benefits of FaceFit include;
Strengthening your skin’s facial muscles for improved skin appearance.
Strengthening collagen and elastin.
Visibly tightens, lifts and rejuvenates skin.
Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The best thing about this workout? It’s the one workout where the only limb you’ll have to lift is your legs as you hop onto to the massage table to receive your workout from a skilled skin coach.
The FaceFit Experience
Wanting to know more about FaceFit and see if it does what it says it does, I headed to my closest Laser Beautique for a facial workout. Dressed, I may add, in my regular clothing. There’s no breaking a sweat during this workout.
After filling in an extensive questionnaire regarding my skin, previous treatments and my general health, I headed into a private room, with my skin coach Sarah. She went through the questionnaire, discussed my skin concerns and left me to get ready.
The SkinFit workouts do involve a neck and shoulder massage which means your top comes off (bra can stay, along with bottoms) as do your shoes (you’re lying down). You are covered with a towel, much like you are when having a massage.
I did a Level Two Cleanse and Lift FaceFit workout, which purifies, tones and sculps fascial muscles. Sarah began with a gentle cleanse and then moved on to an exfoliating cleanse using an electric cleanser. The electric cleanser can be purchased from The Laser Beautique for about R800 to use at home as part of your daily skincare routine. The cleanser was then rinsed off my skin with a warm cloth.
Sarah then layered glycerine all over my face, neck and shoulders. Glycerine is used to provide slip for the next phase of the workout as well as to hydrate the skin.
The next phase involved the use of an Electric LED wand like contraption which she traced over my face, neck and shoulders. It contracts your muscles for you, thereby activating them. You can actually feel the muscles contracting, it’s a strange but not uncomfortable feeling. I compare the feeling to what I imagine it would feel like if a vacuum cleaner went over your skin. It works deep in the muscles to help prevent wrinkling, premature aging and defining the jaw and cheek lines.
And yes, you can buy the wand from The Laser Beautique too, for about R2500. According to Sarah you can use it daily for 5-10 minutes, as long as your facial muscles are not fatigued the next day. It’s particularly good for preventing sagging necks and the décolletage, she said. The LED wand has 3 different light settings. A red light which is for antiaging, a green light for problematic skin and a blue light for skin pigmentation.
It was then time for the High Frequency, Signature Lift & Contour Massage. Sarah started with a slapping technique, which is not as painful as it sounds. Quite the opposite, it feels rather nice. The technique helps lift the muscles. Next was a deep tissue massage using short circular movement along my jawline and eyebrows. This was followed by a fast pinching-like movement and long deep strokes. Again, not at all painful or uncomfortable but rather delightful. I was a little startled by how much tension I seem to hold in my face.
Just as I settled in, things got weird. It was time for a mouth massage. To be fair, Sarah forewarned me and gave me the option of opting out. But I was here for the full experience and so the full experience I would get. After putting on gloves, Sarah instructed me to open my mouth and then proceeding to massage the skin along my jawline with her fingers inside and outside my mouth.
It was at this point that I regretted not brushing my teeth prior to coming. I mentally ran through my lunch – this corn salad washed down with water, and decided it wasn’t offensive. You may however want to pre-brush your teeth or pop a mint beforehand. It was definitely the most uncomfortable part of the workout, but then again, all good workouts need some discomfort in them. Weird as it may be, it helps gets the tension out of your gums and the tissue inside your mouth.
She then moved away from my face to my neck and shoulders, massaging them to relieve tension. This felt like a classic neck and shoulder massage and was divine.
After the main part of the workout, the glycerine was wiped off and some moisturiser was massaged in.
The After Effects
After 30 minutes, I got up from the table in a post massage-like state of bliss. I felt invigorated and relaxed all at once. My skin was slightly tingly with a slight flush to it. It did indeed feel worked out, super soft and hydrated. The biggest difference in appearance that I noticed was that the two forehead lines I get between my eyes had all but disappeared, my forehead looked smoother and skin brighter. I looked (and felt) very relaxed.
It’s not a permanent solution. The results last only a few days, and to really get the benefit Sarah suggests going weekly. Just like you need to work out regularly, FaceFit is no different. She suggested trying a Level 4 before big events for the best results.
The noticeably relaxed, tighter and smoother skin look lasted for about 4 days. But my skin felt ultra-soft and hydrated for about a week after. Something I credit the glycerine for, which was on my face for most of the treatment and massaged into the skin.
Good to Know Before You Go
- Get there 15 minutes early to allow you to fill in the form before your appointment.
- The questionnaire asks about massage pressure. When giving the pressure, bear in mind that it is a facial massage. Where you may like firm pressure on your back, lighter facial pressure may be more comfortable for you. However, you can always ask the Skin Coach to lessen or harden pressure. Sarah asked me multiple times if the pressure was OK.
- Avoid wearing a dress, rather wear a top and bottom. It just means that you don’t have to fully remove your clothes for the massage. Your neck and shoulders need to be bare. A top you can remove is best.
- Brush your teeth or pop a mint beforehand. Unless it makes you super uncomfortable, don’t skip the mouth massage bit. Yes, it’s weird but getting rid of that tension along your jawline is wonderful.
- FaceFit is best suited to anyone above the age of 25 who wants to prevent aging and give their face a good workout.
- You should avoid FaceFit if you have metal pins in place, epilepsy, diabetes or have had Botox in the past two weeks. This is because they work with electrical stimulation and some phases use suction techniques which may cause bruising to very sensitive skin or skin that has recently had Botox.
- If you don’t enjoy massages, you most likely will not enjoy FaceFit, as it does feel like a fast and vigorous massage at times. That being said, if you do love massages, you’ll love FaceFit.
- While the FaceFit workouts are pricey, they do offer packages where you can buy a bundle of workouts at a reduced rate.
FaceFit Workouts start at R250 to R2200 and are available at any of The Laser Beautique branches nationwide. Click here for more details or to book.
