| Author | Message | ||
     John C New member Username: Johnnie Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2009 |
I had one question about the 5th exercise. Is it correct to say it's two seperate movements, one of the front head muscles and the other of the back head muscles? I guess a better way to restate the question is : it's not all one movement right? I was able to get my ears to move back, and I would feel very slight movement of the back head muscles.. I hope this means I'm doing it right. But there is added tension behind my jaw bone, is it normal to have other parts of the head/face tense up a bit during this exercise? The only exercises that kind of scares me are the eye exercises. The one that scares me the least is the Part B. Is it okay to just do that instead of both? I just had one question about it: isn't the slight pulling of the skin going to be harmful over time? I apologize for my paranoia, but I just want to make sure I'm doing everything correctly because I would hate to makes lines and age my face prematurely. Thanks so much for a cool website! | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 133 Registered: 05-2006 |
John C: Exercise Five, the scalp exercise, is the most difficult one to learn and to do correctly. This is because the occipitalis muscles at the back of the head are hard to control. It takes time and patience to gain control over these stubborn muscles. "But there is added tension behind my jaw bone, is it normal to have other parts of the head/face tense up a bit during this exercise?" In the early stages of the learning process you'll probably have some pain in the jaw, neck, and even shoulder because you might be using the muscles in these areas to help you gain control of the occipitalis muscle. But once you are able to isolate the occipitalis, that is contract only this muscle to move your scalp, the pain in the other areas will stop. You will still occasionally feel pain - the "burn" - in the occips, though, if you are strongly contracting these muscles. "it's not all one movement right?" I guess it's not all one movement although I think of the exercise as being fluid instead of jerky. The movement of the scalp forward and the movement of the scalp backward should flow smoothly, but it's OK to hold the contraction of the occipitalis muscle for a few seconds if you want to strengthen it. I don't recommend holding the frontalis muscle though. This might cause some horizontal lines to form in the forehead. "The one that scares me the least is the Part B. Is it okay to just do that instead of both?" Exercise One, Part B, for the muscles that surround the eyes is just as good, perhaps even more effective than the basic exercise one that I describe first. If you do it right, Part B targets the orbicularis oculi muscles strongly. I wouldn't be too concerned about potential damage done by pulling of the skin around the eyes or anywhere else. Some skin gurus claim that the facial skin is fragile and that any stretching or excessive movement will cause lines to form. I think just the opposite is true. I believe that the lack of muscle movement under the skin is what causes lines to form because if the underlying musculature is weak the skin will begin to sag. But in a way the skin of the face is fragile in the sense that the elements (sun, wind, cold) can damage it. UVA is especially harmful to the skin cells, causing permanent damage over a period of time. | ||
| John C New member Username: Johnnie Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2009 |
Awesome Tom! Thanks so much for the advice. Funny thing actually... I am now able to do the scalp excersise - without any added tension. At first to move my occipitalis muscles my eyebrows wanted to raise(like I was contracting my frontalis muscles), but now I able to do it with just the muscles contracting. I find that if I visualize and think certain things that the excersise is even more effective. It's cool how the scalp and the upper half of my face seems move back and forth. When doing the frontalis part of the exersise, is the scalp suppose to move slightly forward? I have noticed mine doing that, and I hoped it was correct. Suprisingly, I've picked up this excersise within several days. I'm taking it slow though, thinking about proper form and things of that nature. And I definitely agree about skin being sensitive to the elements. I will be moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota for some time, and I am definitely going to protect my skin from extremely cold weather! And sun protection of course. Some of my friends tan in tanning beds quite frequently, and it pains me to think what is happening to their skin. I don't know why some people think the more tan, the better. Actually, being more pale is "in" right now, but I don't follow those sort of trends. I believe health is more important, and I'm happy with my particular skin pigment:-) | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 134 Registered: 05-2006 |
John C: "When doing the frontalis part of the exersise, is the scalp suppose to move slightly forward?" The scalp moves a little forward when you contract the frontalis muscle, perhaps less than 1/4 inch. But when you contract the occipitalis muscle there is a large movement backward. This movement is more dramatic then the forward movement. "Suprisingly, I've picked up this excersise within several days." That is surprising. It took me over two weeks to gain control of the occipitalis muscles at the back of the head - and I worked hard at this. It takes some people months to get that backward movement of the scalp. Congratulations. "Some of my friends tan in tanning beds quite frequently, and it pains me to think what is happening to their skin." The following is from the Harvard Health Letter: Sunlamps and tanning beds use mainly UVA, although sunlamps that also emit some UVB have become popular because the addition of UVB is believed to produce a better tan. Now it is known that UVA damages and ages the skin in a wide variety of ways be initiating a molecular cascade that produces reactive forms of oxygen that damage DNA and cell membranes. UVA may also suppress the immune system. And some researchers believe it is predominately UVA exposure that causes melanoma. I wish I knew all this when I was young and playing tennis - three out of five sets - under the Santa Monica sun. | ||
| John C New member Username: Johnnie Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2009 |
I think I may have learned the scalp excersise so quickly because I had been contracting my occipitalis musles without fully knowing it. Before this website, I didn't even know these muscles existed. I am a singer, and I think part of my training has taught me to engage them. Of course now, knowing that I actually have muscles in the back of my head, I am consciously able to control them. I am tending to contract my occipitalis more than my frontalis because I definitely know that it won't create lines, but I still do the first movement(I just don't strongly contract and hold). Currently, I'm doing the excersises three to four times a week, just to focus on form - and of course I don't want to start with too much. By the way, even though you played all that tennis in Santa Monica when you were younger, your skin still looks awesome  | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 136 Registered: 05-2006 |
John C: Actors and singers often have well-developed facial muscles even as they get older. Stage acting and full-voice singing requires constant use of these muscles. I also notice male film actors who still have their hair have great scalp mobility. Watch the scalp of Clark Gable when he is acting in close-ups. You will see his scalp move. I think it's expressive action. |
