| Author | Message | ||
     ShapeYourFate Unregistered guest |
Tom: Is there a real difference between winking one eye at the time and shutting them both tightly simultaneously? I notice that the orbicularis oculi muscles come in to play this way too. | ||
| Thomas Hagerty (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 2 Registered: 5-2006 |
ShapeYourFate: I think it's good to experiment with the exercises that I describe in my website. I've tried the exercise closing both eyes at a time too, but there is a disadvantage to this. When you do the exercise closing both eyes simultaneously, the procerus (the frowning muscle) comes into play. The contraction of this muscle could initiate the development of vertical lines between the eyebrows. | ||
| Virginia Unregistered guest |
I have tried all the exercises but I think the chin exercise will take more practice. | ||
| India26 Unregistered guest |
Hi Tom, Great Website ! As someone said, "You have done it again !" Exercise# 1: - When I try to PARTIALLY wink one eye, I find it very difficult/impossible to keep the other eye wide-open as shown in your picture. - Is there a definite direction I need to 'look' by the other eye while doing this exercise ? coz I foind that the direction which I look with the other eye has a significant impact on the muscles underneath the eye. Please comment. Thanks and Regards, India26 | ||
| Thomas Hagerty (Admin) Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 3 Registered: 5-2006 |
India26: I look straight ahead into the mirror when I do Exercise one. But I don't think you have to be too concerned about where the eyes are focusing to do the exercise correctly. This is not an easy exercise to learn. It may take weeks before you learn to isolate the proper muscles. After you finally achieve success, I think you should do the advanced version of the exercise also. What is required in the advanced version is to keep the occipitalis muscles contracted while doing exercise one. This makes the exercise more effective for toning up and strengthening the orbicularis oculi muscles around the eyes. | ||
| rufio Unregistered guest |
Hey Tom: Love the website, just as good as your other. I have a question about Exercise #1, and I thought I wouldn't waste up cyber space with another post. Do you think that the advanced exercises for Exercise #1 and the scalp exercises can help smooth out crows feets? I have a couple of lines I'd like to go away when I smile really wide. If it isn't possible, oh well, but if it is, please inform a curious fan. Thanks. -Rashad | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 15 Registered: 05-2006 |
Rashad: I really wish I could give you a direct answer to your question and tell you that the exercise for the muscles under the eyes and the exercise for the scalp muscles would smooth out those slight wrinkles (crow's-feet) at the corners of your eyes. I think they help if done right, but they are not the total remedy. As we get older the elastin and collagen fibers in the skin start to deteriorate. This makes the skin less resilient, less able to bounce back after it is pinched. But even though aging is inevitable, the most destructive catalyst for elastin and collagen deterioration is exposure to unprotected sun. The sun's rays penetrate the skin's surface and physically damage or destroy elastin and colagen. Even if you are from India and perhaps have darker skin than, say, an Irishman, you are still susceptible to the wrinkling action of the sun. You may not get a sunburn, but the UVA will be working on your cellular DNA. The reason you see deep crow's-feet in farm laborers is not that they don't do Tom's facial exercises; it's that their skin is prematurely aged by the sun's ultraviolet rays. | ||
| C M New member Username: Ceeme Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2007 |
Hi Tom: In Exercise 1, I'm not sure I understand the contracting part. When I close one eye, do I squeeze the eyelids together to contract the right muscles? Or do I do a slight snarl with one side of my nose to get the right contraction? My other question has to do with being unable to open the other eye as widely as you do yours. Will I get better at this with time? And does opening the other eye widely have an effect on how deep the exercise works? Lastly, I find myself raising the eyebrow of the open eye (I guess in an effort to keep my eye open). Should I resist that? In other words, should the rest of my face be completely relaxed? I need to know if I am pushing myself and trying to do too much at the interim, and should instead go slowly until my muscles are strong enough to emulate the way you do the exercise. In other words, rather than try to "feel" the exercise working, should I just focus on being able to isolate the eyes for now and only worry about feeling it later? | ||
| Roberto Cantu New member Username: Roberto Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2006 |
I read through this whole thread again including the last message. My main question I guess is - can you really feel that muscle that circles the eye bunch up in a contraction while you are doing the exercise? I do not feel this contraction in the same way that I feel the contraction when I am doing the exercise for the mouth muscle. I would like to feel a little more tension as I work eye muscles so that I know it is toning them up. Also how long do you spend doing the series of facial exercises every day? Do you actually do them every day? | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 33 Registered: 05-2006 |
C M and Roberto: It's tough to adequately describe Exercise I because the muscle contractions around the eye are subtle. This is an important exercise, though, because the orbicularis oculi muscles that circle the eyes give expression to the eyes and therefore to the whole face. Toned-up orbicularis muscles also keep the skin around and under the eyes from sagging as a person gets older. It's possible to exercise both eye muscles at the same time, but I advise against this because of the probability of developing vertical lines (frown lines) above the bridge of the nose. I find the winking motion - one eye at a time - the best way to work these muscles. "When I close one eye, do I squeeze the eyelids together to contract the right muscles? Or do I do a slight snarl with one side of my nose to get the right contraction?" I think it's a combination of both. I don't really "squeeze" the eyelids together although I definitely feel a slight contraction. But I do feel the "snarl" contraction strongly. If you place your finger on the side of the nose, you will feel this muscle contract. But the real challenge of doing Exercise I correctly is keeping the occipitalis muscle at the back of the head contracted as you alternately wink each eye. This sounds almost as difficult as a juggler keeping four balls in the air at the same time. It's not, though, once you get into the habit. You don't learn this in a day or even in a week. "My other question has to do with being unable to open the other eye as widely as you do yours. Will I get better at this with time?" I think that how wide you open your eyes is not capable of being altered. The exercise will be beneficial even if you cannot give a world-class wide-eyed performance. "Lastly, I find myself raising the eyebrow of the open eye (I guess in an effort to keep my eye open). Should I resist that? In other words, should the rest of my face be completely relaxed?" I think you should resist raising the eyebrow of the open eye. Try to isolate the muscle contraction of the winking eye while keeping the muscles of the other eye totally relaxed. But don't worry too much if you're not getting 100% perfect form. "...should instead go slowly until my muscles are strong enough to emulate the way you do the exercise." Don't push yourself. Good form will come as you work with the exercises. The only thing that is really difficult is gaining control of the occipitalis muscles at the back of the head. And these muscles are crucial if you want to keep your brows from sagging as you get older. Roberto, I spend about ten minutes a day - almost every day - doing the facial exercises. I do them before I shave. I splash a lot of water on my face while doing them. Don't be concerned if you miss a day or two - no harm is done. | ||
| C M New member Username: Ceeme Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2007 |
Thanks for your prompt response, Tom. I think I get it now. I have been doing scalp flex for quite a while now (Found it on your other site a couple of years ago and have been doing it whenever I thought of it - even before I found out you had more exercises). I don't yet feel the connection between it and my eyes, so I'm going to stick to the basic exercise for the eyes for a while as I suspect I am not yet "quite there", that is, ready for the advanced. It could be because I've been involving a few more muscles (like raising the eyebrow of the open eye to try to open it wider) instead of just focusing on correct form of the exercise. I'll let you know how I get on. By the way, Tom, I love the rapport within the family on this forum. | ||
| Kate B New member Username: Catherine_b Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2006 |
I've found that exercise one for the muscles around the eyes definitely tones up my cheeks too, especially when I contract the muscles at the back of my head while I'm doing it. After six months of doing the exercise, I see a dramatic difference in my face. Toned-up cheek and eye muscles give my face more expressiveness. This really helps me in the TV work I do. | ||
| C M New member Username: Ceeme Post Number: 7 Registered: 06-2007 |
That's awesome to hear, Kate! Thanks for the feedback. | ||
| Debbie D New member Username: Debbie Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2009 |
what about exercise one if you can not wink with one eye?? | ||
| Thomas Hagerty Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 140 Registered: 05-2006 |
Debbie D: You will not have that problem if you do Exercise One, Part B - Muscles Around the Eyes. I think this exercise is just as effective as the one I described first on the page. |
