I've been obsessed with tracking my face yoga before and after 3 months because, honestly, I was a total skeptic at first. I didn't think making weird faces in the mirror while I brushed my teeth would actually do anything for my jawline or those pesky forehead lines that seemed to be getting deeper every time I looked at a screen. But after seeing so many influencers claim it was "natural Botox," I decided to give it a real shot. I figured three months was the fair window to see if I was just wasting my time or if I was actually onto something.
Let's be real for a second: the first few times you do face yoga, you feel absolutely ridiculous. You're sitting there sticking your tongue out, puffing your cheeks like a blowfish, and using your fingers to hook your mouth into shapes that would make a toddler laugh. But after about 90 days of consistent effort, the changes in my face aren't just in my head.
The awkward first month of making faces
The first four weeks were mostly about getting over the learning curve. It's a bit like going to the gym for the first time; you don't really know which muscles you're supposed to be feeling. I started with a simple ten-minute routine every night before bed. My main goals were to lift my slightly drooping eyelids and maybe carve out a bit more of a jawline.
During this first month, I didn't see much of a difference in my photos. My "before" and "one month" comparisons looked exactly the same, which was a little discouraging. However, I did notice something I hadn't expected: my face felt less "heavy." I carry a lot of tension in my jaw from stress, and the exercises really helped loosen that up. If you're someone who clenches their teeth at night, you might find that face yoga feels more like a massage than a workout at first. It didn't change my looks yet, but it definitely changed how my face felt.
Month two: The "glow" everyone talks about
By the second month, the routine became second nature. I didn't need to look at the tutorial videos anymore. This is where I started noticing what people call the "face yoga glow." It's not magic; it's just basic biology. When you're massaging and moving those muscles, you're boosting blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Around the six or seven-week mark, I woke up one morning and noticed my skin looked brighter and less puffy, especially under my eyes. To be fair, I was also drinking more water, but the puffiness reduction was definitely thanks to the manual drainage movements. My cheekbones started to look a little more "awake," if that makes sense. I still had my wrinkles, and my jawline wasn't exactly razor-sharp yet, but I looked like I'd actually slept eight hours for the first time in a decade.
People started asking if I'd changed my skincare routine or if I was using a new foundation. That's when I knew the face yoga before and after 3 months experiment was actually going somewhere.
The 90-day mark: The big reveal
Crossing the three-month finish line was the real test. When I sat down to compare my Day 1 photos with my Day 90 photos, the differences were subtle but undeniable. This isn't like plastic surgery; you're not going to look like a completely different person. But the "after" version of me looked significantly more refreshed.
The biggest change was in my jaw and neck area. The "tech neck" skin that was starting to look a bit soft had definitely tightened up. My eyebrows also seemed to sit a tiny bit higher, which opened up my eyes and made me look less tired. The most surprising part? My nasolabial folds (those lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth) looked softer. They weren't gone, but they didn't look as deep because the cheek muscles above them were a bit more toned and "lifted."
It's important to remember that face yoga is about building muscle under the skin. Just like doing squats won't get rid of every inch of cellulite but will make your legs look firmer, face yoga firms the "foundation" that your skin sits on.
What my daily 10-minute routine actually looked like
I didn't do anything crazy. I kept it to about five or six moves that targeted my specific trouble spots. If you're going to try this, I highly recommend picking a few moves and sticking to them rather than trying a 30-minute routine that you'll eventually quit.
Here's what I did most days: - The "V" for eye bags: Using your middle and index fingers to form a "V" at the corners of your eyes while looking up and squinting. It sounds crazy, but it really helps with that under-eye puffiness. - The "Smooth the Brow": Sweeping my fingers across my forehead to relax those "elevens" between the brows. This was more about breaking the habit of frowning than building muscle. - The "Giraffe": Looking up and placing my fingers on my collarbone to stretch the neck skin. This was the MVP for my jawline. - The "Big O": Dropping my jaw and making an "O" shape with my mouth to stretch the skin and work the cheek muscles.
I usually did these while watching Netflix or right after I applied my face oil. Using a bit of oil or moisturizer is essential because you don't want to be pulling and dragging on dry skin—that'll just cause more wrinkles, which is the opposite of what we want.
Why most people give up too early
The reason you see so many mixed reviews about face yoga is that it requires a level of consistency that most people find annoying. We live in a world of instant gratification. We want a cream that works overnight or a filler that takes ten minutes. Face yoga is a slow burn.
Most people stop around the three-week mark because they don't see a visible change in the mirror. But the muscles in your face are small; they take time to respond. If you go into this expecting to look 20 years younger, you're going to be disappointed. But if you go into it wanting to look like the best, most rested version of yourself at your current age, it's a total game-changer.
Another mistake is overdoing it. You don't need to do 45 minutes of face yoga. If you overwork the muscles or use too much pressure, you can actually cause more tension. Keep it short, keep it light, and just be consistent.
Is it worth the effort?
Looking back at my face yoga before and after 3 months, I can confidently say it was worth the ten minutes a day. It cost me zero dollars, it was a nice way to de-stress at the end of the day, and I genuinely like what I see in the mirror more now than I did three months ago.
My face looks more contoured, my skin has a healthier color, and I've become way more aware of how I hold my face during the day. I used to scowl at my laptop for eight hours straight; now, I catch myself and relax my face. That habit alone probably saved me from a few new wrinkles.
If you're thinking about trying it, my advice is to take a clear "before" photo in natural light with no makeup. Then, put it away and don't look at it for at least 60 days. Just do the exercises, enjoy the facial massage aspect of it, and let the results happen in their own time. It's not a miracle cure, but it's a pretty great tool to have in your self-care kit.