One of the things that the top leading men on the silver screen of the ’90s gave us is some of the sharpest jawlines ever seen. Leo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt had some of the best around, making them Hollywood’s most sought-after heartthrobs.
Luckily, there are things you can do nowadays to try and give yourself just as sharp of a jawline. At first glance, face exercises may sound (and look!) a little funny, but if you think about it, it makes sense that you’d want to tone the muscles in your face just as you would the rest of your body. There are over 40 different facial muscles, and your face is usually the first thing other people notice about you. Wanting to have a chiseled jawline, defined cheekbones, and taut skin, especially as you age, can be part of trying to look your best. The best facial exercises can help you do just that.
Exercises for your face can help define your jawline and cheekbones to give you that chiseled look seen on Leo, Johnny, and Brad, as well as some of the guys donning the covers of magazines and Instagram ads for skincare products and high-end colognes. Face exercises for men can also reduce the appearance of wrinkles by building muscle under the skin to keep it taut and prevent sagging. This is crucial as we age and lose collagen later in life.
Do facial exercises work?
Engaging in face exercises may not only enhance muscle tone but these exercises may also potentially aid in countering the effects of fat loss on your face.
While the effectiveness of face exercises is still an area of ongoing research, the concept is intriguing. By incorporating targeted facial movements into a regular exercise routine, you may be able to maintain a more youthful and toned appearance. However, it is important to note that individual results may vary, and consulting with a healthcare professional or specialist is advisable before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Overall, face exercises offer a promising avenue for potential improvements in muscle tone and fat redistribution in the face. While further research is needed to understand their impact fully, incorporating these exercises into a comprehensive approach to facial health and well-being may contribute to a more youthful and vibrant appearance. Without further ado, here are our favorite facial exercises.
Facial exercises for a cut jawline
Although even the best face exercises for men won’t change genetics or completely halt the aging process, regularly exercising the muscles in the face can increase facial muscle tone and definition and possibly give you a swoon-worthy chiseled jawline. Though doing a few sets of face exercises won’t replace a challenging total-body workout or a balanced diet, as a diet can help reduce body fat making your masseter muscle (jaw muscle) appear even more noticeable, incorporating face exercises into your day is a great way to keep your face looking as good as you feel inside. Here are the best face exercises for men.
Fish face
This face exercise may help slim the face and reduce laugh lines.
- Press your lips together as you suck your cheeks in as hard as you can, as if making a fish face.
- Hold for five seconds.
- Relax and repeat 8-10 times.
Resisted chin drops
You’ll work the muscles surrounding your jaw and chin in this simple face exercise.
- Make a fist with your dominant hand and place your elbow on a table with your fist up.
- Set your chin on your fist and press down
- Try to open your mouth against the resistance you provide from your fist.
- Hold this exerted effort position for five seconds and then relax.
- Complete 10 reps.
Jawbone presses
This exercise can strengthen your jaw for a more chiseled jawline.
- Cradle your face in your hands by placing your thumbs next to each other under your chin with the fingers of each hand holding the sides of your face up towards your ears.
- Applying moderate pressure, slide your thumbs apart from one another along your jawline to each side, while simultaneously trying to open your mouth.
- Go back and forth 8-10 times.
Vowel blaster
You may feel silly doing this face exercise, but it can tone muscles in your cheeks to slim your face and prevent sagging skin.
- Slowly repeat each vowel (“a,” “e,” “i,” “o,” and “u”) aloud in the most exaggerated way, stretching your mouth and face with each letter. Draw out the sound for each several seconds.
- Complete 20 times.
Catching snowflakes
If you fear getting a double chin, tighten and tone with this move.
- Tilt your head back so that you’re looking up toward the ceiling or sky while simultaneously reaching your tongue out and upwards as if trying to catch snowflakes.
- Lower back down.
- Complete 20 reps.
Frankenstein jaw rolls
This face exercise can help give you a more prominent jawline along the upper cheeks and along the sides of your face.
- Relax your lower jaw and push it forward like you have the Frankenstein monster’s underbite.
- Slowly rotate your lower jaw in circles while holding the rest of your face steady.
- Complete 20 circles and then switch directions.
Grimaces
You can tone the facial muscles in the cheeks and those that control the jaw with this move.
- Clench your teeth together and grimace, stretching your mouth out to the sides as far as possible without using your hands.
- Hold for five seconds.
- Repeat 15 times.
Pucker up
To tone the muscles around your face, pucker up!
- Press your lips together and forward in the tightest, most exaggerated pucker you can muster.
- Hold for five seconds.
- Complete 20 reps.
Kiss the sky
This helps tone the muscles of the neck and jawline.
- Look up toward the sky, feeling a slight stretch in the front of your throat.
- Pretend to kiss the sky in an overly exaggerated motion.
- Complete 20 reps.
- For a bonus, slowly tilt your head slightly to the left and then to the right in a back-and-forth motion while performing reps.
Cheek lifts
This face exercise can make your cheekbones more prominent.
- Place three fingers of each hand on the fleshy part of your cheeks just below your eyes.
- While pressing down with your fingers, try to lift your cheeks by smiling as hard as possible.
- Hold for 3-5 seconds.
- Repeat 20 times.
Forehead raises
To prevent wrinkles and lines across your forehead and around your eyes, try this easy face exercise.
- Place the index finger of each hand above an eyebrow.
- While trying to frown, pull your eyebrows apart with your index fingers.
- Maintaining this gentle pull, use your facial muscles to try and lift your eyebrows as if surprised while your fingers try to pull them down towards your cheeks.
- Hold for five seconds.
- Complete 15 reps.
Other benefits of face exercises
There are many benefits to incorporating face exercises into your daily fitness routine. It can give your jaw a more chiseled appearance, but be warned, bone structure plays a big role in having a chiseled jaw, and since you likely don’t have the bone structure of Brad Pitt, doing face exercises will only go so far. But does that mean you should give up on face exercises? Not in the least. Besides strengthening your facial muscles, incorporating facial exercises into your fitness routine carries a host of benefits, such as:
- Reducing wrinkles on your face, especially on your forehead and around your eyes
- Increasing blood circulation to the muscles on your face
- Reducing tension in your head and neck
- Tightening the skin on your face
So while you may not have the bone structure of a Hollywood star, don’t let it stop you from doing a face workout that will have you feeling your best.
