January 13, 2018

Despite all the feminism, we still get "Facial Exercises May Make You Look 3 Years Younger" in the NYT.

This reports on a study, published in JAMA Dermatology, that "began by getting in touch with Gary Sikorski of Providence, R.I., who had developed Happy Face Yoga, one of the longest-established facial-exercise programs." They got "27 women between the ages of 40 and 65" and taught elaborate exercises that took 30 minutes to complete and that they had to do every day for 8 weeks and then every other day for 12 weeks. 11 of the volunteers dropped out along the boring as hell way. The 16 who stuck it out spent about 50 hours on these face exercises. Then a bunch of doctors who were somehow experts on how young women look judged them to look 3 years younger than their actual age:
The researchers showed the photographs of these women to dermatologists who did not know them and asked the doctors to rate the appearance of various facial features on a standard numerical scale and also to estimate the women’s ages.
How do I know that the women who volunteered didn't already look younger than the stereotype these doctors happened to have in mind?! The exercises could just as well have made them look older than when they started. What kind of women will volunteer and also put up with 50 hours of this nonsense? Probably women who were taking great care of themselves and might very well have begun looking 10 years younger than their chronological age.

Fortunately, the commenters at the NYT lambaste the article. One points out that this was a fad 40 years ago — "Mrs. Craig's Face-Saving Exercises." For those who can put up with a little Woody Allen, this was the funniest thing in his 1980 movie "Stardust Memories":

19 comments:

chickelit said...

The fight against RBF.

tcrosse said...

If my wife tries this, she'll look 68, right ? Worth the effort, no doubt.

Curious George said...

Dr. Oz says it works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvts7k1K4N0

And he's a doctor. Sorta.

n.n said...

It's voluntary and non-corruptive. If practiced in moderation, there are worse Choices.

rhhardin said...

Who knew there were still women around.

Fernandinande said...

Despite all the feminism

LOL

cronus titan said...


Stop the presses -- women and men are interested in each other and want to look their best. We've been told for two generations that it cannot possibly be true.

The comments section is always a hoot. Wingnuts assume that everyone has the same opinions they do unless there is a mental problem. Makes for amusement.

Wince said...

Well, that's a better regimen recommended by my wife's doctor.

You know my wife's Doctor, Dr. Vinny Boombatz?

To look younger, Dr. Boombatz told my wife, "come to my office three time a week and I will cum on your face."

He calls it the the "Boombatz Facial".

When I asked my wife who did it, she told me mind my own business -- or to buy some facial recognition software if I'm so interested.

Rick M said...

Soon-Yi has put up with a little Woody

robother said...

Until this post, I didn't realize that my wife has kept me looking 3 years younger by periodically engaging in "relationship talk." My involuntary facial reaction is the same as Isobel's.

cronus titan said...

EDH, thank you. I had not thought of Dr. Vinnie Boombatz in some time. Still hysterical stuff.

Rob said...

Pace Ann, the funniest moment (or perhaps the truest moment) in "Stardust Memories" is when the alien tells Woody Allen, "You want to do mankind a real service? Tell funnier jokes."

Freeman Hunt said...

Thirty minutes a day to look three years younger? Maybe if you can start within the three year window of a meth addiction or disfiguring accident.

Earnest Prole said...

"Despite" all the feminism? That's what gave us RBF or resting bitch face, the scourge of well-to-do white women in America. "Because of" all the feminism is more like it.

BJM said...

@tcrosse...Some actually work, of course they can't reverse years of gravity, and you must do them daily, but facial muscles respond to exercise, and like all exercise routines, most won't stick to it long enough to notice a difference.

I learned a few facial exercises in Yoga class years ago and I've been doing this one, called "scooping" and "the lion" for twenty years and no turkey neck or deep smile lines; yet. I do them while I'm cleaning and moisturizing my face and neck so it's part of my routine and no big deal.

BTW-I've been meaning to ask about your George VI atavar; are you a Brit or like myself a fan of English history?

David said...

"What kind of women will volunteer and also put up with 50 hours of this nonsense?

Women who get paid, probably, if you want the halfway sane ones. But there are binders full of women who would volunteer for this. After all, it might just work.

tcrosse said...

@BJM It seems to have worked for Marie-Christine Barrault, who in her early 70's is still quite a beauty.
As for my avatar, it used to be Fred Allen, which see, but then I noticed that he and George VI looked as if they had been separated at birth. As Scots-Irish French-Canadian, I am somewhat conflicted about the English, but still admire the late monarch.

Leora said...

I want to second Rob. I love that movie and Annie Hall and I don't intend to stop watching or reading things created by sinners.

Anonymous said...

From the NYT article, it's not clear whether the dermatologists rated the women's appearance before as well as after the exercises. I went to the JAMA article, but it's even less clear there. (It might be clear from the data tables, but you have to pay to see those.)

If not, this study should never have been published. Even as it is, the description of the protocol is terrible.