I first learnt Eva Fraser’s facial exercised in the mid 90s. It was when I noticed the first signs of sagging around the jawline and decided that it was time to take action. (This was before botox and restylane and all those other procedures were mainstream). I was working at a promotional event where she was giving a talk. She must have been in her early 70s and I was absolutely amazed at how taught and smooth her face looked. I eventually tracked her down to her studio just off Kensington High street and enrolled in a course to learn her techniques. I was taught by one of her trainers and at the beginning I found it extremely difficult to get the intricate muscle movements exactly correct. A one stage I nearly gave up, however when I asked the age of my trainer and she said she was 58 (she looked at least 10 years younger), I persevered. With a few occasional lapses I have continued with the 10 minute a day regime.
It is difficult to assess the results as I don’t know what my face would have looked like had I not done the exercises. The only thing I do know is that if I get lazy and stop doing them for a few weeks I have a sense that my cheek muscles are not as firm. This regime is not for the faint hearted as it does take considerable disciple; but who said looking good was easy!
See press article on Eva Fraser in here.
Eva Fraser website if you want further details
I found this video on U Tube. An interview with Eva on Breakfast TV taken a couple of years ago. It is quite long however worth taking a look at and Eva does demonstrate some of the exercises.
Have any of you had any experience of facial exercises? If so I would love to hear from you.
Thank you for reading. I really love to hear from you and appreciate the time you take to leave comments.
Thank you for this post. It is all very interesting. I’m 51 and just beginning to see signs of sagging although I try to do my neck exercises every day for a minute. I’ve just e-mailed Ms Fraser for information about taking the course she gives in London. Is this the best way of contacting her? I’m very excited to try it out. I’ve always thought you look great in the photos you post of yourself.
Thanks for the lovely compliment. Ms Fraser may not be the easiest person to contact if you don’t get a response to your email you could try telephoning. Do let me know how you get on.
Hello. I’ve just had a call from Eva Fraser’s clinic and will be going for my first session in mid June. I will keep you updated regarding the experience. BTW, my name is Catherine. I’ve only recently started reading your blog. It was I who suggested the gym ball a few weeks ago. Now really looking forward to this facial exercise business …. thank you for a really good post.
P.S. There is a considerable difference in price depending on whether or not you opt for the course given by Eva herself – about £120 difference! Would you recommend paying the extra? It sounds like you were happy with the assistant’s class. I would be interested to know your thoughts on this. Many thanks
Facial exercises do work. I have the book “Face Lift Naturally” by Julia Busch (now out of print). Her system is similar to Eva Fraser’s. I used it regularly years ago and looked 20 years younger. Then I got lazy. Now I feel stupid when I look in the mirror because I know I could look so much better. Part of this is arrogance; I can re-start the exercises at any time. But as Chanel said, you should always look her best because you never know when you’ll have a date with destiny. I am logging off and going to do my exercises now. Thank you for the inspiration.
This is all making me feel as though I should go back for a refresher just to check that I am still doing the exercises correctly.
Catherine I was very happy with the trainer that taught me I think Eva is very thorough and makes sure that everything is well supervised. Good luck
This is similar to the Emma Hardie technique, she incorporates both the exercise and massage. Her DVD is quite good and is usually pretty cheap on Amazon. Emma’s skin is not as good as Eva’s and she is only forty something, surely it is not just facial exercises keeping it in such good condition?! But whatever else there is no denying she looks amazing and not too taught. I read a very interesting article in US Vogue about a lady who was about to have her third facelift and the advice she was getting pretty much universally, was that the more there is under your skin, the more a surgeon has to work with, so it really does make sense to build your muscles in this way rather than wither them a la botox. I am journeying all the way to Cheshire on Friday to learn about microcurrent which is a mechanical version of this, so I will let you know how it goes…
..make that taut, must re read before pressing send!
Hi Alexandra I checked out Emma Hardie on amazon and her DVD did not have great reviews. I few years ago I got Carole Maggio’s book however I still think Eva is the best.
Will be interested to learn of your experience of microcurrent. Off to do my exercises!
We do them in yoga class… who knows? I figure, can’t hurt. Eventually, though, gravity overcomes anything we can do.
Hello again. Just to let you know I went for my first appointment at Eva Fraser’s today. My session was with her assistant – it was great! she really worked me hard through the major surface muscles and even gave me advice on skin care without pushing any particular brands. Apart from collapsing with laughter a couple of times (at the grimace on my face in the mirror!), I was told I did very well. I certainly can feel it in my face now – it reminds me of the face ache I sometimes get laughing at my husband’s jokes – though with life’s pressures these days that doesn’t happen so often.
Anyway I’m now on for practising 5 days per week for the next 3 or 4 weeks, and then I’ll be going back for the next session. Not sure if I’m imagining it, but my cheeks already look slightly more defined.
Thank you for your post – it could have changed my whole outlook on life.
Hi Catherine. Glad the exercises are working for you. Thanks for letting me know. I have been a bit lax recently in doing mine. You have reminded me again how important they are.
Hi, I’ve been using Eva Hraser’s dvd fr almost 5 months and have noticed a definite difference for the better. I certainly had quite defined jowls forming which were making me feel old and depressed, and they have visibly improved – along with my level of self confidence. I’ll never stop doing these exercises, as I now know for certain that they work – and I still can’t believe Eva looks as fabulous as she does! I’ve no doubt genetics have helped in Eva’s case as she seems to have beautiful skin, but even so… very impressive!
I’m 46 and have been doing facial exercises regularly for 3 years now. They do tone muscles I found but will not have any effect on the effects of gravity on skin. So, skin remains saggy, creased and wrinkly. Toned muscles do mean you have more control over facial expressions and can control them better in order to avoid wrinkling…
Anyone else out there think that Eva Fraser looks like she does botox in the video above? Her facial expressions seem unnatural and stiff…really strange…
Sorry for dampening this mainly positive thread but I unfortunately have had a very negative experience of the Eva Fraser program. I am a slim person with small features but was getting depressed that I was looking haggard (I am 51). I went for a session at the studio with the assistant and got really distracted from the onset as she had a scar behind her ear (I didn’t manage to see her other ear) so immediately suspected that she had had a facelift and her hairline was slightly strange – another telltale sign. Interestingly, Eva has this same hairline! Anyway I tried to put suspicions aside and went through the session. I found myself straining quite a lot but assumed that this must be building muscles. I went hell for leather after the session for 2 weeks incorporating the “pulsing” technique at the height of the basic exercises. This was clearly too strong for me or I was doing it incorrectly because my face started to look puffy and I developed irritated skin patches on my upper cheeks which have now permanently settled into lumpy pads. So I now have ridges of skin on my outer upper cheeks with a loss of the malar fat pad to my central cheeks so my theory is the smiling up to the temples shifted the muscle and fat upwards and outwards. Where my skin has thickened I now have deep wrinkles around my eyes and upper cheeks and also have deep nasolabial lines and heavier jowls. I did contact the studio but have had no support other than I was advised to see a dermatologist or a doctor! I think the message is to do the exercises gently and probably once started should be maintained as once I stopped I looked far worse than before due to the gaunt appearance of my cheeks. I have taken to performing gentle facial massage techniques with a facial oil and jade roller. My skin to be fair does look quite smooth but gravity cannot be avoided other than resorting to the knife or being blessed with a strong bone structure which incidentally Eva has. I saw her at the studio and she has a deep olive skin and is probably of Asian descent which would account for her strong look.
Interesting comment. Sorry you have had this experience. As you say the key is to be gentle however what has happened seems quite drastic. Maybe another medical opinion might be advisable. I did ask an eminent plastic surgeon about facial exercises many years ago and he was sceptical about the results but did not imply that they might do harm. I do remember him saying “choose your parents wisely and stay out of the sun” . The first relates to good skin and bone structure which is a lottery and Eva does have an advantage here. As for scars don’t know but do remember Eva saying that she had seem lots of very bad face lifts. I have a scar in front of my left ear so on seeing it you could presume I have had a face lift. In fact I have had a skin graft on my nose due to surgery for skin cancer and the skin was taken from in front of my ear.
I’ve been doing Eva Fraser’s facial exercises, after having done the course, since March 2010 and I haven’t missed a single session – not one. I was just about to be 50 when I started and I’m very slim with what my husband (who’s a doctor) calls very poor levels of collagen, which means that my face was starting to look extremely thin and tired and my jawline was starting to go slightly. My work partner had a wonderful face lift about ten years ago, but I knew I was never going to be able to afford the £12,000 she paid and so decided to embrace these exercises rigorously and with incredible discipline. As one of the other people says, it’s impossible to know what my face would look like if I hadn’t been doing them, but my jaw line shows no sign of sagging now, my cheeks have much more muscle tone and my eye sockets are well defined. I’ve been really pleased with the results – I no longer get to the end of an evening and look as though my face has collapsed and although I’m now 52, I’m regularly assumed to be 10 years younger. My experience has been really positive and if you don’t have the money for surgery or don’t want it and are prepared to put in the practice (I do 4 sessions a week and as I said, never never miss)I think you’ll see results. I’d most certainly recommend the exercises – but they won’t work unless you do them and do them properly.
Botox freezes facial muscles (I personally am quite a fan). If you look at Eva’s video, there is no way you can say her forehead has been immobilised – she regularly lifts her eyebrows and brings them together in the interview. I think her “unnatural” look is from that English upper crust way of speaking – no more than that. I met her personally 22 years’ ago after I’d been taught the exercises by her assistant, Marion. At the time I was astounded because I remember thinking that she was about 38 and she said she was 54. I’ve carried on since then more or less regularly and regularly get taken for 15 to even 20 years younger! I am “bony” and find that the glove exercises where you stretch out your cheeks with your index fingers and try to squeeze against them with your cheek muscles have built muscles and saved my face from caving in and looking haggard. My take on it is that it is great for people with little fat on their faces. Eva’s whole positive attitude to life and regime means that she looks better now than he did 22 years ago. Really go for it girls – cheaper than a face lift and it works. … and by the way I urge you to ignore the comments of the depressed sounding troll on this thread:)
Hi Marianna
I think Marion was the name of my teacher all those years ago and she did look amazingly young. Glad you have kept up with the exercises
I first saw Eva Fraser on ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ in about 1990. I think at the time she was about 60ish but face alone looked about 40. Until then I’d been a ‘face puller’ all my life and always said that exercising the muscles would help to keep the jowls at bay. I purchased Eva’s book and have carried out the exercises on and off since. I’m 52 and most people think I’m about 43-45 and I’m always being complimented on my skin but I’ve always ensured a good skin regime. They work so long as you don’t go mad. You may have noticed I wrote above that by face alone Eva looked very young – as I watched her mannerisms I have to admit that something didn’t add up and it was at that time I realised the ageing process affects all aspects to include the way we eat, speak and move, the way we hold ourselves etc. It’s very flattering when people think I’m younger than I am but to me it’s more about looking good for your age and making the very best of what you have. It’s important to persevere with the exercises and try hard but it’s also important to keep it light and fun, the exercises are a very good part of a general healthy outlook and diet.
Hi, I am 51 and bought Eva Fraser’s book & DVD for myself, a friend and my sister in Feb this year. I did the basic exercises twice a day for about 4 weeks and have stated on the sections 1-4 in the last 3 weeks. I think I notice a difference but it is early days. I try to do 2 sections a day and during the day while at my desk or in the loo I do a few of the basic exercises as well.
I took before photos but do not want to take others until the end of May when I will have been doing them for 4 months.
Two things, I think my crows feet sometimes look worse because of the tight eye squeezing exercises, and is it better to just do 1 section a day for 4 days rather than 2 sections a day 6-7 days a week? Could I end up over doing it? I guess I just want the best results as quick as possible. I think Eva looks wonderful and that is the inspiration that keeps me going. I have done a fair bit of research and may also get Happy Face Yoga and either FlexEffect or Ageless if You Dare because I am interested in the supposedly beneficial effects of pulling and massaging your skin. Has anyone had experience with these other programs? This is a great blog/forum by the way. Thanks.
I did Eva Fraser’s program from her 1991 edition book from the age of 20 to the age of 35 and had nothing but great results. I didn’t have anything that needed fixing so was doing it more for maintenance/prevention than remedy. To my surprise, in addition to keeping my face nice and firm and line-free, it also transformed my hereditary hooded eyelids into eyes that have no hint of ever being hooded.
I think the secret is patience. Your face muscles didn’t weaken and sag overnight so tone will not come overnight, especially if starting so much later in life. I never did need to contact Eva when I did her program as I found her book self-explanatory. I didn’t know anyone else who did face exercises so didn’t have anyone to compare notes with. I did the program in faith and it did not disappoint. I still do face exercises in my 40’s although not Eva’s. They really do work!
Hello, I have been following the DVD for a few weeks now. Can anyone tell me, is it very beneficial attending the Eva Fraser clinic or should I just continue using the DVD?
I would love to know how often to do the exercises.
The book suggests doing them once a day ( I think) for 4 days a week which sounds very little. I don’t want to do them constantly and get bored with the repetition but I don’t want to wait 6 months to see an improvement. Can anyone advise.
I have read and seen so many different instructions for doing Eva’s exercises that I contacted her clinic for clarification. They assured me that it was best to stick to the instructions on the DVD I had bought (Facial Fitness Made Easy), which simply tell you to do one section each day for four days.
It seems quite impossible to me for such little exercise to have an effect, but I am going to continue with them for about a year before making a judgement! I have been doing them now for three and a half months with no notable effect, but I understood from the off that results would be slow.
I have been doing Eva’s exercises for almost a year. My cheeks are fuller, lips as well, and my eyes not as hooded. My mother who never gives me a compliment said “what did you do to your face”, and when I asked why said “it looks nice”!!! I like her program.
Have been doing Eva’s exercises for a couple of years. Am really pleased with the results. My cheek bones and jawline are much improved. I am using a really old book, probably her first, perhaps it is time for an update. I do them regularly 3 times a week as she suggested. I am 63.
Good for you Kathryn. They really do work. I don’t think Eva has updated her books!
I have been doing the Eva Fraser method for 3 months. I have done the four one-to-one lessons with someone who trained with Eva Fraser. I am in my mid-50s and (it is said) look young for my age but jowls run in my family and I was developing pouches on my jawline, as well as deep lines between my nose and mouth, and those awful shadows that you get along these lines when you look at your face from the side. So far, my face feels much smoother, and feels (and looks) plumper in the cheek area, especially the flat bit close to the nose. There has been a small improvement in my jowls, the lines are definitely less pronounced. I am very disciplined in doing my exercises and will be monitoring things very closely over the coming months.
I have been doing the Eva Fraser exercises for years now, Since age 54 when I started the menopause and appeared to age about 30 yrs practically overnight/ I had always looked very young for my age and it was a shock to suddenly age so rapidly. I have been reasonably pleased with the results, but now at age 62, I notice I look really old a lot of the time and I hate it and feel really depressed by it. The exercices don’t seem to work any more, deep lines around eyes, hooded eyes, marrionette lines and furrows suddenly apparrent, and jowls noticeable, the neck area the worst, the platysmal bands go from chin to collar bone and nothing I do makes any difference,, even more noticeable when I talk or move in certain ways. How can I make my neck young again? I can’t use botox or any anti age products as have extremely sensitive skin on my face that flares up at the slightest provoacation.
I have only bought Eva’s book and find the cheek lifting a little confusing. Do you lift and stiffen the cheek muscles against the fingers or pull the cheeks outward as well or simply lift the cheek muscles in the three different positions gently?
Hi Jenny
It is quite difficult to learn to do the exercises just from the book because you need to be very precise. There is a DVD which is easier to follow.
There a 2 ways to do this. One is straight up for 6 slow counts, hold for 6 and then release slowly for 6 counts. The second is towards the top of the ears. Hope this helps.
I have known about Eva for years since she was on the Esther Ransen show. Hadn’t persevered with the program then but I am 66 now and was shocked to see the deteriation in my face. Photographs show cheek wrinkles and quite deep lines nose to mouth. I have started to follow her DVDs recently with determination and I am hoping to see improvement even not getting worse I would be happy with. I hope it is not too late although Eva does say it is never too late to start.
No Doreen It is never too late. I am still doing mine at 65 and I have had some lapses over the years.
hi, very interesting comments about Eva fraser’s face exercises. I am 52 and started doing the exercises about 3 months ago (from the book) and have started the advanced phase about 3 weeks ago, I also regularly do the massages. I have been told that I “look well” on numerous occasions and that my skin seems brighter and I can feel a general tightness in my cheek area so I am pleased so far but I do have a few concerns and if anyone can help I’d be really grateful; first of all I’ve noticed that my upper cheek area seems more deeply wrinkled and the skin thicker (when I smile) than before and wondered if that was normal and part of the process and also I haven’t noticed anybody saying anything about a reduction in their wrinkles generally – mine are particularly bad on my upper lip so would be interested in hearing comments about wrinkles as well!
Any tips on exercises for the neck?
I have been doing Eva Fraser’s exercises for about 5 years but my neck obviously needs something extra.
Hi Dora
Not really the neck is a difficult area. The Eva Fraser exercises where you raise your chin should help a bit. The only thing I can suggest is always wearing a sunscreen summer and winter, we often forget this area. If all else fails scarves are a great accessory.
There is this video on you tube with a massage exercise for the neck and the woman doing it has a beautiful neck even though she is not young https://youtu.be/8wDJ_ud7Los Maybe it can help.
Hi I am Coming up for 60 this year ,been doing the exercises for quite a few years know , four times a week, never miss them , I am always taken for being a lot younger than I am. My husband is 53 and folk have said to him well your wives a lot younger than you isn,t she !! So yes I think they work , and I never go out in the sun without a sunscreen on my face .
Hi all
I am in training to be.Scotlands 2nd Facial Yoga Teacher .Whilst training I am practising the exercises every day , im 47 and people are starting to comment on my fuller and younger facial appearance , I can also see a huge difference , and it makes me feel good about myself .
One lady above commented how bad and horrific her fave looked, but first she said she was thin and gaunt then she said ” fat” moved up to her cheeks !!! Hmm I wonder …just for the record im not being trained by Eva but another Famous World reknowned teacher …I say girls go for it , what you got to lose and it makes sense.
Has anyone tried the Rio 60 second neck toner. My neck is in a desperate state. I have ordered one of these but may try Evas excercises if it doesn’t work.
Hi Wendy
Never heard of it. Will check it out.
Hi Wendy
I have used the rio 60 second toner on my neck and it has definitely improved saggy skin under my chin. Also try Danielle Collins face yoga as she does a lot of exercises for the neck x
Hello All
I am 41 and am lucky to have good skin (I ‘chose my parents well’, thankfully!). However I have had a very difficult year and over the last couple of weeks – literally – have noticed clear vertical lines below and above my lips. I am very taken aback as have never smoked and always associated those lines with smokers. The speed they have appeared has really worried me – what will I look like by the end of the year? I have lost a lot of confidence already as I feel they are horribly obvious. I have been reading so many articles on the internet to try to find out how best to address these (I don’t really want to have botox) and really have found this site to be the most helpful – I had heard of Eva Fraser a long time ago. Can anyone please tell me if there are exercises for the lip/mouth area in her programme? Or does anyone know such exercises more generally please? Thank you all in advance.
Hi Amanda
As far as I am aware Eve Fraser does not have exercises specially for lines round the lips. However if you do the cheek raising ones they might help to tighten the small muscles round the mouth. I would suggest using a lip primer and applying it beyond the lip line this should help to soften the lines. Elizabeth Arden and Clarins do good ones.
She does not appear to be isolating the muscle she wishes to exercise to keep other areas from wrinkling. I just started a routine found on youtube called facearobics, which calls for isolating the muscles and starts off with 50 repetitions. I think this is far more effective and am seeing results just after 3 weeks.
Hello Shaaron!Im liliana,and also a fan of Ms.Peta!Unfortunately,i got the veins sticking out around the temples n visibly seen 1 line of vein along all thru the temple and to the cheeks area..Do you have that too,Shaaron?I did the squeezing slow and strong as suggested!The result was marvellous!
Fong! No problems with veins. I did find that going to the level 2 exercises proved difficult for me to adjust to. I had started doing the level one exercises standing up in a mirror so returned to that level laying down and let me tell you, it makes all the difference in the world! Do you lay down?
I started doing Eva’s excersises about 20 yrs ago. I am 57 and look a lot younger have been told I look about 40 and always get mistaken for my granchildrens mum. I sometimes don’t correct people as do find it embarrassing sometimes that people gush about my age. I know I would not look the way I do if I did not do facial excersise. So my opinion is they most defiantly work. I have laughter lines and a few faint lines round my lips, but I think its muscle tone loss that’s aging and not a few expression lines, my lips are nice and full, I have no hollows under my eyes, just a general youthful look. Regarding neck issues try googling how to strengthen the neck there is lots of information about how to do this. The excersises I do stemmed from Eva’s but I also Google excersise to see what alternatives are out ther. Also for post menopausal ladies out there, Google, natural foods to increase Collagen and oestrogen and incorporate these in your diet.
Hello
Josephine!Im liliana 57yrs old.Im from jakarta,Indonesia.I just came across to your page n its very interesting! i would like to know if learning this exercises could cause your veins on the face stick out? I did practice the facerobics programme for 16days ago..the result were fantastic!My face is fuller,firmer n younger!I’m so thrilled with it,but i just noticed that the veins from my temple is sticking out n i could see my cheeks along the temple visibly 1 line of green vein that i can feel with my finger is sticked out too.Then i wrote an email to the teacher and she asked to stop the exercises! Its actually quite a hard one,from forehead,eyelids,upper cheeks,nose,lower cheeks and the neck are in a package,i did it everyday around 20mins,its 50repretitions for each muscle for 2 weeks,and 100repetitions for the next 2 weeks!Unfortunately,i have to stop on the day of 17..i think i squeezeez very strong n slow thru all the exercises that might made my vein stick out!What do you think,Josephine? Please advice!Thank You!
Hi Liliana
All I can say is that I have been doing Eva’s facial exercises for over 20 years and have had no problem with any veins. I think that her exercises work well for the muscles especially for the cheeks. There is no squeezing.
If you are having problems I suggest you contact a doctor or dermatologist.
Yes,i think i will wait for a couples of weeks and see whether it can subside!Do you think i can do the Eva exercises safely even with the vein problem i have now?
I would not like to comment on that I would getting professional advice.
Josephine,you look so young and beautiful!
Hi
Josephine,will you please tell me how does the method of Eva is using? I wonder if there ws no squeezing,then how does the muscle can be formed?Is it only by massaging?Thanks for your info!