How to restore facial youthfulness through breath control

The face does not exist separately from the body, and the breathing rhythm is part of the entire organism functioning. Youthfulness is directly related to the autonomic nervous system, and breathing is its main regulatory lever.

When breathing is shallow, intermittent, and predominantly thoracic, the body is constantly in a state of “hidden stress.” In this state, the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “fight or flight” response, is activated. The result is visible on the face: chronic tension in the masticatory muscles, clenching of the lips, eyebrows, and eyes, “frozen” facial expressions, and loss of softness in the facial features. Conversely, slow, deep, conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic system — the recovery mode. This is where facial relaxation begins under the influence of breathing.

Through breathing, we directly affect the vagus nerve, blood supply to facial tissues, lymphatic drainage, and facial expression patterns. When breathing deepens and slows down:

• overall muscle hypertonicity decreases,
• the face stops “holding” emotions,
• facial muscles release excessive control,
• skin nutrition and complexion improve.

This is breathing and facial tone in its purest form — a change of state from which the muscles return to normal on their own. But it is important to understand that it is impossible to truly rejuvenate the face if a person continues to breathe in a state of stress.

Why the face cannot relax “on command”

The nervous system and facial tone are connected through the work of the autonomic nervous system. As long as stress controls the body, the muscles are unable to relax completely, even if you try to do so consciously. Tightness can only be removed through breathing techniques that help switch the sympathetic system to the parasympathetic system. 

Breathing exercises are based on a measured rhythm and prolonged exhalation, focusing on the diaphragm at rest. When breathing becomes calm, the vagus nerve “calms down,” the overall level of tension decreases, and the facial muscles relax.
At this point, the body’s natural response begins — calm parasympathetic breathing and facial relaxation. 

It is worth remembering that muscle spasms can be eliminated and blood microcirculation improved through complete relaxation of the face. This effect is possible when working with bones, fascia, internal organs, and emotional state. Psychological and physical balance directly depends on the breathing rhythm. 

Causes of muscle spasms 

The face is the “diary of our body.” Chronic stress and muscle tension do not appear out of nowhere. They accumulate gradually, and at some point become the “norm” that a person ceases to feel.

How tension builds up in the facial muscles:

1. Chronic stress

During periods of nervousness, the body goes into defense mode. This is reflected primarily in the face:

• The chewing muscles spasm
• The lips tighten and the circular muscle of the mouth tightens down
• The forehead tenses and a frown line forms

Even when the stressful situation ends, “muscle memory” continues to fix the tense position. 

2. The habit of clenching the jaw 

Unconscious grinding or prolonged clenching of the teeth and tension in the tongue create constant stress. This leads to poor blood circulation, impaired lymphatic drainage, and a feeling of “heaviness” in the face.

3. Shallow breathing

Constant chest breathing signals danger to the body. This leads to chronic stress and muscle tension. Relaxing the face through breathing is possible through conscious work with the diaphragm.

Breathing techniques

Attempts to relax the facial muscles through willpower often do not work because the body continues to live in a state of control at a deep level. Special breathing techniques for facial relaxation can help calm the nervous system and eliminate muscle tension. When breathing becomes conscious, tissue nutrition improves and healthy skin tone returns.

Top 3 breathing practices for relieving tension in the face

Technique √1 — Extended exhalation to relieve tension and smooth out expression lines:

— Take a calm breath in through your nose for a count of 4.

— Slowly exhale through your mouth or nose for 6–8 counts.

— As you exhale, mentally “release” your jaw, lips, eye area, and forehead.

This facial breathing therapy can reduce hypertonicity of the masticatory muscles, restore symmetry, and smooth out the glabellar fold.

Technique √2 — Breathing with jaw relaxation to eliminate clenching and creases on the face:

— As you inhale, gently close your lips without clenching your teeth.
— As you exhale, open your mouth slightly, allowing your jaw and tongue to relax.
— Repeat 6–10 breathing cycles.

This practice helps reduce pressure on the temporomandibular system, reduce asymmetry, and smooth wrinkles around the lips and chin.

Technique √3 — Micro-relaxation of the face during the pause after exhalation:

— Take a calm breath in and exhale slowly. 

— Hold your breath for 2–3 seconds as you exhale, focusing your attention on areas of tension.

— Allow these areas to “dissolve” in calmness and relaxation. 

These are three breathing exercises for the facial muscles that will help the muscles gradually remember a state of rest and restore healthy tone to the tissues. 

A holistic approach to facial therapy

A holistic approach to youthfulness involves working with the breath to release tension in the face using faceplastica and gentle osteopathic techniques. You can learn how to work with these techniques in a comprehensive way at MindBodyFace. During the course, you will learn the principles of eliminating deep fascial clamps, techniques for correcting tissues, bones, and muscles, as well as a method of emotional release through breathing practices. 

With the help of unique faceplastica techniques and emotional work, you can influence the autonomic nervous system, the condition of the fascia and muscles, skin nutrition, the lymphatic system, and skin youthfulness. This is how conscious breathing and facial health work – not as a cosmetic effect, but as a neurophysiological process.

In faceplastica courses, you will learn how to:

• See the connection between the face, body, and breathing
• Eliminate the causes of age-related changes, rather than masking them
• Keep your face in good shape and control your breathing
• Initiate a deep healing and rejuvenating process

Thanks to a systematic approach, you will be able to:

• Restore facial contours and symmetry, remove puffiness
• Smooth out wrinkles and improve skin elasticity
• Reduce bruising and bags under the eyes, improve vision
• Restore straight posture, eliminate “hunchback” and back pain, lengthen the neck
• Support women’s health and gastrointestinal function
• Reduce migraines, improve sleep and nasal breathing
  

Relaxing the face through breathing always precedes working with muscles, bones, fascia, and internal organs. Therefore, with the help of faceplastica techniques, you can relieve stress, remove muscle spasms, and restore youthfulness to the face.