Many women wonder if it’s possible to maintain a youthful appearance naturally as they get older? According to Carme, who has been training her face since she was 35, more than a decade ago, the answer is emphatically yes! After training with the most well-known teachers in facial fitness and Pilates Carme opened her own Facial Fitness and Pilates studio in Notting Hill in 2013, Studio Carme. We spoke to her a few weeks ago about her approach to maintaining a youthful appearance. Here is what we discovered:

AE: First of all, I must ask you, why do you think so many women and men feel it is important to maintain a youthful face and appearance.

Carme: Maintaining a youthful expression is not just about looking younger to the outside world. My approach to this allows one to take control of their identity, their face, which helps them reduce anxiety towards ageing.  Exercising is the most powerful anti-aging method possible for the body and the same applies to the face. As with any workout, your body releases endorphins, the happy hormone, and this means your energy levels increase after a facial workout. In turn this can reduce stress in you and relax your jaw, so that you sleep better at night. Some of my clients might come to me as part of a rehabilitation programme after they have suffered a stroke or Bell’s palsy. There are many reasons why people choose to join my classes that go beyond looks alone.

AE: What should clients expect when they book with you at Studio Carme?

Carme: Clients book private classes with me so they can obtain a personalised FaceToned® workout.  Each face has different issues and clients want to see results quickly. You can book a singles class or a block of 5 or 10 classes and then I teach them FaceToned® routines to include in their daily lives, which is the most difficult part. Clients also have the option to subscribe to online support.

AE: We are continuously bringing marketed and sold various anti-aging products, so how does your approach differ from what you might be able to do at home?

Carme: Most people believe that lotions and treatment help to avoid ageing. Taking care of your skin is essential as it provides moisture to help reduce and delay the appearance of wrinkles. However, skin care should be combined with FaceToned®. Facial ageing is not only about wrinkles, it results from the sagging of the muscles underneath your skin. We all know that skin care does not improve your face’s underlying muscle structure, to do so we need to work out engaging the facial muscles the same way as we do with our body. That means: Can we tone up our biceps? So, the same we can tone up our cheek muscles! Work out those facial muscles, for as little as 15 minutes a day, and you will see increased tone and volume – the key to a more youthful and healthier appearance.

AE: FaceToned® is the name of the service you have developed to maintain facial fitness and appearance. What was the principal behind all of this?

Carme: I developed FaceToned® to apply key Pilates principles to train your facial muscles and working out to the rhythm of the music. FaceToned answers the key concerns that hundreds of clients that have come to my studio asked me: my jowls and neck are sagging, my forehead is wrinkling, my smile line is more prominent … what can I do?

AE: What is the key to successfully practicing the FaceToned® approach?

Carme: FaceToned® uses a variety of isometric, isotonic and stretching techniques to exercise first the core facial muscles and retaining ligaments, and then secondary, but still important ones thereafter. It is essential to learn to isolate the muscles that you want to work on and to relax the rest the same way you do when practicing Pilates.

AE: Importantly, what are the results one could expect and how quickly are you likely to achieve them?

Carme: FaceToned® achieves a non-invasive ‘facelift’ and results are visible in a short period of time and more importantly, long lasting when you work out regularly. This the same as any other part of the body. The programme is a fun and easy way to achieve a natural, healthy and holistic modern beauty routine. After only several workouts, your skin will appear glowing, fresh, healthy, young and relaxed. Improved muscle tone and volume will smooth out the wrinkles above the muscles you have worked out. Overall, the jawline will be more defined, your double chin lessened, cheeks will be fuller, your ‘laughing lines’ will be smoother and the wrinkles in the forehead softer.

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FaceToned® was developed and is taught at Studio Carme in Notting Hill studio to private clients. To book please contact her via her Almost Essential profile here.