Is your face suffering from burnout?
Do friends keep asking you if you’re feeling okay? If so you may have Resting Stress Face – RSF? Worryingly, you might not even be aware of it – but others will as it will be written all over your face.
I see it all the time at our clinic with patients’ mouths curled downwards, eyes furrowed, a tense jaw and lips a little pursed, all signs of RSF caused by facial muscle contraction and the body being in a constant state of fight or flight.
The combination of three coronavirus lockdowns, the current financial crisis , disrupted sleep patterns and a rise in screen time has had a rather distressing effect on our looks with our faces showing signs of stress, exhaustion and fatigue.
And, sadly, when the facial muscles set into a resting stress face we end up with an expression that looks permanently grumpy, just plain miserable – or both.
As we age, too, we tend to move our faces in the same way over and over again, which exacerbates the problem. Eventually, this constant tension can lead to changes that not only impact our skin but will lead to other habits that you may not even be aware of.
Furrowing the brows all the time for instance, leads to deep wrinkles between the eyebrows, while unconscious teeth grinding during the day or at night, known as Bruxism, can lead to an enlarged jawline, a lopsided smile caused by damage to the teeth, not to mention lines from screwing up our faces because of pounding headaches.
Other signs our face is under stress include sore lips and gums from constantly licking and chewing the inside of our mouths, while clenching the teeth leads to Temporomandibular Joint dysfunction (TMD), a group of painful health problems that affects the jaw joint and the associated muscles in the neck making the face look pained and worn out. Little wonder RSF is on the rise.
But now we know we’re wearing our stress all over our faces, what can we do about it? Relax. It’s easier than you think. Here’s how to fight facial burnout. A “resting relaxed face” might be closer than you think.
Stay aware of your facial movements
Changing any facial habits, will take time and practice. Start thinking about your face when speaking or watching the news, driving the car, and exercising. Try not to screw it up and if your muscles feel locked in, let them soften. Facial massage along with gadgets to tone cheek and neck muscles, and Pilates or Yoga-style workouts to lift and stretch the complexion will all help relax the face.
