Facial Yoga

Holiday gatherings with friends and family are just around the corner. You may not have seen these people in a while, maybe not since last Christmas, and you might be concerned about your appearance.

Looking a little haggard lately?

Are those little smile lines beginning to look less like the signs of many happy experiences and more like wrinkles?

Want to look better without suffering from Botox paralysis and drooling egg nog all over your made in China, battery-powered Christmas sweater?

Want to have a more wide awake look without going the Nancy Pelosi eye-popping face lift route?

Here's a suggestion:

Facial Yoga

For people who deem needles too scary and surgery too drastic, the latest anti-aging fad may appeal: facial yoga. Based on the premise that facial muscles, like any other muscle, need exercise to stay toned, enthusiasts of facial yoga say the regular practice of making kissy faces or wagging one's tongue can reduce worry lines and wrinkles — and even create a little peace within.

...At least one student thinks the practice has taken a few years off her face. "I look at myself now and say, 'That old lady is leaving,'" says Irene Elmore, who has been attending Hagen's class for about a month. "You can see the difference around the eyes and forehead."

Its fountain-of-youth allure is quickly gaining facial yoga a following in health clubs and yoga studios across the U.S. Leta Koontz holds Fresh Face Yoga workshops at her Pittsburgh studio for a mostly female clientele that ranges in age from 30 to 70. Koontz packs her sessions with inversion positions, arguing that keeping the head lower than the heart increases youth-giving blood flow to the face. "It's like natural Botox," she says. "Stress shows on our face, probably more than any other place on our body."

I don't know if I buy this.

It sounds like snake oil to me. But if you believe it works, you probably think you see a younger looking you in the mirror.

There are risks to dipping into this latest fountain-of-youth.

While stretching may tighten tired faces, dermatologists warn that good form is key. "If someone were doing a bizarre contortion, they could spasm. They might actually cause permanent damage," says Dr. Min-Wei Christine Lee, director of the East Bay Laser and Skincare Center in Walnut Creek, Calif.

Spasm and permanent damage -- That sounds scary.

Instead of spending time doing facial yoga, I think it would be better to use that time volunteering and helping others in need.

Focus on something besides wrinkles and they'll disappear. No need to take a facial contortion class to reveal one's inner beauty.