This easy technique can help you stop snoring — and also give you a natural face-lift
Facial fillers can lift and plump, but what if a simple workout could achieve similar results without the needles?
Enter myofunctional therapy, a noninvasive technique that uses targeted exercises to strengthen and retrain the muscles of the mouth, tongue and face.
Celebrity nutritionist and best-selling author Dr. Nicholas Perricone digged into the method in his latest book, “The Beauty Molecule: Introducing Neuroceuticals, the Breakthrough for Ageless Beauty,” spotlighting its potential to naturally enhance facial tone — and even reduce snoring.
The natural path to better sleep
Perricone first stumbled upon the benefits of myofunctional therapy while searching for a solution to his sleep apnea, a common condition that disrupts your nightly rest with frequent breathing disruptions.
There are different types of sleep apnea, but it’s usually triggered when the muscles in the back of the throat relax too much, causing a blockage or collapse of the upper airway and cutting off airflow during sleep.
Beyond the noisy, persistent snoring that can cause tension between bedfellows, untreated sleep apnea can take a serious toll on your health. It increases the risk of serious problems like heart failure, stroke, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes and, in some cases, it can even shorten your lifespan.
A growing body of research suggests that myofunctional therapy can help ease the effects of obstructive sleep apnea. In a 2015 study, scientists found that the exercises reduced symptoms like snoring and low oxygen levels by 50% in adults and 62% in children.
“It was no surprise to me to learn that when functioning and used properly, the muscles of the tongue, throat and face can reduce obstruction to the airway,” Perricone wrote. “This approach made a lot of sense to me, because it would help the body to heal naturally.”
An unexpected side effect
Through a colleague, Perricone was introduced to Joy Moeller, a myofunctional therapist who’s been practicing since 1980. He enrolled in her course, which involved a series of exercises targeting the tongue and mouth.
Perricone said he was already “well on his way” to curing his sleep apnea when he learned about how the practice can also give your appearance a boost.
“The idea of this therapy’s ability to alter facial aesthetics held great appeal,” he wrote.
“With age, we lose the anatomical positioning of our facial muscles,” Perricone told The Post. “Instead of staying short and tight, the muscles become long and relaxed, resulting in a sagging face.”
But he said that myofunctional therapy can target and tone those muscles, keeping them firm and more resistant to aging — no fillers or face-lifts required.
“As time passed, I noticed several positive changes in my appearance along with restored functional breathing,” Perricone wrote.
“Myofunctional therapy is effective for working facial muscles, restoring anatomical position and youthful contours, and restoring the muscle structure of the face, throat and neck area,” he continued.
Beyond helping with sleep apnea and giving your face a lift, there’s evidence to suggest that myofunctional therapy can help with problems like speech disorders, swallowing difficulties, misaligned teeth, jaw pain and even headaches.
Ready to give it a shot?
There’s no shortage of myofunctional exercises out there — and some might sound a little offbeat (we’re talking inflating balloons, blowing into party horns and even playing didgeridoos).
But don’t be fooled, there’s science behind the quirky tongue and mouth moves.
A certified myofunctional therapist can evaluate your needs and design a customized plan to retrain the right muscles. But if you’re curious and want to try it yourself, you can start with a few basic exercises at home.
Dr. Brandon Peters, a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist, shared a few simple moves you can do in your bathroom mirror with Verywell Health. They include:
Tongue touches: Press the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, just behind your top teeth. Push up and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Roll tongue: Fold the edges of your tongue toward the middle (like a taco shell), stick it out as far as you can and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Touch chin: Try to lick the bottom of your chin. Hold your tongue out for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times.
Touch nose: Now, try to touch the tip of your nose with your tongue. Same deal — hold for 10 seconds, relax and repeat.
