Face Yoga vs. Injectables
Let's talk about something I hear quite often from women considering face yoga: "Will this actually work as well as fillers or Botox? Can anything natural really deliver results?"
It's a fair question! In our "quick-fix" culture, we're often led to believe that only medical interventions can create noticeable changes in our appearance.
But here's what I want you to understand: Face yoga isn't about competing with injectables—it's about offering a different path entirely.
As a certified Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method instructor, I've seen firsthand the remarkable transformations that can happen when women (this includes me) commit to this practice. But the journey—and the results—look different from what you might expect from injectable treatments.
Comparing face yoga to Botox and fillers
Let's make an honest comparison:
Injectables (Fillers & Botox):
Work immediately or within days
Temporarily paralyze muscles (Botox) or add volume (fillers)
Results last 3-6 months before needing repeat treatments
Can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars per session
May create a "frozen" appearance that limits expression
Can sometimes lead to a uniform look that doesn't honor your unique features
Face Yoga:
Works gradually over weeks and months (although most people begin to notice subtle changes within a week!)
Naturally tones muscles and improves circulation, which tightens and brightens the skin attached
Creates sustainable, cumulative results improve over time
Costs nothing beyond learning the techniques
Preserves and enhances your appearance while fully maintaining all of your expressiveness
Celebrates and works with your unique facial structure
I remember how excited I was as a young TV news anchor to discover the “miracle” of Botox. I loved how fast it worked and how smooth and unlined my forehead became. I kept it up for years (even though I found myself having to go back more and more often to maintain my results).
Eventually, I left television and started a business writing and teaching about mindfulness, sustainability, and Earth consciousness.
That’s about when I began to realize I needed a beauty protocol that was more sustainable than Botox treatments—both for my wallet and my overall health.
Plus, as I approached menopause and the rest of my face continued to age, the “frozen” look of my forehead was becoming too much of a contrast. It had started to look “fake”. (Not surprising, since it actually WAS.)
But after about three months of consistent face yoga practice (just 10-15 minutes most days), I noticed something interesting: While the changes were not as immediate and dramatic as Botox, they were real results and they felt way more authentic. I stopped looking like someone who “had work done” and started looking like a healthy, happy, well-rested midlife woman. The lines in my forehead DID smooth themselves out, but in a way that looked way more natural.
That's the beautiful distinction of face yoga—it enhances you rather than altering you.
Now, I want to be perfectly clear: I believe every woman has the right to choose whatever approach to beauty feels right for her. There is absolutely no judgment here about injectables or any other beauty choice.
In fact, many of my students actually combine approaches—perhaps using face yoga to extend the time between Botox appointments, or to address areas of the face that cannot be treated by injectables. Face yoga works beautifully as a complement to other practices.
What I now believe matters most is finding an approach that:
Makes you feel good in your skin
Aligns with your values and budget
Creates results you genuinely love
Feels sustainable for your lifestyle and the long term
For myself and many of my students, face yoga checks all these boxes, offering a gentle yet effective alternative to more invasive approaches—one that honors the natural beauty of their changing faces.