Facial Exercises for Smile Lines and Nasolabial Folds

Facial exercises for smile lines work the cheek and mouth muscles around your nasolabial folds, but there is no evidence that they make the folds go away, because smile lines are shaped mostly by anatomy, fat, ligaments and skin, not by weak muscles. What a short routine can give you is a relaxed, toned-feeling mid-face, gentle massage that may make the area look fresher for a while, and a calm daily habit. Below you’ll find what forms smile lines, six exercises with form cues, a gua sha sequence and a 7-minute routine you can follow.

Short answer: what exercises can do for smile lines

Smile lines, or nasolabial folds, run from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth. Exercises can work the muscles around them and make the area feel looser, but they can’t change the structures that create the fold. For what smile lines are, why they deepen and what else helps, see our guide to smile lines.

Here is what a smile-line routine can realistically offer:

• Muscle work in the cheeks and around the mouth. Slow holds engage the muscles you use to smile and purse your lips.
• Relaxation. Many people hold tension around the mouth and jaw without noticing. Stretches and massage can ease it.
• A fresher look for a while. Gentle massage may make the face look less puffy, especially in the morning. That effect is temporary.
• A low-risk habit. A few calm minutes a day, paired with your skincare.

The evidence is thin. A 2014 systematic review found nine reports on facial exercise for rejuvenation; none had a randomised control group, and the authors concluded the evidence was insufficient to judge whether facial exercises work (Van Borsel et al., 2014). The best-known later study is a small pilot in JAMA Dermatology: 27 women aged 40 to 65 enrolled and 16 completed 20 weeks of exercises, 30 minutes a day for 8 weeks and then every other day (Alam et al., 2018). Dermatologists rating standardised photos saw fuller upper and lower cheeks, and the average estimated age fell from 50.8 to 48.1 years. It had no control group and used much longer sessions than most people keep up, so larger controlled studies are needed. For the full picture, read whether face yoga works.

What forms smile lines

Smile lines form where the cheek meets the upper lip, and how deep they look depends on several layers changing together. A 2024 anatomy review describes three main patterns (Hong et al., 2024):

• Too little volume beside the nose. In some faces, the bone next to the nostril sits further back, leaving little fat under the fold and a deeper line.
• Cheek fat that droops. The skin below the fold is firmly attached to the muscle around the mouth, while the tissue above it is looser. With age, the supporting ligaments lose resilience and the fat above the line can sag and bulge against it.
• A crease from the lip muscles. In others, the fold is mostly a crease made by the muscles that lift the upper lip, repeated every time you smile.

Sun damage and smoking speed up skin aging in general, which makes any line more noticeable (American Academy of Dermatology). And smile lines are normal: everyone has them, and they show more on expressive, happy faces.

Muscles around the smile lines

Several muscles of facial expression meet near the nasolabial fold. Many of them attach to the skin, which is why they move your expression (StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf).

• Zygomaticus major and minor. They run from the cheekbone to the corner of the mouth and the upper lip, and draw them up and out when you smile.
• Levator labii superioris. A thin muscle that raises the upper lip; its fibres blend into the muscle around the mouth (StatPearls).
• Orbicularis oris. The ring of muscle around your lips, used to purse, press and close them.

The exercises below work these muscles with slow, controlled holds rather than big, repeated grimaces.

6 face exercises for the smile-line area

Together these six moves take about four minutes. Sit or stand tall with relaxed shoulders and use a mirror the first few times. Holds and reps are suggestions, so adjust them to what feels comfortable.

Safety first: stop any move that causes pain, clicking or strain, and check with a doctor or dentist first if you have jaw joint (TMJ) problems, recent dental work, or recent facial surgery or injectables in the area.

1. Supported cheek smile (about 40 seconds)

1. Rest your fingertips lightly on your cheekbones, with your fingers flat beside each smile line.
2. Smile slowly with closed lips, lifting the corners of your mouth toward your fingers.
3. Hold for about 5 seconds, then release slowly.
4. Repeat 4 to 5 times.

Common mistake: squinting or pressing the smile into a deep crease. Your fingers are there to keep the skin smooth, not to push it.

2. O-Shape Pump (about 40 seconds)

1. Shape your lips into a firm O, as if saying “oh”.
2. Keeping the O, slowly lower and raise your jaw.
3. Feel the stretch through the cheeks and around the mouth.
4. Continue in a slow rhythm.

Common mistake: wrinkling the forehead. If it moves, slow down and relax your brows.

3. Upper lip stretch (about 30 seconds)

1. Open your mouth slightly and draw your upper lip down over your top teeth.
2. Lengthen the area between your nose and lip, as if making a long face.
3. Hold for about 5 seconds, then relax.
4. Repeat 4 times.

Common mistake: tensing the chin and neck. Keep the effort in the upper lip.

4. Cheek puff and roll (about 40 seconds)

1. Close your lips and fill your mouth with air.
2. Move the air slowly from the right cheek to the left, then to the upper lip and lower lip.
3. Keep going for a few slow rounds, then release the air.

Common mistake: puffing so hard that your lips strain. A moderate puff is enough.

5. Fish face hold (about 30 seconds)

1. Suck your cheeks gently in between your teeth, lips pushed slightly forward.
2. Try a soft half-smile while holding the shape.
3. Hold for about 5 seconds, then relax.
4. Repeat 3 to 4 times.

Common mistake: biting the inside of your cheeks. Draw them in without clamping.

6. Smile-line smoothing press (about 40 seconds)

1. Place your index and middle fingers flat along each smile line.
2. Press very lightly and draw the fingers slowly outward toward your ears along the cheek.
3. Lift off, return to the side of the nose and repeat 5 to 6 times.
4. Finish by resting your palms over your cheeks for a few breaths.

Common mistake: dragging dry skin. Use a drop of oil or moisturiser so your fingers glide.

For more lower-face work, our guides to jawline exercises and face yoga for jowls cover the area just below.

Gua sha sequence for the nasolabial area

A gentle gua sha sequence is a pleasant way to finish, and it may make the mid-face look less puffy for a while. Use a clean stone, plenty of facial oil and light pressure throughout.

1. Oil and warm up (20 seconds). Warm a few drops of oil between your palms and press them over your cheeks, mouth area and neck.
2. Hold the stone almost flat. Keep it at roughly 15 to 45 degrees to the skin, so the edge never digs in.
3. Beside the nose, outward (40 seconds). Lay the long edge beside your nostril and glide outward along and just under the cheekbone toward your ear. Three to five strokes per side.
4. From the mouth corner, outward (40 seconds). Start just beside the corner of the mouth and glide outward across the lower cheek toward the ear. Lift the stone at the end of each stroke.
5. Above the upper lip (20 seconds). With the rounded edge, glide from the centre of the upper lip outward to each corner, very lightly.
6. Finish down the neck (40 seconds). From below the ear, sweep down the side of the neck toward the collarbone, keeping it extra light over the throat.

Move in one direction only and never scrub back and forth or press hard into the fold. Skip areas with breakouts, irritation, sunburn or recent cosmetic treatments. For every stroke on the face and neck, see our full gua sha routine.

Your 7-minute smile-line routine

Do the exercises first, then the gua sha sequence.

#	Step	Area	Time
1	Supported cheek smile	Cheeks, mouth corners	40 s
2	O-Shape Pump	Cheeks, around the mouth	40 s
3	Upper lip stretch	Upper lip	30 s
4	Cheek puff and roll	Cheeks, lips	40 s
5	Fish face hold	Cheeks	30 s
6	Smile-line smoothing press	Nasolabial area	40 s
7	Gua sha sequence	Cheeks, mouth area, neck	3 min

About 7 minutes in all. Take a day off if your skin or jaw feels sore.

Want to do this routine with video and a timer? Gluvy’s gua sha video courses guide you through massage strokes like these, step by step.

Habits that matter more than any exercise

If you want to support the smile-line area over the long term, everyday habits carry more weight than any exercise.

• Daily sunscreen. In a randomised trial in Australia, adults under 55 who used sunscreen every day showed no detectable increase in skin aging (measured on the backs of the hands) over four and a half years, while the group using it as they pleased aged measurably more (Hughes et al., 2013). Apply broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher to your whole face.
• Sleep on your back if it’s comfortable. A review of sleep wrinkles describes how pressing the face into a pillow when sleeping on your side or stomach compresses and distorts the skin, and proposes that this may add to facial aging over time (Anson et al., 2016). Sleeping on your back avoids most of that pressure.
• Not smoking. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that smoking speeds up skin aging and causes wrinkles.
• Moisturiser. It helps skin look smoother and makes massage moves glide.
• Keep smiling. Smile lines are a normal sign of an expressive face.

Practise a smile-line routine with Gluvy

If you’d rather follow along than read, Gluvy’s face yoga video workouts turn moves for the cheeks and the lips and mouth into short guided videos with a timer on every step, as part of 3-week plans of 5–10 minutes a day. The cheeks plan and a cheek exercise course focus on this area, and the gua sha courses for the area around the mouth guide you through the strokes. New to face yoga? Start with our 5-minute face yoga routine for beginners, or read our complete guide to face yoga.

Sources

• Van Borsel J, et al. The effectiveness of facial exercises for facial rejuvenation: a systematic review. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2014.
• Alam M, et al. Association of Facial Exercise With the Appearance of Aging. JAMA Dermatology, 2018.
• Hong, et al. Why Do Nasolabial Folds Appear? Exploring the Anatomical Perspectives and the Role of Thread-Based Interventions. Diagnostics, 2024.
• “Anatomy, Head and Neck: Facial Muscles.” StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf.
• “Anatomy, Head and Neck: Levator Labii Superioris Muscle.” StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf.
• Hughes MCB, Williams GM, Baker P, Green AC. Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2013.
• Anson G, Kane MAC, Lambros V. Sleep Wrinkles: Facial Aging and Facial Distortion During Sleep. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2016.
• American Academy of Dermatology. 11 ways to reduce premature skin aging.