Face concerns
Original Body Care resourceWritten and reviewed by Mallika Some, instructor at Body Care by Mallika. Open her profile.What helps facial puffiness?
Morning facial puffiness is often lymphatic fluid sitting in the face, not fat that must be 'melted'. Gentle Face Yoga, neck movement and lymphatic-oriented massage can help some women, especially when the face is never exercised. Sudden, painful, or one-sided swelling is not a Face Yoga problem — that is a reason to see a doctor. Salt, sleep, hormones and alcohol also change the face overnight; no exercise erases those in one session.
Written and reviewed by Mallika Some. Last reviewed 2026-09-08. All FAQs.
Why the face holds fluid
Mallika's observation is blunt: most women never exercise the face, so The movement of lymph — a clear fluid — out of tissues. On the face it is often sluggish if those muscles are never moved. there is sluggish. Combined with a clenched jaw and a still neck, fluid has nowhere helpful to go. The work in class is therefore not 'make a fish face until it hurts' — it is movement plus massage, taught slowly.
What to try first
- Sit tall and move the neck before you poke at the cheeks.
- Use light pressure toward the lymph nodes in front of the ear and along the jaw, never dragging the eyelid.
- Practise regularly for weeks, not once after a salty dinner.
Questions students actually ask
Is puffy the same as chubby cheeks?
Not always. Cheek fat, water retention and slack muscle can look similar in a selfie. A teacher looking at you live can usually tell which of those is dominant. Guessing from a filter is how people pick the wrong routine.
Related Body Care resources
- Face Yoga vs facial massage
Face Yoga trains facial muscles; facial massage mainly moves fluid and softens tension. Body Care uses both, for different jobs.
- Face Yoga and menopause
Mallika Some on why she considers Face Yoga especially useful just before, during and after menopause — wrinkles, thinner skin, sagging and puffiness.
- Face Yoga for under-eye bags
Under-eye bags have several causes. What gentle Face Yoga and massage may help, and when the issue is medical or structural.
Want this checked live?
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