Facial yoga: the latest craze to reduce wrinkles

According to fans of facial yoga, however, stretching your face into outlandish grimaces reduces wrinkles and worry lines.

Enthusiasm is already mounting in America, and may now increase here thanks to the publication of a book showing you what faces to pull if you want to gurn back time.

Scroll down for more...

New York instructor Annelise Hagen, pictured demonstrating some techniques above, suggests dozens of exercises to stretch and tone the muscles.

One favourite, which claims to leave you looking good - but does nothing of the sort while you are in the midst of it - is The Lion, for which you leave your tongue hanging out and roll your eyes upwards.

Miss Hagen encourages class members to hold the position for a full minute.

She jokes: "You can do this any time. It really helps you get a seat on the train."

Other exercises include: Kiss the Ceiling: Tilt your head back and try to kiss the ceiling.

Repeat four times. "Firms the jaw, neck and throat and plumps the lips."

The Brow Lift: Raise the muscles above the eyebrows and use your fingers to smooth out the resulting forehead wrinkles. Raise eyebrows 20 times. Repeat. "Firms the forehead."

The Satchmo: Puff both cheeks with air, then transfer the air from cheek to cheek until you run out of breath. Repeat four times. "Keeps cheeks strong and supple."

The Crow, Crow Go Away: Smile, and place a finger on the crease coming from each eye. Then pulse your lower eyelid muscles against the resistance. Repeat 20 times. "Reverses droop in lower lids, uncreases crow's feet."

The Marilyn: Visualise throngs of admiring fans and blow kisses. Repeat four times. Then do the same while adding resistance by pressing two fingers lightly against your puckering lips. "Creates firmer lips."

According to Miss Hagen, facial muscles become weak and flabby just like other muscles and need regular workouts.

"I'm teaching my students to consciously release muscles rather than paralysing them, which is what Botox does," she said.

Others are unconvinced.

Dr Richard Elias, a New York facial surgeon, said: "If you have a wrinkle or a frown line, relaxation isn't going to erase that. If you make the muscles in your face bigger it will not make sagging skin tougher or tighter, nor will it help remove fatty deposits.

Only a face-lift can do that."

Scroll down for more...

However, it's not as easy as it sounds as these ladies on YouTube illustrate...