In The News

Envisage Facial Exerciser
By: Sheree-Lee Olson     Globe and Mail
November 6, 2004


Okay, maybe it looks like a hair band gone south. Or a bra strap gone north. But don't be put off by appearances. This little baby could put the roses back in your cheeks -- and a whole lot more.

The brainchild of Toronto physiotherapist Anita Lorelli, the Envisage facial exerciser promises to tone the cheeks, chin and forehead -- all for $45. Using a combination of latex pads and elastic straps, it works the underlying muscles of the face to lift and strengthen.

After one five-minute session, I felt like I'd laughed for an hour.

Facial toning goes back centuries. Yoga poses such as the Lion, which involves sticking out your tongue and goggling your eyes, increase blood flow, as does traditional Chinese massage. Yet in a culture obsessed with looks, no one does chin stretches any more.

The grand dames of Hollywood knew better. But while their beauty routines involved useful isometric exercises, Lorelli says the real secret to success is resistance. "All the research shows that muscles do better with resistance," she says.

With 18 years of experience, most of it running her own clinic, Lorelli knows how to target specific areas of the body. In the past, she specialized in chronic back and neck pain, notoriously hard to treat. Eventually, she decided she could target the face. "I kept seeing women come in who had had Botox and facial surgery and I thought there has to be a better way."

It took a year and a half of experimentation to come up with her better way. It involves about five minutes of exercise twice a day for the first month, then once a day. The device is configured differently for three exercises: the cheek lift, the forehead firmer and the chin smoother. There are also instructions for two more exercises, for lip and eye areas, that require nothing but your time.

What kept her going were early positive results. "It was dramatic after a month. Eyelid folds changed quite a bit and facial folds improved." You can see for yourself on Lorelli's website ( http://www.envisageface.com ), which features before-and-after shots of some of the seven women, aged 29 to 64, who took part in the study.

And don't despair if you think you've left it too late. The really surprising thing, Lorelli says, is that it was the 64-year-old who showed the most dramatic improvement.

Anita Lorelli will be at the National Women's Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend. She will speak today at 2:30 p.m. For information, visit http://www.nationalwomenshow.com .

Sheree-Lee Olson     Globe and Mail