Deborah Tosline wrote and published “Skin Remodeling DIY: An Introduction to the Underground World of Do-It-Yourself Skincare” in 2015. Her approach to skin care is based on a scientific background, love of research and over 30 years of DIY skincare experience.

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When I think of skin health, of course I think of clear, velvety smooth, soft skin. Maintaining smooth skin is no easy feat so I practice a variety of techniques including:

• skin remodeling – I use micro-needling, read about it here; I recently began using the Flex Effect Cross Stretching™ method

• smooth underlying fascia – read about fascia remodeling here

• exercise and massage muscles beneath the fascia – check it out here

• maintain smooth soft tissue in the body to reduce pain, discomfort and tension which may be reflected in the soft tissue of the face

Regular maintenance of soft tissue (fascia, muscles and other connective tissue) may relieve and possibly, eliminate pain by massaging, stretching, and strengthening soft tissue. Fascia is connective tissue located beneath the skin and over the muscles. The fascia can become tight and twisted. When this happens, the fascia encased muscle cannot properly stretch and loosen until the fascia is loosened.

The same practices that are used in advanced facial skin care may also be used to maintain soft-tissue health throughout the body. The key elements of this article are:

• it is important to recognize that the body is plastic and may be changed

• a personal example is provided to indicate the level of effort required to remodel the body

• there is a connection between remodeling soft tissue of the body and remodeling facial soft tissue

• it is possible to relieve pain in the head, neck and body using massage, stretching and strengthening

As many of you know, it is exhausting to live in discomfort or pain which impacts how we feel and may show on our face via the skin as it drapes over strained facial fascia and muscles. When I experience discomfort or pain, I strive to use natural treatments. For me, pharmaceutical and over-the-counter medication is a last resort. 

Over the past 4 years, I’ve been treated for various pains by a genius Physical Therapist (PT). My PT educated me and I conducted my own research as I taught myself how to do trigger-point therapy. I slowly compiled massage tools to loosen tight fascia and muscles and help alleviate neck, elbow, knee and ankle pain. I’ve worked diligently to break up muscle knots and smooth rippled fascia using tools that I accumulated over time including a knobby rubbery 3-foot roller, balls of different sizes, Gua Sha, FasciaBlaster®, and other massage tools. 

My genius PT helped me heal each new pain and on yet another return visit she reminded me once again that my posture is wrong. I have Anterior Pelvic Tilt (APT), lumbar hyperlordosis, a condition where the pelvis does not hold a neutral position. My PT would always point it out to me. I would try to remember to change my posture but it was difficult, a little painful and most of the time I forgot. 

This time my PT told me that until I correct my posture, I will continue to have issues and that conditions would likely get worse over time. I knew that changing a life-long wrong posture would take a strong conscious as well as physical effort. At 60, I decided to strive to live pain free in order to maintain strength and flexibility. I embraced the challenge of correcting wrong posture and began a journey to practice a sustainable healthy posture, better suited to a lifetime. I began a slow and steady process to permanently correct my posture.

I think that I have had the APT condition for about 50 years. I remember that when I was in dance from ages 5 to 10 I had lower back pain. I didn’t know what it was and I don’t remember telling anyone. When the dance instructor would ask us to lay down and flatten our back on the floor, I could never do this. I also had lower back pain when standing or walking for long periods. 

I lived with this condition throughout my life, ignoring the pain while being physically active with hiking, walking, biking, yoga etc. for decades.  My body/brain compensated and I developed strength in wrong ways that over time resulted in an imbalance between weak and tight muscles, jacked fascia and improper hip posture which in recent years has led to discomfort, various pains and limited mobility. 

Folks with APT typically have tight quadraceps and lower back muscles and weak abdominal and gluteal muscles which hold the pelvis in a tilted condition. The solution is to loosen the tight muscles and strengthen the weak muscles. Sounds easy. In addition, the fascia must be loosened. 

Now I understand why I’ve never been able to do Pilates - I could never roll my core up off the floor. Before I tried Pilates, I thought that my abdominal muscles were strong. That is what muscle compensation does – helps you do the stuff that you want to do by using alternative muscles. Overtime, this new and wrong compensating arrangement becomes a brain-muscle neural pathway.

I began to try to strengthen my core and gluteal muscles while holding a correct posture and I was too weak to complete the exercises. Internet searches divulged that over time the brain stops communicating with unused muscles and before you can begin to strengthen the muscles you have to wake-up what Dr. Body Gadget refers to as “dead muscles”.

I began efforts to correct my APT posture about six months ago. I will say that it has not been easy. I strive to hold the correct posture as continuously as possible; while walking, hiking, sitting, during yoga, etc. I’ve moved through discomfort and instability as weak muscles wake up and slowly strengthen and tight muscles loosen. The change continues to require a conscious effort combined with fascia and muscle self-massage and continued strengthening.

I’ve experienced positive improvements. In my early 20’s I required knee surgery after a little ski accident. I never fully recovered flexibility in the injured knee. However, after I began fixing my APT I am now able to bend my knee completely and sit on my heels in yoga for the first time in almost 40 years. I can’t believe it; I wasn’t trying to gain more flexibility in my injured knee.

Based on my anecdotal experience, I believe that it is possible to change one’s posture and the body, at any age. I hope to stay pain free into the future by maintaining a correct posture and staying flexible, limber and strong. 

The Dr. Body Gadget website was a helpful reference as I learned about APT.  I’ve followed the advice and recently, I began to wake up “dead muscles”.

If possible, find a knowledgeable PT to help you through the process of assessing your posture and any soft-tissue issues that you may have. My impression is that as great as Doctors are, they don’t really know much about soft tissue. A well-educated PT is able to diagnose soft tissue conditions and develop stretching and strengthening routines that truly heal. 

Maintain a smooth supple body with a consistent soft tissue maintenance program. Check and correct your posture and keep the fascia and muscles smooth and strong. 

Likewise, use soft tissue massage techniques on the face to soften the fascia and muscles beneath lines in the skin. Start and maintain a facial exercise program. Remodel the skin to promote collagen. Smooth/Strengthen/Remodel is your trifecta for maintaining the health of facial skin, fascia and muscles.

If you need more information, go to the library, search the Internet, read my past Blog articles, or get my book “Skin Remodeling DIY: An Introduction to the Underground World of Do-It-Yourself Skincare” 

Take good care of yourselves!

Deborah

This article is intended to be used as general information only and is in no way intended to replace medical advice, be used as a medical treatment program, diagnosis, or cure of any disease or medical condition. There are no warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the effectiveness of the practices described in this article. Products or substances discussed herein are for educational purposes only and are not intended as recommendations of the author.