Mouth-Corner V Lift

Sit tall at an eye-level mirror. Form a V with each hand — index and middle extended, other fingers tucked. Place only the index pads lightly on the smile-line base just outside each mouth corner — match the cover. Keep middle fingers up as a visual guide, not pressing the cheeks. Soften into a gentle smile that shows upper teeth without straining the eyes. Cue a tiny upward support at both corners at about 2/10 pressure for four seconds. Release two seconds to a soft mouth. Repeat eight times. Do not drag the nasolabial fold hard or yank the corners toward the ears.

• Primary — Zygomaticus major/minor near the mouth corners: light index support plus a soft smile cues upward corner tone.
• Orbicularis oris — Helps the gentle teeth-showing smile without a white-knuckle stretch.
• Neighbors — Keep frontalis quiet so this does not become an eye-squint drill.
• Hand cue — Cover’s V shape: index on the corner, middle finger up and free; thumbs are not under the jaw.
• Contrast — Mouth Corner Finger Lift anchors with thumbs under the jaw; Cheek Smile Resistance uses no finger anchors.
• Keep quiet — Masseter clench and shoulder hike. Soft eyes like the cover are the standard.

Mirror at eye level. Shoulders down. Set the V-hand indexes at the outer mouth corners before the smile support — match the cover.

Inhale as the index pads settle at the corners. Exhale into the soft four-second smile support. Keep the eyes easy — no hard squint.

• Eye-level mirror
• Clean hands; optional light lip balm after the set

1. Form V-hands and place index pads on the smile-line base just outside both mouth corners — match the cover.
2. Keep middle fingers up and free; soften into a gentle teeth-showing smile.
3. Hold a tiny upward corner support for four seconds at about 2/10.
4. Release two seconds and complete eight holds, evening both sides.

• Thumbs under the jaw when the cover shows free hands in a V
• Middle fingers pressing the cheeks
• Yank-and-hold toward the ears
• Forcing a huge grin instead of the cover’s soft teeth show

• Beginner: 5 holds of 3 seconds, smaller smile
• Standard: 8 holds of 4 seconds as coached
• Weaker-corner focus: one extra hold favoring the softer side, then even
• Contrast: finish with one smile without hands to feel the difference

• Release to a soft closed mouth for three breaths
• Optional light outward stroke along the smile line — no scrape
• Lip balm if corners feel dry
• Do not stack another hard perioral isometric immediately

• Supports a less tired mouth-corner line
• Trains a clear V-hand landmark beginners can repeat
• Pairs well with morning midface routines
• Helps break hard rubbing along the smile line

• People noticing soft or downward mouth corners
• Beginners who like a clear V-hand landmark
• Anyone pairing midface work with a gentle smile cue
• Men and women — lip shape varies; the outer-corner index cue stays

• Active cold sores or broken skin at the mouth corners
• Early days after lip or smile-line filler until cleared
• Acute dental infection that worsens with smiling
• Anyone advised against perioral pressure

• Dragging the smile line into accordion folds
• Pressing middle fingers into the cheeks and stealing the cue
• Over-smiling until the eyes squint hard
• Only training one corner and leaving asymmetry

• Morning after cleansing before makeup
• Before a social day when mouth corners look tired
• After screen blocks when the lower face feels flat
• Skip on cracked lip corners or active cold sores

• During cold-sore flares or cracked corners
• Right after aggressive peels around the mouth
• When the area is bruised or freshly injected