Watching your favourite films could be accelerating the signs of ageing.

Watching your favourite films could be accelerating the signs of ageing.

Experts believe the faces we pull while watching thrillers or horrors, as well as laughter during comedies, could be making contributing to the age lines on our faces.

A study of 2,000 Brits found that over the course of the average horror film, fans will contort their face in fear 11 times, while thrillers will see viewers pull a shocked, tense or surprised face nine times.

And the average comedy will involve 11 bouts of laughter.

According to Dr Harry Singh, from beauty and wellness brand FOREO, repeating these expressions could be adding to frown lines and crow's feet.

He said: “When we express a shocked look we activate the evaluator muscles of the forehead, known as the frontalis.

“By repeating this expression and strengthening this muscle, we develop horizontal lines across the forehead.

“Squinting is another common expression used as a coping mechanism during violent or distressing scenes, and requires the activation of a number of muscles, including both the eyes and depressor muscles.

“This double whammy of muscle over-activation might result in frown lines and crow's feet around the eyes, which when repeated over a five-year period could again result in 50 per cent worse lines developing around the eye area.”

FOREO conducted a practical test to see how three popular films - Insidious, Bridget Jones’ Diary and BirdBox - affected the faces of viewers.

During Insidious, viewers were found to react with shocked facial expressions an average of 20 times over the 104 minute-long film.

According to Dr. Harry Singh, repeated viewings of Insidious over a five-year period could result in 50 per cent more lines on the forehead.

When reviewing the facial expressions of people watching hit comedy Bridget Jones's Diary, participants laughed or smiled an average of 115 times throughout the film.

And Netflix film BirdBox saw on-edge viewers frowning up to 50 times during the tense 124 minute-long movie.

Dr. Harry Singh added: “Laughing could result in nasolabial folds, which are the folds that run from the corners of the nose to the corner of the mouth.

"It can also encourage crow's feet, which again, over a five year period could result in worsening by up to 40 per cent.

“Excessive smiling also requires the contraction of the muscles around the eyes known as the orbicularis oculi.

“The overexertion of this muscle will result in excessive lines and wrinkles around the eyes, as well as nasolabial folds, which, if maintained over a 10 year period may also result in worsening by 40 per cent.”

It comes after a study named nineties cannibal classic The Silence of the Lambs, which saw Sir Anthony Hopkins star in his defining role as psycho killer Hannibal Lecter, as the nation’s most gripping thriller.

Stanley Kubrick’s psychological re-imagining of Stephen King’s novel The Shining is considered to be the scariest horror, due to Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance as mad groundskeeper Jack Torrance.

On a lighter note, the romantic trials and tribulations of Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’ Diary was named the film most likely to get Brits laughing.

Nora Zukauskaite from www.foreo.com, said: “There’s nothing wrong with frown or laughter lines.

"But we also want to inform people that implementing an effective skincare regime is important when considering how best to care for the skin before and after a heavy movie marathon session.”

TOP 20 MOST GRIPPING THRILLER FILMS

1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. The Sixth Sense
3. Die Hard
4. The Bourne Identity
5. The Terminator
6. Aliens
7. Taken
8. Jaws
9. Seven
10. Mission Impossible
11. Psycho
12. Shutter Island
13. The 39 Steps
14. The Dark Knight
15. BirdBox
16. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
17. Rear Window
18. Fatal Attraction
19. Gone Girl
20. Mad Max: Fury Road

TOP 20 FUNNIEST COMEDY FILMS

1. Bridget Jones' Diary