Is it Possible to Reduce Face Fat?
With the soft chubby cheeks, the smell of their hair along with their toothless smile, a baby can look angelic. It can fill you up with sheer joy. A round fat face is extremely endearing in a child. As one grows up, going by the fitness and beauty standards of today, it starts to become a less attractive feature in one. A well-defined jawline is a representation of a fit body. Facial fat can be annoying and make one wonder how to reduce face fat?
Actually, the face fat is a result of excess fat deposits around the face area, especially around the jaw, chin, neck area, and cheeks. In medical terms, it is referred to as ‘Moon Face.’ You cannot lose face fat without controlling your overall body weight.
Weight loss is a process and it takes time. Also, you cannot lose your face fat without toning your entire body. Moreover, there is no area-specific weight loss remedy or exercise to lose face fat. You need to work out regularly, maintain a good lifestyle, and cut down on certain excesses to get that sharp and toned look. This article will guide you through everything to help you get that perfect jawline and chiseled cheekbones.
Reasons behind Face Fat
We all have different face shapes and facial structures. Some face shapes like oval or round tend to look chubbier even when you put on a little weight. Face muscles and our bone structure also determine the way we look ultimately.
However, everyone’s body is different, and it stores fat in different areas. Some people might have more fat on their stomach and thighs, while others might have a round face and a lean body.
Some of the reasons that you might be putting on excessive face fat are:
- Genetics and hormonal factors
- Weight gain
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Ageing
- Overdeveloped facial muscles
- The side effects of steroids
- Lack of sleep
- Alcohol
- High sodium intake
- Thyroid
- Poor lifestyle
What is the Difference between Puffy Face and Fat Face?
Waking up to a puffy, swollen face due to lack of sleep, stress, too much salt intake or just a poor lifestyle is very common for many people. Puffy face gradually goes down to its normal shape and size after some time.
Face fat, on the other hand, is somewhat permanent and results of a body type. Weight loss and consistent exercise are the only way to shed those extra kilos around your face area.
Reasons for a Puffy Face:
- Allergic reaction
- Bug bite
- Sunburn
- Food allergies
- Angioedema – a collection of fluid under your face skin
- Too much salt
- Alcohol
- Stress
- Periods
- Thyroid
- Injury
- Dehydration
Ways to Reduce a Puffy Face:
- Put ice on your face in the morning
- Avoid salty food
- Avoid processed food
- Stay hydrated
- Avoid excess alcohol
- Don’t sleep on your belly
- Apply chilled cucumber slices or green tea bags
- Gently massage your face to promote blood circulation
- Use a chilled eye-roller to reduce puffiness under the eyes
Importance of Overall Weight Loss
When you gain weight; excessive fat starts to deposit around your face. There is no specific way to target weight loss to just one part of your body. If you want to lose your excess facial weight, then losing overall body weight is the key. Once you start losing your overall weight, your face will automatically lose fat and become slim.
How to Reduce Face Fat?
1. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is the key to weight loss. Water plays a significant role in weight loss. It helps to flush out harmful toxins from the body. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day to boost weight loss.
2. Include Cardio in your weekly routine
Cardio or any other aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate is perfect for losing those extra kilos. Include running, dancing, walking, swimming, or any other physical exercise that keeps your heart rate high. Cardio is ideal for faster weight loss. Therefore, you would automatically have a slimmer face.
3. Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol is high in calories. Regular consumption of alcohol can lead to facial fat. Thus moderate your alcohol consumption.
4. Reduce Refined Carbs
We all love some good cookies, crispy chips, and a delicious bowl of pasta. However, these refined carbohydrates (Polished cereals and Grains:- Flour like Maida; White Sugar; White Rice) are full of sugar and empty calories. They lead to excessive weight gain and fat storage in the body, including the face.
5. Reduce Sodium Intake
Sodium makes your body retain water which in turn results in bloating and swelling of the body, including the face. Therefore, avoid heavily processed foods (especially meats like sausages, ham, bacon, etc) along with pickles and preserves (which use too much salt) to prevent excess sodium consumption.
6. Get Proper Sleep
Sleep deprivation triggers stress, weight gain, increased appetite and slow metabolism. Thus good quality sleep is paramount to achieving a healthier weight range.
7. Increase Fibre Content
Higher fibre intake can help better with weight loss, as it keeps the body full and reduces sugar cravings. So including whole wheat, multi-grains along with green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes will help to reduce overall body weight.
8. Sleeping Posture and Positions for Agile Facial Muscles
Your sleeping posture is also responsible for that bloated puffy face in the morning. Sleeping while pressing your face against the pillow can lead to fluid build-up and puffiness. Sleep on an elevated pillow to let the lymphatic fluids flow smoothly.
Squeezing your face in the pillow will put excessive pressure on your face and restrict blood flow. Additionally, you can massage your face well before you go to sleep to get that blood flowing. You can try sleeping on your back or side, to avoid putting too much pressure on your face. A correct sleeping posture can help you deal with puffiness and swelling. To sum it up, never sleep without a pillow as a flat posture can cause the lymphatic fluids to collect in your face.
Face Exercises and Benefits
Although facial exercises do not specifically target facial fat, they can help you to strengthen your facial muscles. Facial exercises are extremely easy to perform and you can do them anywhere anytime.
1. Puff Your Cheeks
Fill your mouth with air and hold your breath for 10 seconds. Now, turn the air towards the right cheek and hold it for the next 10 seconds. Do the same with the left cheek. Repeat 10 times. This exercise increases blood circulation in your face muscles, strengthens facial muscles, and tones the face.
2. Raise Your Brows
Place your index and middle fingers together below your eyebrows. Rest your fingers and palm on your face. Keep your eyes open and lift your eyebrows up and down with the help of your fingers. Relax after performing the movement. Perform three sets of 30 seconds each. This exercise helps to remove forehead wrinkles also promotes blood circulation around the eye area.
3. Lip Pull Exercise
Keep your head still and try to lift the bottom lip upwards as far as you can by stretching out the jawbones. Hold the position for 15 -20 seconds. Repeat it 15 times. This exercise gives your face an instant lift and sharpens the jawbones.
4. Fish Face
Suck your cheeks in and make a fish-like face. Stay in this position for 20 seconds. Repeat 20 times. This exercise tones the cheek muscles and gives them a chiseled look.
5. Chew Gum
You can do this exercise with or without chewing gum. Chew your gum or create the effect of chewing gum in your mouth. Do it for 20 seconds. Repeat 15 times. This exercise helps to reduce the double chin and sharpens the jawline.
Summary
Facial fat in most cases is the result of excess weight in your body. You need to lose body weight to lose your face fat. Sometimes genetics also play a role in facial fat. In addition, our body fat distribution is controlled by our genetic factors. In case one is extremely overweight, proper consultation by a certified nutritionist or a trainer is required before starting with any kind of diet or exercise plan. Hormonal imbalance can also lead to facial fat and face bloating.
Genetic factors are not in our control. However, we can definitely alter our lifestyle and lose facial fat quite easily. An imbalanced diet also plays a huge role in contributing to facial fat. Lack of essential nutrients in our diet can cause problems like bloating and water retention in the body.
A proper well-balanced diet is important to ensure a healthy body weight. Include vegetables, fruits, the right amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates to arrive at a nutritionally rich diet plan which will keep you energized, but aid overall weight loss. Besides making small additions like green tea and herbal teas, help you flush out all the toxins from your body.
Exercise regularly, eat clean, sleep well, and do not stress. Moreover, at times, conforming to certain unattainable beauty standards adds to the stress. So, be easy on yourself and do not stress. The Taj Mahal was not built in a day. Work on yourself and embrace your face shape. You will always be beautiful.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A. Like any other body part, the face fat is a function of excess fat deposit. One cannot lose weight in the face of isolation. When one loses weight all over the body, the face shrinks too. However, certain hacks like chewing gums, sucking your cheeks for a few minutes in a day, facial yoga, may complement the overall weight loss effort and keep facial muscles toned.
A. Excess food, irregular sleep, sedentary lifestyle, medication, hormonal imbalance, aging, alcohol consumption, poor sleeping posture, and genetics are some of the parameters that increase body fat. The same reasons are responsible for excess face fat.
A. No exercise can reduce fat from a specific part only. Face fat reduction is directly proportional to overall body fat reduction. Only facial exercises cannot reduce face fat. However, some of them may help in toning and strengthening facial muscles. Any form of regular exercise that helps in overall weight loss, will ultimately impact face fat too.
A. Genetics can be an active contributor to excess face fat. However, to reduce the role genetics play, one can focus on other factors which help offset the same. Better diet, more exercise, better sleep management, less stress, less salt intake, more water intake are factors that can speed weight loss, and consequently, one can have a slimmer face.