Having a rounder, fuller face is often simply down to genetics. But if you’re hoping to slim down some of the fullness in your cheeks and jawline, there are holistic steps you can take. Targeted exercise and facials won’t spot-reduce fat in the face, but an overall healthy lifestyle can help create subtle changes over time.
Accepting Your Natural Facial Shape
Before making any changes, it’s important to embrace your natural facial shape. Full cheeks and a rounded jawline are beautiful features that plenty of people would love to have. Drastic methods like buccal fat removal surgery come with risks and should not be undertaken lightly.
If you do hope to gently refine your face’s contour, any approach should focus on overall wellness, not chasing an unrealistic ideal. Maintain realistic expectations, stay patient through gradual change, and consult a doctor before attempting anything extreme.
Understanding the Causes of Facial Fullness
Genetics play the biggest role in facial fat distribution. “Some people just have rounder faces and others have thinner faces,” says registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix. You might be fighting your DNA if you’re trying to seriously slim your face.
Along with bone structure and natural fat composition, age impacts facial fullness. “As we get older, we lose collagen, elasticity, bone mass and fat pads in our faces,” says dermatologist Dr. Angela Lamb. “This can make the face appear more slender.” Youthfulness often coincides with rounder facial features that slim over time.
Outside factors like salt, alcohol, medications, and bloating can also temporarily add puffiness. Consulting a doctor can identify whether any medications are contributing. Limiting dietary sodium, alcohol and gas-producing foods may help too.
Overall body fat percentage strongly correlates with facial fat as well. “There are no exercises to spot-reduce face fat,” says trainer Joe Holder. But losing body fat through diet and exercise will slim the face too.
Adopting Facial Slimming Lifestyle Changes
While instant fixes don’t exist, developing long-term healthy habits can refine facial contours over time. Here are some holistic tips:
Hydrate frequently: Drinking plenty of water prevents dehydration and bloating. Herbal teas offer added antioxidants. Infusing water with fruits, vegetables or herbs adds flavor.
Reduce sodium: Limiting processed foods and restaurant meals can cut sodium. This helps minimize water retention. Be mindful of soy sauce, canned items, cured meats and frozen dinners.
Follow a balanced diet: Emphasize whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats from nuts, seeds and fatty fish. Limit sugar and refined carbs that can cause spikes and crashes in energy and appetite.
Increase fiber intake: Fiber from produce, whole grains and beans promotes satiety, aids digestion and supports weight loss. Make sure to increase fiber gradually and drink extra fluids.
Exercise regularly: Cardio, strength training and yoga all burn calories and reduce overall body fat percentage. This in turn slims the face. Weight training also builds metabolism-boosting muscle.
Get enough sleep: Not getting the recommended 7-9 hours per night can throw off hunger-regulating hormones. Prioritize proper rest for health, wellness and easier weight management.
Manage stress: Chronic stress raises cortisol, which can increase facial fat. Try relaxing activities like brisk walks, yoga, deep breathing, journaling or mood-boosting hobbies. Consider speaking to a therapist if needed.
Limit alcohol: Alcohol is dehydrating and the extra calories can contribute to weight gain. Moderation is key – the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than 1 drink daily for women and 2 for men.
The Role of Overall Weight Loss
For most people, losing body fat is the most effective way to slim the face. This requires an overall calorie deficit through diet, exercise, or both. The exact approach depends on your current weight, activity level and health status.
Safe weight loss falls within 1-2 pounds per week. Crash diets and extreme calorie cuts often backfire long-term by slowing the metabolism. Work with a doctor or registered dietitian to create a plan tailored to your needs.
Calorie counting can provide accountability for some people. Use online TDEE calculators to estimate your maintenance calories, then aim for a 300-500 calorie deficit. Track intake via food journals.
Incorporating more activity speeds up calorie burn. Even light exercise like walking helps. But also continue strength training to maintain muscle mass. This keeps the metabolism elevated.
Take body measurements and photos to track subtle facial changes over time. The number on the scale may not budge, yet you could still be losing fat and gaining lean tissue through diet and exercise.
Be prepared for plateaus too. If progress stalls for 1-2 months, adjust your calorie target. Our needs change over time. Patience and persistence are key.
Consulting a Doctor Before Radical Measures
For those who have reached a moderate weight and still seek facial slimming, non-invasive procedures may be options, depending on individual factors. Still, these treatments come with risks and may provide subtle improvements at best. Thoroughly research any methods under consideration and consult board-certified dermatologists or plastic surgeons.
Injectables like Sculptra can stimulate collagen production to plump up sagging skin. Ultrasound or radiofrequency treatments like Ultherapy and Thermage aim to tighten skin. But results vary widely. Multiple expensive sessions are usually needed, with upkeep treatments.
More invasive surgical procedures like a facelift, neck lift, buccal fat removal or chin implant could refine facial contours. But these require anesthesia and substantial recovery. Surgical outcomes are never guaranteed, and the risks must be carefully weighed. Thoroughly investigate practitioner expertise and before/after photos of their work before scheduling any consultations.
For optimal safety, only consider surgery or injections after reaching a stable weight. Continued weight fluctuations can impact results. Developing sustainable nutrition and lifestyle habits should be the priority before exploring medical treatments.
Embracing Your Unique Beauty
Regardless of your facial shape, your beauty emanates from within. Nurture your body and soul through nourishing foods, activities you enjoy, positive relationships and self-care. Define beauty for yourself rather than society. And know that the face you see today will continue evolving throughout your life’s journey.
