Prioritize Overall Fat Loss
Melting fat specifically from your face is not possible because, from a scientific perspective, spot reduction is nothing but a myth.
There is no magical exercise that can specifically target your cheek and chin fat unless you reduce overall body fat. Because the body melts fat from a layer, and hormones and genetic factors control where to store and release fat.
Research shows that when the body starts burning fat, the face fat melts slightly faster than other body parts. Because the facial fat subcutaneous fat layer is very thin. As a result, when you cut down your calories and do exercise, you see faster results on your face, chin, and arms. It tightens your facial skin, creates a sharp appearance, and removes your double chin.
A study was published in 2021. The research was done with MRI, and it found that when the participants reduced 15% body weight, their facial fat also reduced by around 13-15%.
Surprisingly, mostly face fat is brown adipose tissue, which is metabolically active. That means it activates with movements. Also, when you target this, it raises the heat generation and increases the fat-burning process.
There are three things that you have to focus on to accelerate the process.
- Stay on a calorie-deficient diet regularly.
- Maintaining a balanced diet with micro and macro nutrients.
- And follow a healthy lifestyle routine.
That’s how, when you start focusing on overall fat percentage, your face fat will eventually start melting.
Combine Cardio and Strength Training for Faster Fat Burn
Cardio and strength training are the two most powerful weapons for fat loss. The specialty about these two is, when you combine them, you can burn 800-900 extra calories regularly.
Zone 2 or aerobic cardio helps to burn fat directly. Because when you perform this for a long time, like 30-45 minutes or sometimes an hour, then your body has no other option but to use fat for fuel.
Moreover, strength training increases the muscle size, and muscle is very expensive to maintain. As a result, your body needs to spend extra calories to preserve them.
Research shows that those who have more muscle usually have a more active metabolism. Which means they burn calories without doing anything.
There is no big separate muscle in our face that we can target with any exercise. So, the best option is to increase metabolic rate with strength training.
A 2015 study shows that those who do strength training at least for 3 days are less likely to accumulate fat compared to those who try to reduce fat with just cardio.
Some best cardio activities are running, cycling, burpees, brisk walking, and more. On the other hand, compound strength training like dips, pull-ups, squats, deadlifts, and bench press is best for building muscle. This prolongs the calorie-burning process
Collagen-Rich Food and Supplement to Reduce Face Fat
Collagen is mainly the reason that keeps you younger. But the saddest part is, our collagen production declines as we get older. It’s a kind of protein that helps to maintain our skin’s health and elasticity.
Less collagen will cause you to have saggy skin, puffiness, and a dry look. Also, it affects the shape of your face, especially around your jawline and cheeks.
You should keep some food in your diet to fulfill the collagen requirement. Like bone broth, baby chicken, fish, egg white, and also vitamin-rich fruits like orange, strawberry, and papaya. Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen production.
If you can’t get this from food or an extreme deficiency. Then a collagen supplement might be the best option for you. But if you want collagen to work more effectively, then it’s important to stay hydrated, fix your diet, and do resistance training at the same time. And remember, collagen is not a miracle, but it’s an important part of your overall skin care routine.
Cut Refined Carbs and Avoid Sugars
You’ll see immediate results if you can cut sugar just for 14 days. Also, avoid refined carbohydrates and reduce carbs, like white rice, bread, cake, cookies, soft drinks, and alcohol, and some other products that you use on a regular basis have these two ingredients.
Because these increase your glucose and also spike the insulin level. Insulin is a storage hormone. When your body forces it to spike, this starts to store the extra glucose as fat in different parts of your body. That’s why if someone consumes this on a regular basis, their face always seems swollen, puffy, or heavy. On top of that, it causes your heart, liver, kidneys, and even your brain.
Besides accumulating fat, they increase the inflammation and retain water on your face. For that reason, your face looks bloated, and the double chin gets heavier.
A 2018 study was published in the BMJ Open Journal. It shows that glycemic index-rich food increases inflammation markers than average. As a result, your facial skin looks dull, and its overall structure looks undefined.
So, from now on, start to buy less processed natural food from the grocery store, like brown rice, fresh green veggies, nuts, and fruits. Their glycemic index is low and takes longer to digest. Plus, it has anti-inflammatory ingredients like fiber and flavonoids. As a result, it reduces the swelling on your face, stabilizes your insulin level, and reduces the tendency of fat accumulation.
Stay Hydrated to Naturally Slim Down Your Face
If you forget to complete your water requirement or drink less water every day, then you’re the reason for your bloated face. Because if you stay dehydrated, then your body always stores water for future survival whenever you drink. And this retention creates swelling on your face.
Another great benefit of staying hydrated is, it always keeps your liver and kidneys active and helps to flush out toxins, which means it keeps your body’s clearing process in check. And it’s important because toxin increases inflammation.
Also, people with dry and dehydrated skin always look older, because their face looks saggy. And hydration provides nutrition to your skin from the inside. Water helps to maintain fluid balance in the body’s cells. As a result, your skin looks tight, smooth, and glowing. Plus, water keeps your body cool, which works as a natural face contouring, and your facial structure looks more focused and refreshed.
A 2016 clinical review shows, those who drink 2-3 liters of water every day have less tendency to accumulate fat on the face. So, if you want to keep yourself healthy and fresh, don’t just depend on skin products because cleaning from the inside is more important than you think.
Do Regular Facial Exercises
You’ve to keep your facial muscles strong and tight like other muscles. Facial exercises strengthen your cheeks, which helps to reduce puffiness.
Exercises like chin lift, blowing up the cheeks, and widening the eyes stimulate the blood circulation. This increases the elasticity and improves firmness.
Research shows that doing facial exercises for 20 weeks strengthens your facial muscles, makes it sharper, and gradually starts to removes age spots. By increasing blood flow, it also improves your skin health. Practicing this every day removes facial fatigue, and your face starts to become fresher and more vibrant.
But keep in mind that you will eventually see the result when you include this with your strength training and fat loss program. Because if your diet and resistance training are not properly balanced, you won’t notice any remarkable results.
Ensure Quality Sleep to reduce face fat
Sleep plays the primary key role in balancing your metabolism and hormonal balance. Lack of sleep increases the cortisol level, and cortisol increases the tendency to accumulate more fat. On the other hand, good quality sleep boosts your metabolism and helps in short-term fat burn.
Moreover, a lack of sleep not just stops fat accumulation but also removes the tendency to develop puffiness, dark circles, wrinkles, and fine lines. These are important to control because they increase your signs of aging gradually.
Stay away from any kind of blue light. Turn off your laptop and mobile at least one hour before bad. Try some meditation and breathing techniques before bedtime. It will relax your mind and increase the melatonin production. On top of that, it maintains your natural sleep pattern and eventually improves your sleep quality. So, it’s proven that a good sleep quality is mandatory for your facial health and overall fitness.
Limit Sodium Intake to Prevent Water Retention
If your face looks puffy even after drinking enough water, then the problem is something else. Consuming an excessive amount of salt may be the reason for your swollen face. Sodium maintains the balance of your fluids. And when you take more sodium, your body stores more water around the tissue to thicken the density.
And it isn’t necessary to consume direct salt because foods like chips, fast food, preserved food, soup mix, instant noodles, and other packaged food contain too much sodium. Some research shows that the human body flushes out excess water when it gives up salt within 3-7 days. And you can directly see the result on your face.
Less sodium intake doesn’t just mean less water. It also reduces high blood pressure, kidney stress, improves your hormonal balance, and reduces cancer risk. According to WHO, a normal human sodium intake should not go upper than 2000 mg. But generally, we consume more than double this amount. As a result, it creates chronic water retention.
Moreover, you can see the result within a couple of days if you stay on a low-sodium diet and consume homemade food and fresh fruit.
Stop Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol increases water scarcity in your body. As a result, it retains excessive water. This retention directly affects your face and chin. It puts pressure on your liver, which reduces your metabolic rate and starts accumulating fatty liver. Moreover, when your liver can’t function properly, your body can’t flush out toxins. Plus, it builds up inflammation and bloating.
Also, alcohol reduces the absorption power of your essential vitamins and minerals. As a result, it makes your condition worse. You’ll see wrinkles and fine lines at a very young age. It also disturbs your hormonal balance. So, if you’re a regular consumer, try to quit this habit gradually.
Manage Your Stress
Don’t bring your office stress home. Stress increases cortisol levels, and cortisol is a catabolic state hormone. Though it has some benefits, like helping to produce quick exergy but it harms you if the level stays higher for a long time. It increases fat storage, especially around your stomach and facial area.
High amounts of cortisol lead your body towards insulin resistance. As a result, it starts to store more calories as fat. Another big problem with cortisol is, it makes you feel more hungry, and eventually you’ll lose control of your appetite.
Also, stress disturbs your sleep quality, imbalances your hormones, and increases inflammation. These reasons are directly connected to the accumulated fats around your face and chin. Studies show that building up the habit of controlling mental stress reduces cortisol levels. You can try yoga, meditation, or do something that you love to do (reading, going to the gym, spending time with nature).