How to Slim your Face

By Geelda

Today we will be discussing ways to slim down the face. I am one of those people who naturally gain weight / have more volume on my face. A lot of people say I am lucky because this gives a more youthful appearance as you age, but you don't always feel cute look when you feel like you're starting to develop a double chin.

A lot of people have baby fat in their face in their early adulthood and the face slims down as they age, while others notice skin laxity causing excess skin under their chin as they age.

Some people are a lot more prone to this regardless of their weight. Genetics, posture, age, and weight can all play a part in developing a double chin. Your diet can also cause water retention in the face (e.g. eating too much fats, carbs, and sodium). If you are someone who wants to find ways to have a smaller and slimmer face, this blog is for you!

What you can do at home:

• Facial exercises - There are exercises you can do at home to help strengthen your facial muscles. Some tools can also help with muscle stimulation to help lift the skin (e.g. microcurrent skincare devices). Learning how to do a lymphatic drainage massage with a Gua Sha can not only help eliminate toxins, fluids and waste naturally, but it will also tame facial puffiness.

• Staying hydrated - Since our body is made up of up to 60% water, it's very important to be drinking enough of it (2-3L per day) for our organs to function properly. Water is known to decrease calorie intake and temporarily increase metabolism. It may also reduce fluid retention to prevent bloating / swelling in the face.

• Cardio exercise - Any type of physical activity that increases your heart rate is considered a highly effective method for weight loss. Cardio is also known to be great for your heart by improving circulation, which results in lowered blood pressure and heart rate.

• Limit alcohol and salt consumption - Alcohol contains mostly empty calories, causing it to be one of the biggest contributors to fat accumulation and bloating. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is the best way to avoid alcohol-induced bloating and weight gain. Higher sodium intake can promote water retention and suppress digestive efficiency, which can lead to bloating. Dietary Guidelines recommend adults limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day, so it is a good idea to know how much sodium you are consuming in each meal (especially if it's not made at home).

• Eat less refined carbs - Carbohydrates that have been heavily processed strip away their beneficial nutrients and fiber which leave little behind besides sugar and calories. Replacing refined carbs with whole grains may help increase overall weight loss, which may also aid facial fat loss.

• Get enough sleep - Sleep deprivation can cause an increase in levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Studies have shown that high cortisol levels can increase appetite and alter metabolism, resulting in increased fat storage. We all should ideally aim for 8 hours of sleep nightly. Easier said than done, and I know a lot of people struggle with this (including myself). I think aiming for at least 7 hours is fair and doing whatever you can to give yourself enough time to relax / wind down and be able to fall asleep before you start staring at the clock. The last thing you want is to feel stressed before going to bed, and this can also prevent you from falling asleep.

• Eat more fiber - You should aim to consume at least 25–38 grams of fiber per day from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes. Your body does not absorb fiber after you consume it. It moves slowly through your digestive tract, which can help curb cravings. Most high-fiber foods tend to be low in calories, sugar, and fat, so they are generally healthy. When eating high-fiber foods one may feel fuller and thereby less inclined to overeat.

Treatments for facial slimming at AE.R:

Now that we have gone over things to do at home, we can talk about what can be done in the clinic to slim down your face and / or add definition to your jawline.

• Trusculpt ID - This is an FDA-approved, noninvasive body contouring procedure, clinically proven to permanently eliminate fat cells by an average of 24% per 15-minute treatment. It is an effective way to target fat cells in your chin and reduce the appearance of fat or sagging skin. You would need at least 3-4 sessions (depending on your starting point) to see results, and you will notice the most obvious results 3 or 4 months after your first treatment session because it takes time for the body's immune system to break down fat cells in treated areas.

• CoolSculpting - This is a method of fat removal where the fat cells are frozen. This essentially blocks blood and oxygen from reaching the cells, killing them off. In order to be a good candidate for this treatment, you would need a certain amount of fat (pinchable) that will fit into the CoolSculpting applicator.

• Chin and jawline filler - Jawline filler can balance the face overall, minimize jowls, and sculpt the mandible and chin. Contouring the chin and jawline requires about 2 to 4 syringes on average, but this also varies from person to person depending on their starting point and end goal. Your nurse injector will go over all of this with you and determine how many syringes are ideal during your consultation

• Belkyra / Lipodissolve - This is a minimally invasive treatment designed to reduce the appearance of a double chin by eliminating submental fat. The key ingredient is deoxycholic acid, which is a substance that occurs naturally in the body and can help break down fatty tissue. Your body’s natural metabolic process can then remove the fat cells from your system. How many sessions you would need varies from person to person depending on their starting point and end goal. Most patients need no more than 2 sessions in order to achieve what they are looking for, but in some cases your injector may recommend 3 or 4.

• Masseter botox - The weakening effect of Botox reduces the size of your masseters. This creates a slimmer V-shaped jawline. When used for this purpose, masseter Botox is also called jaw reduction or masseter reduction. This is a great option for someone who wants a smaller face in general, but it is often used to help alleviate and prevent involuntary movements of bruxism (teeth grinding).