Athena Vale
Cheek muscles, also known as facial fat, can be annoying and challenging to get rid of. While there is no area-specific weight loss remedy, there are several ways to reduce cheek muscles and achieve a slimmer face. This includes making subtle changes to your diet, such as reducing sodium and sugar intake, and increasing fibre intake. In addition, regular exercise, including facial exercises, can aid in weight loss and tone the face.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Losing weight overall | Contributes to a slimmer face |
| Exercise | Cardio or aerobic exercise, such as a 12-week aerobic exercise program, can help reduce body fat |
| Diet | Reduce sodium and sugar intake, increase fiber intake, and eat whole foods |
| Facial exercises | Fish face, neck roll, moving jaws as if eating with the mouth closed, and more |
| Tools | Microcurrent devices, such as the FOREO BEAR™, can help stimulate and tone facial muscles |
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What You'll Learn
Reduce sodium and sugar intake
While it is not possible to target weight loss in a specific area of your body, losing weight in general can help slim down your cheeks. To lose weight, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and cut down on your sodium and sugar intake.
Firstly, it is important to understand that sodium and salt are essentially the same thing. While our bodies do need sodium for normal bodily functions, excessive consumption can cause high blood pressure, leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Over time, consuming excess sodium dulls our taste buds, causing us to add more salt to our food and equating saltiness with tastiness. This prevents us from tasting the natural flavours of food.
To reduce your sodium intake, it is recommended to start reading labels. The Nutrition Facts label on food packaging shows the exact amount of sodium and added sugars in each serving. A daily value of 20% or more for sodium or added sugars is considered high. Most of the sodium in our diet comes from processed foods and restaurant meals, so cutting down on these can significantly reduce your sodium intake. When buying packaged and prepared foods, compare labels and choose the product with the lowest amount of sodium per serving. Different brands of the same food can have varying sodium levels. It is also recommended to choose fresh and frozen poultry that hasn't been injected with a sodium solution.
Additionally, be mindful of condiments such as soy sauce, bottled salad dressings, dips, ketchup, jarred salsas, capers, mustard, pickles, olives, and relish, as they can be loaded with sodium. Look for reduced-sodium or lower-sodium versions of these products. Canned vegetables labelled "no salt added" and frozen vegetables without salty sauces are also good options. If you don't like the taste of lower-sodium foods, try combining them with regular versions in equal parts. You can also cook pasta, rice, and hot cereal without adding salt; the other ingredients will likely provide enough flavour.
In terms of sugar, it is often added during food processing to enhance flavours or act as a preservative. These added sugars are mostly empty calories that provide little to no nutrients and should be consumed in moderation. The recommended sugar intake is no more than 10% of our daily energy intake, which is about 10 teaspoons (50g) of sugar based on a 2000-daily calorie intake. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing this further to 5 teaspoons (25g) of sugar per day for additional health benefits.
To reduce your sugar intake, similar to sodium, it is important to read labels and be aware of the amount of added sugars in each serving. Cooking at home instead of eating out can also help reduce your sugar intake, as most sugar comes from processed foods and restaurant meals.
In addition to reducing sodium and sugar intake, incorporating facial exercises into your routine can help tone your facial muscles, increase fullness in your cheeks, and improve facial rejuvenation, contributing to a slimmer facial appearance.
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Chew gum and suck cheeks
While it is important to note that there is limited research on the effectiveness of facial exercises for fat loss, some sources suggest that facial exercises may help tone facial muscles, increase fullness in the cheeks, and improve facial rejuvenation, contributing to a slimmer facial appearance.
Chewing gum is one such exercise that may help reduce cheek muscles. Chewing gum can strengthen the masticatory muscles, which are the muscles that help you chew. However, it is important to note that while these muscles may get stronger, it will not change how your jawline looks. That's because the muscles involved in the chewing process are mostly in the cheeks and neck, not the jawline.
Additionally, chewing gum excessively can lead to potential side effects. For example, it can cause tooth problems, such as enamel demineralization and cavities, especially if you chew sugary gum frequently and for long durations. It can also lead to digestive issues, weight gain, and joint pain, including in the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), which connects the jaw to the skull. Furthermore, frequent gum chewing may cause tension in the jaw, neck, and head muscles, contributing to headaches.
Therefore, while chewing gum and sucking your cheeks may provide a slight workout for your facial muscles, it is unlikely to create visible changes to your cheek muscles or jawline. If you are concerned about the appearance of your jawline or reducing cheek muscles, it is recommended to speak with a medical professional about safe and effective options.
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Facial yoga
While research is still ongoing, some studies have shown positive results. In one study, participants aged 65 to 87 performed facial yoga exercises for 30 minutes twice a week for 12 weeks. The exercises included facial yoga, muscle stretching, abdominal breathing, and rhythmic facial movements. The results indicated improved mental health, facial expression, and tongue muscle strength. Another study of 16 women aged 40 to 65 showed improvements in facial appearance, particularly in the fullness of the mid-face and lower face.
There are several facial yoga exercises that you can try to target the cheek muscles specifically. One such exercise involves tilting your head back and pushing your chin forward, feeling the stretch in the jaw muscles near your ears. This can help reduce the appearance of laugh lines around the mouth. Additionally, making a fish face by sucking in your cheeks and holding for a few seconds can help tone the cheek muscles.
It is important to note that facial yoga should be practised consistently for several months to see results. Experts recommend practising up to six days a week for around 30 minutes each day. Additionally, while facial yoga can have benefits, it should be complemented by a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular cardio or aerobic exercise, to effectively reduce cheek muscles and improve overall health.
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Aerobic exercise
While aerobic exercise is not specifically mentioned in the sources, it is well known that aerobic exercise is a key component of any weight loss journey. As such, aerobic exercise can be an effective way to reduce cheek muscles and slim the face, as part of an overall weight loss strategy.
The only healthy, nonsurgical way to reduce facial fat is through overall weight loss, achieved through a combination of diet and exercise. While there are cosmetic procedures such as cheek liposuction, fat transfer surgery, and dermal fillers, these are expensive and come with associated risks.
Facial exercises, or face yoga, are often touted as a way to slim and tone the face, and while there is little clinical research to support these claims, some studies have shown promise. One such study showed that regular facial exercises made women appear three years younger after 20 weeks. Experts recommend that if you do wish to try facial exercises, they should be performed 6 to 7 times per week for the best results.
Some examples of facial exercises that can be performed to reduce cheek muscles include:
- The fish face exercise: Suck your cheeks and lips inwards and try to smile. This tones and stretches the cheek muscles, making the face sleeker and less flabby.
- The chin-lift pose: Tilt your head upwards, tighten your lips, and push them forward as if trying to kiss the ceiling. Hold for a few seconds, release, and repeat. This exercise reduces chubbiness and tones the facial muscles.
- The cheekbone lift: Place your fingers over each cheekbone and gently lift the skin until it feels taut. Then, open your mouth to form an elongated "O," and hold this pose for a few seconds.
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Overall weight loss
While it is not possible to target fat loss in specific areas of the body, adopting healthy lifestyle habits can contribute to overall weight loss, which may include a reduction in cheek fat. Losing weight in your cheeks requires long-term changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Drink More Water
Drinking more water is important for weight loss. A small 2018 study found that drinking water before a meal decreased the number of calories consumed during the meal. Drinking water can also help prevent water retention, which can lead to puffiness and bloating in the face. Aim for 72 ounces or eight glasses of water per day to prevent unnecessary bloating and swelling in the face.
Reduce Salt and Sugar Intake
Consuming too much salt and sugar can cause your body to retain water, leading to puffiness and bloating in the face. Reducing your intake of salty and sugary foods can help prevent fluid retention and facial puffiness.
Cardio Exercise
Cardio, or aerobic exercise, is any physical activity that increases your heart rate. Cardio exercises are effective in burning fat and can be performed at low, moderate, or high intensity. Studies show that low- and high-intensity workouts have a similar effect on total fat loss, although high-intensity workouts can achieve results in a shorter time frame.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for weight loss. Sleep deprivation can contribute to weight gain and fat storage by affecting hormones involved in hunger management, such as cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin. Lack of sleep can increase levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and lower levels of the hormone leptin, which signals to the body that it is full.
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Frequently asked questions
Cheek muscles can be reduced by cutting down on sodium and sugar intake, which can cause water retention and bloating in the face. Performing facial exercises, such as sucking in your cheeks and lips to make a "fish face", can also help tone and stretch your cheek muscles.
There are several facial exercises that can help reduce cheek muscles and get rid of double chins. One example is to sit down comfortably, place the tip of your tongue against the upper wall of your mouth, and push your tongue forward until you feel a stretch in your neck. Another exercise is to fill your mouth with air and move the air from one side of your mouth to the other.
It is recommended to perform facial exercises 3-5 times a week for around 20 minutes each session. For faster results, you can repeat the exercises throughout the day.
