Angela, 37WA
Program typeWeight loss medication
Weight Lost10kg
Results shown5 weeks
What is face fat?
When you gain weight, some of the fat can accumulate on certain body parts, such as your arms, legs, abdomen, and face. Face fat, specifically subcutaneous fat, is essentially excess fatty tissues that accumulate under the skin, making it appear rounder and fuller.[1] This outer layer of face fat can be lost through proper and healthy dieting and exercise, unlike buccal fat.
Does buccal fat naturally go away?
Buccal fat refers to the fat between the cheekbones and jaw bones. It does not naturally go away.[2] It is a fat that doesn’t reduce with age or weight loss, as it is a deep fat pocket that makes up the shape of your face.[3] Instead, the roundness of your face could be attributed to several factors besides genetics, such as:
- Being overweight
- Sleep deprivation
- Being dehydrated
- Consuming too much salt or sodium
- Poor sleeping positions.
It isn’t necessarily your buccal fat making your face look fuller, but the excess accumulation of subcutaneous fat from each of these can contribute to your face looking chubby or rounded. So, it is important to consult your doctor to better understand your questions about how to lose facial fat and other health concerns in an effective manner.
At Mosh, we can connect you to our network of AHPRA-registered doctors and match you with the doctors that can help you address your health concerns. They may help you better understand your concerns about having a chubby face and what its underlying factors could mean for your overall weight loss journey. Our health practitioners may even offer evidence-based recommendations based on what you tell us about your concerns.
Your Mosh doctor may recommend certain exercises to help your face appear slimmer or lifestyle changes to improve your health and tackle your main issue of facial fat.
Can exercising help me lose face fat?
When it comes to understanding how to lose face fat, exercise is generally highly recommended. This helps reduce overall body fat and can help reduce the subcutaneous fat on your face.[4] Since the extra fat in your face is typically the result of excess body fat from the rest of your body.[5]
Though there is a lack of studies on the effectiveness of facial exercises for fat loss, there is some research that specifically targets building and toning facial muscles which can help reduce facial fat and make your face appear slimmer.[6]
It is recommended to undergo a general lifestyle change through improvements in exercise, diet and mentality, which can lead to better overall health besides reducing the fat on your face.
Some lifestyle changes that you can implement in your daily life that will help you reduce excess facial fat long-term include:
- Performing cardio in your fitness routine can help promote fat burning and increase fat loss
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Reducing refined carbs and excess sodium intake
- Get enough sleep and having a healthy sleep schedule and environment
- Managing your sources of stress.
If you’re unsure about anything at all such as how to exercise to lose weight, Mosh offers free, unlimited medical consultations so that you can easily and quickly get updates on your health concerns. Our doctors will be there every step of the way to support you and get you feeling confident about your face. If necessary, our doctors may even suggest certain medications, evidence-based treatments, or routines that will help achieve your desired result.
We will never force you to undergo any treatment plan or medication that you don’t feel comfortable with. After all, at Mosh, we want to bring you quality services that serve you for the unique person you are.
What types of exercise should I do to lose face fat?
While exercise can generally help you lose excess body fat and reduce the amount of fat in certain body parts, including your face, there is no supporting evidence for the notion of spot reduction or targeted fat loss in a specific area.[7] So instead of focusing on learning how to lose arm fat or how to lose belly fat, it is recommended that you generally spend more time being active and incorporating different cardio exercises, such as:
- jogging or running
- jumping rope
- swimming
- skating
You could also improve the effectiveness of exercise by staying properly hydrated. It is recommended that you cut out soft drinks and other sugary drinks from your diet.
Instead, you should drink more water. Research shows drinking plenty of water is a simple yet effective way to increase your metabolism, so you burn more calories throughout the day.[8]
While there isn’t any evidence to support targeted fat loss in any body part, including the face, there is one study that showed completing facial exercises helped to add muscle definition.[9] Facial exercises such as:
- holding air in your mouth and pushing your cheeks out.
- puckering your lips in the middle and then alternating your pucker from side to side.
- holding a big smile while clenching your teeth together.
- stretching your neck out while pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
However, when it comes to determining how to lose face fat, it is important to note that there is no evidence to suggest that facial exercises reduce facial fat and that you can only lose fat through diet and full-body exercises like cardio. These facial exercises are a good way to enhance your results.
If at any point you feel as though your current doctor may no longer be a good fit for you, Mosh’s network of doctors may be able to find someone who is. Once you’ve found an expert who suits your needs and has a relevant background, we offer a range of support services for our Moshers.
We provide free, unlimited medical consultations via text or video check-in so you can know how to lose face fat safely and ask other health-related questions.
