A fat face is often due to genetics, overall weight gain, water retention from salt/alcohol/dehydration, poor sleep, and an unhealthy diet high in processed foods, but it can also be caused by hormonal changes or, rarely, medical conditions like Cushing's, leading to roundness, puffiness, or fuller cheeks from fat/fluid buildup. Lifestyle changes, including a balanced diet, exercise, hydration, and better sleep, can help reduce it, alongside weight loss, notes this article from Medical News Today.
If you want to lose chubby cheeks, the following lifestyle changes will help:
Facial fat can be influenced by genetics, water retention, and overall body composition. Even if you're skinny, your body stores fat differently, and some people naturally retain more in their face.
Here are 8 effective methods to help lose fat on the face.
Reduce your salt intake: Too much salt (sodium) can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases swelling. Try to eat less processed foods. Drink more water: When you're dehydrated, your body holds onto more fluid, leading to swelling. Make sure to drink plenty of water every day.
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Non-surgical treatments like Kybella or Ultherapy can reduce facial fullness, but the results are usually more subtle and take longer to show up. Surgery offers more dramatic and immediate changes, especially for those with significant fat or loose skin.
It's recommended to consume at least eight glasses of water daily to keep your skin looking its best. Moreover, drinking water is a simple yet effective method to help manage face fat. Hydration also plays a significant role in promoting healthy, glowing skin.
Facial development continues through your late teens, with buccal fat typically increasing between ages 10-20. After that, it slowly decreases until about age 50. Removing this fat too early or too late can lead to undesirable results as your face continues to change naturally with age.
Facial fat has an adverse effect on the jaw definition and submental area. The extra submental fat forms a double chin and degrades the appearance of your face and neck. According to research, a submental cervical angle ranging from 90 to 105 degrees is considered to be attractive.
“When you sleep on your side, you're applying constant pressure to one half of your face,” she explains. “That repeated compression can gradually soften the fat pads in the cheeks, creating the appearance of volume loss and etching in fine lines or creases that don't always disappear by morning,” she explains.
Weight gain is typically the cause of facial fat, and your diet plays a critical role. People who eat food with saturated fat and transfats tend to gain weight overall, and the face is no exception. Lack of an adequate amount of exercise can also lead to weight gain and fat deposits in the face.
Cold water can also reduce facial puffiness by constricting blood vessels, temporarily making the face appear slimmer. However, for long-term fat reduction, a caloric deficit through diet and exercise remains essential.
Diet and exercise: If you're carrying extra weight, losing body fat can naturally slim down your face. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help reduce overall fat, including in the face.
At 22% body fat, men often have a softer midsection, less muscle definition, and a healthy but not overly lean look, while women typically appear athletic and toned, with some ab definition visible when flexing and definition in arms and legs, sitting in the "fitness" or "average" range for both genders, though visual appearance varies by individual.
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High levels of the stress hormone cortisol can cause the face to gradually swell into a rounded shape and is often the result of prolonged use of corticosteroids, Cushing syndrome or other underlying medical issues.
| No Sugar, Sugar Detox, Quit Sugar, Dr Sethi | You cut out sugar for just two weeks, here is what you will notice. Your face would look less puffy as insulin driven water retention decreases. Your belly would feel flatter as insulin levels fall often before the scale moves.
Facial swelling can be more pronounced if you get too much or too little sleep. It's also an expected side effect if you have surgeries or sustain injuries that involve your face, jaw or neck. Common face swelling causes include: Allergic reactions, including hay fever, bee stings or food allergies.
Notice a rounder face, puffier cheeks, or even a subtle double chin? This could be a type of PCOS-related puffy face—also known as “moon face” thanks to the full moon shape. Hormonal imbalances and chronic inflammation can cause swelling (read: fluid retention) in the face, Dr. Kopelman says.
Moon face is a condition that causes a round, puffy-looking face due to an accumulation of fat deposits on the sides of the face. It is not a disease, but it can be a symptom of a medical condition or a result of taking certain medications like glucocorticoids.