How people treat you might be influenced by your baby face. People tend to associate a baby face with immature, childlike traits, according to research published in a 2008 paper in Social & Personality Psychology Compass. Instead of being seen as imposing and powerful, people find you cute and approachable. (ref 1, under “Impressions Created by Variations in Babyfaceness

Fortunately, there are many methods that can promote long-lasting weight loss and make your face look slimmer in the process.

8 Effective Tips

Here are eight efficient ways to get rid of facial fat you don’t want, as well as some quick tips for long-term weight loss prevention.

1. Do Facial Exercises

Facial exercises can be used to improve facial appearance, combat aging, and improve muscle strength (1Trusted Source).

Anecdotal evidence suggests that including facial exercises in your routine can also tone your face’s facial muscles, giving your face a slimmer appearance.

Some of the most well-known exercises include puffing out your cheeks and pushing air from side to side, puckering your lips on opposite sides, and holding a smile while clenching your teeth for a period of time.

Although evidence is limited, one review reported that facial exercises may build muscle tone in your face (2Trusted Source).

Another study showed that performing facial muscle exercises twice per day for 8 weeks increased muscle thickness and improved facial rejuvenation (3Trusted Source).

Be aware that there isn’t enough research on how well facial exercises work to reduce fat in particular. To determine how these exercises might impact facial fat in humans, more research is required.

SUMMARY

Facial exercises could give the appearance of a slimmer face by toning your facial muscles. Despite the paucity of research, one study found that performing facial muscle exercises increased muscle thickness and facial rejuvenation.

2. Add Cardio To Your Routine

Overweight body fat frequently leads to facial fat accumulation.

Fat loss and body and facial slimming are both benefits of losing weight.

Any physical activity that raises your heart rate is referred to as cardio, or aerobic exercise. It’s widely regarded as a very efficient weight-loss technique.

Multiple studies have found that cardio can help promote fat burning and increase fat loss (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

What’s more, one study found that women with obesity experienced greater fat loss when they engaged in more cardio exercise (6Trusted Source).

Try to get 150–300 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week, which translates to 20–40 minutes of cardio per day (6Trusted Source).

Running, dancing, walking, biking, and swimming are a few popular cardio exercises.

SUMMARY

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, can help slim down your face by encouraging fat loss and fat burning.

3. Drink more water

Water consumption is essential for good health in general and can be particularly beneficial if you’re trying to reduce facial fat.

According to studies, drinking water can help you feel full longer and help you lose weight.

In fact, one small study found that drinking water before a meal significantly decreased the number of calories consumed during the meal (7Trusted Source).

Drinking water may momentarily speed up your metabolism, according to additional research. Increasing the number of calories you burn over the course of the day can help boost weight loss (8Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Increasing metabolism momentarily while consuming fewer calories is possible with water. In order to avoid facial bloating and swelling, it may also lessen fluid retention.

4. Limit Alcohol Consumption

It’s acceptable to enjoy the occasional glass of wine with dinner, but excessive alcohol consumption can be one of the main causes of fat storage and bloating.

Alcohol contains mostly empty calories, meaning that it is high in calories but lacking in important nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals (9Trusted Source).

It also has a diuretic effect, which means that it makes you produce more urine. Dehydration and water retention are potential outcomes (10).

Additionally, certain hormone levels that affect appetite and hunger may be affected by alcohol, according to some research. For example, it may reduce levels of leptin, a hormone that promotes feelings of fullness (11Trusted Source).

What’s more, studies show that heavy drinking could increase inflammation and may be associated with an increased risk of weight gain, increased belly fat, and obesity (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

The best way to prevent alcohol-related bloating and weight gain is to limit your alcohol intake.

According to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate drinking is defined as up to two drinks per day for men and up to one drink per day for women (14Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Alcohol consumption in excess can lead to weight gain, including in the face. Additionally, it might result in dehydration, water retention, and diminished feelings of fullness.

5. Cut Back On Refined Carbs

Cookies, crackers, and pasta are examples of foods high in refined carbohydrates that frequently cause weight gain and increased fat storage.

These carbohydrates have undergone extensive processing, which depletes them of their beneficial nutrients and fiber and leaves them with only sugar and calories.

They have a very low fiber content, so your body digests them quickly. This leads to spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels and may make you more likely to overeat (15Trusted Source).

One study in 277 women showed that a higher intake of refined carbs was associated with a higher risk of obesity and greater amount of belly fat (16Trusted Source).

The effects of refined carbohydrates on facial fat have not been directly examined in any studies. However, replacing refined carbs with whole grains may help increase overall weight loss, which may also aid facial fat loss (17Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Refined carbohydrates can raise blood sugar levels, encourage overeating, and cause fat to accumulate. Making the switch to whole grains could speed up the reduction of facial fat.

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6. Get Enough Sleep

Sleeping more is a key component of a comprehensive weight loss plan. It might also aid in your facial fat loss.

The stress hormone cortisol can be elevated as a result of sleep deprivation. High cortisol levels come with a long list of potential side effects, including weight gain (18Trusted Source).

Studies have shown that high cortisol levels can increase appetite and alter metabolism, resulting in increased fat storage (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

As an added bonus, getting more sleep could aid in weight loss.

One study found that better sleep quality was associated with successful maintenance of weight loss (21Trusted Source).

Conversely, studies show that sleep deprivation can lead to increased food intake, weight gain, and decreased metabolism (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

For best results in weight management and facial fat loss, aim for at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

SUMMARY

The metabolism can be affected by lack of sleep, which can also lead to increased food intake, weight gain, and cortisol levels. Therefore, getting enough sleep may accelerate the loss of facial fat.

7. Watch Your Sodium Intake

Most people’s diets primarily rely on table salt as their main source of sodium. It can be added to food with a shaker, but it can also be passively consumed as a component of prepared or processed foods, sauces, and other common condiments.

Bloating is a common sign of eating too much sodium, and it can cause swelling and puffiness in the face.

That’s because sodium causes your body to hold on to extra water — this is called fluid retention (24Trusted Source).

Several studies have shown that a higher intake of sodium can increase fluid retention, especially in people who are more sensitive to the effects of salt (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).

Processed foods account for more than 75% of sodium intake in the average diet, so cutting out convenience foods, savory snacks, and processed meats can be an effective way to reduce your sodium intake (27Trusted Source).

Your face might look slimmer if you consume less sodium.

SUMMARY

Your face’s bloating and puffiness may go down if you consume less sodium, also known as salt.

8. Eat More Fiber

Increasing your intake of fiber is one of the most well-known suggestions for losing cheek fat and slimming your face.

Fiber is a component of plant foods that your body doesn’t absorb after you eat them. As a result, you feel fuller for a longer period of time as it passes slowly through your digestive system. In this way, it can help curb cravings and decrease appetite (28Trusted Source).

In one study in 345 people with overweight and obesity, higher fiber intake was associated with increased weight loss and helped people stick to a low calorie diet (29Trusted Source).

Another review of 62 studies suggested that eating more soluble fiber may reduce both body weight and waist circumference, even if you don’t restrict your calorie intake (30Trusted Source).

A type of fiber called soluble fiber reacts with water to create a gel. Beta glucan, which is present in cereals like oatmeal, barley, and others, is one popular type of soluble fiber in the diet.

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and other foods naturally contain fiber.

Ideally, you should aim to consume at least 25–38 grams of fiber per day from these food sources (31Trusted Source).

How To Prevent Facial Fat

There are several important long-term habits and broader lifestyle changes you can use to help prevent weight gain and fat accumulation in the long run:

• Eat a balanced diet. Following a healthy diet that includes plenty of nutrient-dense foods — such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes — can help you maintain a moderate weight and support your overall health (32Trusted Source).
• Exercise regularly. Experts generally recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week to improve health and prevent weight gain (33Trusted Source).
• Consume processed foods in moderation. Not only are processed foods typically high in calories, sodium, and added sugar, but they have also been linked to an increased risk of weight gain over time (34Trusted Source).
• Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is a simple but effective way to manage your weight and prevent excess facial fat (8Trusted Source).
• Get plenty of sleep. Some research suggests that better sleep quality could improve long-term weight loss maintenance (21Trusted Source).
• Try to control your stress levels. Stress can lead to increased appetite, cravings, and difficulty staying active, all of which can lead to weight gain. Stress reduction techniques such as yoga and meditation may be beneficial (35Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Long-term weight loss and excess facial fat can be avoided by maintaining a healthy diet, being physically active, getting enough sleep, and managing your stress levels.

Can Fat Be Lost Just From The Face?

Although losing excess body fat may help reduce the amount of fat in specific body parts, such as your face, there is little proof to back up the idea of spot reduction, or fat loss targeted to a particular area.

In fact, several older studies have found that spot reduction is not effective for increasing fat loss in a specific body part (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source, 38).

This is due to the fact that fat cells are stored all over your body and that they can all be burned as fuel when you exercise.

These fat stores can come from any part of your body, not just from the specific area you’re exercising (39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source, 41).

Therefore, it is best to concentrate on overall fat loss and weight loss, which can result in a reduction in excess facial fat, rather than trying to lose fat only from your face.

Targeting Baby Fat On Your Face Is Impossible

It is simply impossible to target any area of your body for fat loss. Even if you exercise a particular area frequently, your body does not burn fat from that area. All over your body, there are fat cells that you mobilize for energy. Once the fat is mobilized, metabolic processes convert it into glycerol and free fatty acids, which can be used as energy.

When there is a discrepancy between calories consumed and calories burned, your body burns more of its fat reserves for energy. Facelifts and other facial exercises that claim to melt fat are ineffective at mobilizing fat deposits because they don’t require much energy.

When coupled with a low-calorie diet, cardiovascular exercise that works the major muscle groups, such as brisk walking, swimming, and cycling, burns a lot of energy and can cause your body to use its fat reserves as a source of energy, resulting in weight loss. Your whole-body efforts may result in weight loss in your face.

Facial Fat And Aging

Subcutaneous fat makes up the majority of your face fat, which naturally loses volume as you get older. Collagen, a protein that supports your skin’s elasticity, naturally breaks down as you age, so there is no need to hurry the process. You’ll notice a decrease in the volume of your chubby cheeks as this typically begins to happen in your mid- to late-20s.

But don’t rush into any drastic weight-loss plans because you don’t want to lose your youthful roundness. Extreme weight loss can prematurely age you by giving you a face that appears gaunt, droopy, and hollow in the eye sockets.

Facial Fat And Aging

Your face has a lot of subcutaneous fat, which naturally loses volume as you get older. However, you must wait for collagen, a protein that supports your skin’s elasticity, to naturally break down as you age. You’ll notice a decrease in the volume of your chubby cheeks when this typically starts to happen in your mid- to late-20s.

The Bottom Line

You can use a variety of techniques to lessen the appearance of facial fat.

Altering your diet, increasing your exercise regimen, and making some lifestyle changes are all effective ways to reduce fat and weight, which may also help to slim down your face.

To support weight management and enhance overall health, combine these suggestions with a balanced diet and consistent exercise for the best results.