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How To Lose Face Fat – 8 Effective Methods To Help You In 2024

Updated on - Written by
Medically reviewed by Kimberly Langdon, MD

how to lose face fat
8 Effective Methods To Help You Lose Fat In Your Face. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

Unlike a bulging tummy, you can not hide a chubby face. Chubby cheeks look cute and maintain their youthful appearance as you age.  

However, wanting a more defined facial structure is understandable. There are a couple of tricks you could try to lose fat in your face. 

8 Effective Methods To Help You Lose Facial Fat

Strategies that could help you get a slimmer face include:

  1. Drink lots of water 
  2. Begin cardio workouts 
  3. Reduce your sodium intake 
  4. Eat more fiber 
  5. Get some sleep 
  6. Reduce your alcohol consumption 
  7. Try facial exercises 
  8. Improve your diet 

Spot training to lose weight in a single body part is impossible. However, with the right techniques, you could encourage fat loss in your face and achieve a more contoured look. 

Most face slimming techniques involve promoting weight loss from your whole body that reflects in your facial structure. 

When you gain weight, some of the extra fat goes to your face. Hence, as your body begins fat burning from your weight-loss attempts, you should begin seeing changes in your face. 

Other face-slimming techniques work by combating bloating and water retention. Fluid retention and bloating could make your face appear fuller. 

How To Lose Face Fat With 8 Effective Methods

Drink Lots Of Water 

how to lose face fat
Drinking lots of water could also help with a slimmer face by reducing water retention and bloating. Photo: Shutterstock

Drinking lots of water could also help with a slimmer face by reducing water retention and bloating

You have probably heard it more times than you can count. Nevertheless, we will say it again: 

Drink more water.  

Staying properly hydrated could help you lose excess fat and achieve a slimmer face. 

When you take a glass of water before your meal, you will feel fuller and likely consume less than usual. 

Consider taking cold water if you want to burn more fat. A study shows that taking cold water[1] could speed up your body’s metabolism and could cause even more weight loss. 

Drinking lots of water could also help with a slimmer face by reducing water retention and bloating.  

So, if you want that slimmer face, grab that water bottle.

Begin Cardio Workouts 

Cardio exercise involves multiple muscle groups and is an excellent way to speed up weight loss

Spot training or strength training to lose fat in your face alone is not possible. However regular exercise can burn face fat.

If you want to lose face fat, then you have to go all out and work on losing weight generally. 

Cardio exercise involves multiple muscle groups and is an excellent way to speed up weight loss.  

You do not have a gym membership? 

No worries, you can still join in on these fat-burning workouts for your slimmer face from the comfort of your home. 

You could start by taking walks or jogging around your neighborhood. Cycling or swimming also counts as an aerobic exercise that will help you with your weight loss journey. 

20-30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily could be a great place to start your cardio workouts. 

 If you are feeling up to it, you could extend your workout duration by a couple of minutes.  

Reduce Your Sodium Intake 

Reducing your sodium intake can help you achieve a slimmer face

Have you ever noticed that your face and body get puffed up from excess sodium intake?  

Reducing your sodium intake can help you achieve a slimmer face. 

Excess sodium consumption gives you a puffy face and bloated appearance by promoting fluid retention[2] especially if you are sensitive to salt intake. 

Processed foods probably contribute the most to your sodium intake. If you want to reduce your sodium intake you could start by cutting down on processed foods and snacks.

Eat More Fiber 

how to lose face fat
Foods rich in fiber that you can incorporate into your diet include legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Photo: Shutterstock

Foods rich in fiber that you can incorporate into your diet include legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

Fiber is a component of plant foods that keeps you filled for longer. If you want a slimmer body and face, include more fiber-rich foods in your diet.  

Foods rich in fiber that you can incorporate into your diet include legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  

Fiber-rich foods are great for weight loss. They fill you up faster so that you do not overeat. Consider including 25–38 grams of fiber[3] in your daily diet to regulate your food intake.

As your fiber-rich diet helps you lose more weight, you will begin to notice changes in your face.

Get Some Sleep

If you want a slimmer body and face, you will need to spend more time sleeping

Are you getting enough sleep? 

Normal adults should be getting at least eight hours of sleep each night.  

In between your busy work schedules or studying, it is easy to miss out on vital rest time. Nevertheless, making time to sleep and recharge might be key to getting the slimmer face you desire. 

Sleep deprivation could be responsible for your chubby face. When you are not getting enough sleep, your cortisol level goes up[4].

One of the common effects[5] of cortisol is to lead to weight gain. 

Studies[6] show that cortisol can increase your appetite, slow your metabolism, and lead to increased fat storage. 

If you want a slimmer body and face, you will need to spend more time sleeping.

Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption 

Alcohol can cause inflammation and facial puffiness

Alcohol plays a larger role in what your face looks like than you probably know.  Alcohol can cause inflammation and facial puffiness[7].

It could also encourage bloating and fluid retention which can make your face appear chubby.

It does not end there. 

Alcohol also contains some calories[8] that you are probably not counting which can add up over time leading to excess fat accumulation. 

Dehydration is a common endpoint of excessive alcohol consumption. The result is often more fluid retention that can show up on your face. 

If a chiseled face is your goal, you would have to check your alcohol consumption. 

Try Exercises For Facial Muscles

Some exercises can target muscle groups in your face

If you did not know, some exercises can target muscle groups in your face.  

There is not sufficient scientific evidence backing the effectiveness of face exercises and facial massage. However, they do not hurt, so they might be worth trying. 

Some studies[9] suggest that facial exercises might help maintain the tone of facial muscles, combat aging, and improve muscle strength. 

Facial exercises also target neck muscles that could help tone your neck.

These combined effects of face exercises on your facial muscles might bring you closer to the chiseled face you seek.  

Popular face exercises to try include:

  • Puff your cheeks and move the air from side to side 
  • Clench your jaw for several seconds while holding your smile 
  • Pucker your lips to alternate sides 

Consider a routine of facial exercises for a few minutes, twice daily[10] to tone your cheek muscles and reduce neck fat. 

Improve Your Diet

Cutting out refined carbs such as pasta and cookies from your diet could also help give you a trim face

A healthy diet is essential for weight loss and weight loss will bring about changes in your facial structure. 

Consider a caloric deficit diet that encourages your body to burn fat stores for energy. Watching your calorie intake will also keep you from gaining weight. 

You should begin noticing your face changing as you lose weight.

Cutting out refined carbs such as pasta and cookies from your diet could also help give you a trim face.  

Heavily processed carbs contain minimal fiber so your body digests them rapidly leading to sugar spikes and crashes.  

Studies[11] show that refined carbs can contribute to belly fat accumulation. It could also be adding to your double chin.

Therefore, reducing your processed carbs and sugar intake can help you lose weight, trim your belly, and lose face fat. Consider complex carbs such as whole grains and fresh fruits

Ensure you are getting proper nutrition from a balanced diet. Your meals should contain all food groups.  

Dieting and using food supplements such as CBD may promote weight loss that could help you achieve a slimmer face. However, discuss with your physician first to know if you can start your new diet or supplements for your health condition.

Conclusion

There is more than one way to reduce your face fat. Spot training to lose weight in your face alone is not possible.

These face-slimming techniques cause fat loss in your face by promoting general weight loss, reducing bloating, and decreasing water retention. 

Face exercises could help tone your face and put off signs of aging.  


+ 11 sources

Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here

  1. Brown, C., Dulloo, A.G. and Montani, J.-P. (2006). Water-Induced Thermogenesis Reconsidered: The Effects of Osmolality and Water Temperature on Energy Expenditure after Drinking. [online] 91(9), pp.3598–3602. doi:https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-0407.
  2. Strazzullo, P. and Leclercq, C. (2014). Sodium. [online] 5(2), pp.188–190. doi:https://doi.org/10.3945/an.113.005215.
  3. Akbar, A. and Shreenath, A.P. (2023). High Fiber Diet. [online] Nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559033/
  4. Song, H., Sun, X., Yang, T., Zhang, L.-Y., Yang, J.-L. and Bai, J. (2015). Effects of sleep deprivation on serum cortisol level and mental health in servicemen. [online] 96(3), pp.169–175. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.04.008.
  5. van, Savas, M. and F.C, E. (2018). Stress and Obesity: Are There More Susceptible Individuals? [online] 7(2), pp.193–203. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-018-0306-y.
  6. Chao, A.M., Jastreboff, A.M., White, M.A., Grilo, C.M. and Sinha, R. (2017). Stress, cortisol, and other appetite-related hormones: Prospective prediction of 6-month changes in food cravings and weight. [online] 25(4), pp.713–720. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21790.
  7. Goodman, G.D., Kaufman, J., Day, D., Weiss, R., Kawata, A.K., Garcia, J.K., Santangelo, S. and Gallagher, C.J. (2019). Impact of Smoking and Alcohol Use on Facial Aging in Women: Results of a Large Multinational, Multiracial, Cross-sectional Survey. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, [online] 12(8), pp.28–39. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6715121/
  8. Traversy, G. and Chaput, J.-P. (2015). Alcohol Consumption and Obesity: An Update. [online] 4(1), pp.122–130. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-014-0129-4.
  9. D’Souza, R., Kini, A., Henston D’souza, Shetty, N. and Shetty, O. (2014). Enhancing Facial Aesthetics with Muscle Retraining Exercises-A Review. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.7860/jcdr/2014/9792.4753.
  10. Hwang, U., Kwon, O.-Y., Jung, S.-A., Sun Shin Ahn and Gyeong-tae Gwak (2018). Effect of a Facial Muscle Exercise Device on Facial Rejuvenation. [online] 38(5), pp.463–476. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjx238.
  11. Sufyan Bakuri Suara, Fereydoun Siassi, Mahama Saaka, Abbas Rahimi Foroshani and Gity Sotoudeh (2019). Association between Carbohydrate Quality Index and general and abdominal obesity in women: a cross-sectional study from Ghana. [online] 9(12), pp.e033038–e033038. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033038.

Medically reviewed by:

Kimberly Langdon

Jennifer Anyabuine holds a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and is currently a medical student. She is a freelance medical writer specializing in creating content to improve public awareness of health topics.

Medically reviewed by:

Kimberly Langdon

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