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Every woman has a spot or two on their body where apparent fat seems to stick. If that place is your face, you're likely to be extra self-conscious about the perceived flaw. "Your face is your calling card," says Cynthia Rowland, the face exercise expert behind Facial Magic. Before you consider going under the knife, you should know that there are ways to slim your face that don't require surgery.
Here's what the experts recommend:
1. Rule out medical causes first.
There are multiple medical issues that can cause facial puffiness or add fat to your visage. Certain medications can contribute to the problems too. See your physician to rule out any of these causes before trying other fixes. "Making sure your body is healthy before trying other facial weight loss methods is important," says Pearl Dworkin, a San Francisco licensed esthetician and holistic nutritionist at Facials By Pearl.
2. Change your diet.
What you eat can show up on your face, according to Melissa Eboli of ViaMelissa, a nutritional chef and certified wellness counselor who specializes in organic, holistic meals: "The same foods that lead to the inflammation that causes arthritis and asthma inflame your face." She recommends eliminating these inflammation-causing culprits including soy, corn, gluten, dairy, shellfish, and "processed foods where you don't recognize the ingredients as real food." Replace them with anti-inflammatory foods like ginger, turmeric, zucchini, coconut, lemons, and beets.
Dworkin agrees: "Limit salt, sugars, and alcohol, and drink freshly-juiced green vegetables that can reduce inflammation and drink plenty of water."
3. Work out on the regular.
"While everyone loses weight differently, losing as little as 3 to 5 pounds can show on your face," Eboli explains. Exercise improves the contours of your countenance as well as your body. "Exercising to trim your body down works your facial muscles too," says Eboli.
4. Exercise just your face.
You've probably heard about facial yoga but there's an alternative. Facial Magic's Rowland started teaching facial exercise in 1989, a regimen that consists of 18 exercises that take 35 seconds each and use isometric contraction with resistance.
"I teach you how to anchor the muscles on your face and inside your mouth to create contractions that lift, tone, tighten, and shorten sagging facial muscles," she says.
5. Get your beauty rest.
This isn't just a cliché. If you're sleep deprived, it's likely puffing up your face. "After age 30, your body doesn't rebound as quickly and it shows on your skin," Dworkin explains. Your body repairs itself during sleep, which helps keep your glandular system healthy and can improve your looks.
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6. See an esthetician.
"Our face, like the rest of the body, accumulates lymphatic fluid under its skin which leads to puffiness," says Dworkin. Using a special manual facial massage or facial infrared therapy, she can temporarily flush that fluid. She says manual massage works well for the entire face, including under the jawline, a lymph-rich area. "It will give you a thinner and more sculpted face." (How long the results last, she says, depends on how well you take care of yourself overall.)
7. Don't rush into surgery.
"In most cases, it's not a good idea to have facial fat removed, especially as you get older," says Dworkin, who's worked for a plastic surgeon. "Removing fat pads can remove structure from your skin, making you age oddly." However, she's seen good results with the surgical removal of hereditary, under-eye fat pads and extra fat that forms under the chin. "But, if you choose surgery, don't bargain shop," she warns. "Carefully research surgeons and find a highly-experienced one who makes you comfortable."
4. Exercise just your face.
You've probably heard about facial yoga but there's an alternative. Facial Magic's Rowland started teaching facial exercise in 1989, a regimen that consists of 18 exercises that take 35 seconds each and use isometric contraction with resistance.
"I teach you how to anchor the muscles on your face and inside your mouth to create contractions that lift, tone, tighten, and shorten sagging facial muscles," she says.
5. Get your beauty rest.
This isn't just a cliché. If you're sleep deprived, it's likely puffing up your face. "After age 30, your body doesn't rebound as quickly and it shows on your skin," Dworkin explains. Your body repairs itself during sleep, which helps keep your glandular system healthy and can improve your looks.
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6. See an esthetician.
"Our face, like the rest of the body, accumulates lymphatic fluid under its skin which leads to puffiness," says Dworkin. Using a special manual facial massage or facial infrared therapy, she can temporarily flush that fluid. She says manual massage works well for the entire face, including under the jawline, a lymph-rich area. "It will give you a thinner and more sculpted face." (How long the results last, she says, depends on how well you take care of yourself overall.)
7. Don't rush into surgery.
"In most cases, it's not a good idea to have facial fat removed, especially as you get older," says Dworkin, who's worked for a plastic surgeon. "Removing fat pads can remove structure from your skin, making you age oddly." However, she's seen good results with the surgical removal of hereditary, under-eye fat pads and extra fat that forms under the chin. "But, if you choose surgery, don't bargain shop," she warns. "Carefully research surgeons and find a highly-experienced one who makes you comfortable."
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