Contemplating how to lose weight from your face is something many people have considered at some point or another. Whether it’s after seeing a photo your friend sent to you on Whatsapp the other day or when you catch yourself staring into your Zoom screen, you might be noticing some excess fat around your face and neck area. First of all, this is totally normal and most likely looks worse to you than it actually is. But if you do wish to do something about this, we’ve included some ways you can lose weight from your face – and they are all healthy and sustainable methods.
Many things can contribute to having excess weight sit on and around your face and we can’t always control this. Your genes may just mean your face shape appears rounder than others, which isn’t a flaw. Perhaps you have gained weight recently, fallen out of love with regularly doing some of the best exercises for weight loss, and looking for small ways to get back on track. Even age can morph your facial shape to look less defined and it can help to understand better what factors are in our control that can help us know how to reduce face ‘weight’.
Before considering something that will cost you a lot of money or that you may regret further down the line, take a moment to consider the following. Learning how to lose weight from your face might have more to do with something like an allergy you don’t know about, too much sun exposure, an accumulation of fluid retention, or perhaps you suffer from thyroid problems. Some of this will benefit from a conversation with a doctor. But it can also be a lifestyle that could be contributing to excess fat forming around your face and some simple interventions could be game-changing. We have some manageable and easy-to-do home remedies listed below to help you shift that unwanted weight from your face.
How to lose weight from your face
How to lose weight from your face: Cut back on processed foods
Refined and processed foods and drinks, while often tempting and delicious, have been linked with (opens in new tab) cancer risk, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
A diet high in trans-fats, fast food and sugary drinks can lead to general weight gain by triggering blood sugar spikes and signaling the body to store fat, which will show up in the face.
Avoid highly processed foods and instead stick to whole foods wherever possible – fresh vegetables, wholegrains and healthy fats, for example.
For more advice, take a look at our guide to how to eat healthily, and our nutritionalist’s tips for how to lower blood sugar.
How to lose weight from your face: Avoid inflammatory foods
(Image credit: Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash)
Vegetable and seed oils, which feature heavily in processed foods, are known to cause inflammation in the body and some people claim that vegetables that are part of the nightshade family (soanaceae) – tomatoes, aubergine, peppers – can exacerbate swelling. Supermodel Gisele Bündchen and her American football star husband Tom Brady, for example, steer clear.
Pack your diet with anti-inflammatory foods such as blueberries, turmeric, oily fish and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale.
To ensure good gut health, you could also add probiotic foods to your regime, such as sourdough bread, natural yoghurt, miso and sauerkraut.
How to lose weight from your face: Take up face yoga
Yes, face yoga is a thing. In fact, Meghan Markle swears by a facial routine to help maintain her slim, youthful look. Aimed at toning and strengthening the muscles of your face to perk up any sagging areas, regularly practising a few simple moves could be one of the best exercises for weight loss in your face that you can do.
(Image credit: Future)
How to lose weight from your face: Explore possible food allergies
It could be that what you’re eating simply doesn’t agree with you, and the skin on our face is extremely sensitive to what we eat. Symptoms of gluten and lactose intolerances, for example, can include bloating and inflammation, which occur because your hormones are being disrupted.
The British NHS recommends keeping a food diary (opens in new tab) of what you eat, what time of day and how you feel after eating to give yourself an idea of what might be causing the issue. You could then try excluding that food for two to six weeks to see if symptoms improve.
However, consult your doctor if you have other symptoms, such as skin rashes, diarrhoea or pain. They can arrange a blood test if needs be.
How to lose weight from your face: Drink enough water
(Image credit: Ikhsan Sugiarto on Unsplash)
Thanks to our hunter-gatherer ancestors sometimes finding themselves without a water source, when the body is dehydrated, our clever organs cling on to as much water as possible. In modern life we have fewer issues getting our hands on H2O and fewer run-ins with sabretooth tigers for that matter.
Through sweating, stomach upset, some medicines or simply through not taking in enough fluids, we can find ourselves at risk of dehydration and in turn water retention, which will show up in the form of a puffy face, especially first thing in the morning. For women, 10-11 cups of water from fluid and non-fluid sources (such as fruit and veg) and 15-16 for men is recommended.
How to lose weight from your face: Get more sleep
That first look at our face in the mirror in the morning is often the worst! And the puffy reflection can come from not getting the most out of your shut-eye. Sodium-heavy foods or nitrates in red wine from the night before are often culprits, but stress-affected sleep or a poor pillow situation can also lead to inflammation. Check your head is elevated to minimise the effect of gravity, sleep on your back, remove make-up, journal to wipe the mental slate clean, and pre-hydrate with 500ml of water before bed to maximise your morning face.
How to lose weight from your face: Limit alcohol intake
(Image credit: Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash)
We’ve all heard of the phrase beer belly, but wine face is an actual thing. Depending on our age, weight, sex, what we’ve eaten and what we’re drinking, our livers can only metabolise a unit of alcohol every hour. That’s half a glass of wine, a measure of spirits or half a pint of low-strength beer. So when we ‘overdo’ it, our liver becomes overworked, which disrupts our hormones and can cause broken veins, wrinkles and dryness in our face as well as preventing nutrient absorption.
Alcohol itself is inflammatory, so mixing tonic with gin and other sugary fizzy mixers contribute more gas and bloating. Regular heavy drinkers might also notice a dull complexion that’s prone to spots, bloating and saggy jowls. Aim to stay under 14 units per week (not all in one session) and try to ensure multiple alcohol-free days in a week.
How to lose weight from your face: Try rolling your eyes
No, not like that! Invest in a jade or quartz facial roller and use that over your face to calm inflammation and energise the skin.
How to lose weight from your face: Splash some cold water
Revive your face and reduce any inflammation which might have taken place overnight by dousing yourself with cold water first thing in the morning.
Better still, channel Wim Hof (opens in new tab) and take a cold shower – if you can take that, you can take anything and you’ll spend the rest of the day feeling invincible.
How to lose weight from your face: Do more cardio
Try to get 20-40 minutes of moderate activity such as running, walking, swimming or riding a bike, every day to help promote fat loss and in turn lessen facial puffiness. Why not try our eight essential cardio moves you can do from home to burn fat?
