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9 Facial Exercises To Lose Face Fat You Can Do At Home 2023

Heather Freudenthal
by
facial exercises to lose face fat
Practice face poses and stretches for facial fat loss. Photo: Shutterstock

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It’s not uncommon for fat to develop in the face, especially as a result of aging and overall weight gain. Like any other fat loss, attention to diet and lifestyle is crucial, along with targeted exercise, specifically facial exercises to lose face fat.

Face yoga is a series of meditative and strategic stretches, poses, and exercises that help tone facial muscles and remove facial fat. This practice has become more popular recently, due to the various exercise offerings and the convenience of being done at home. This article will cover some of the best facial exercises to lose face fat.

Facial Exercises To Lose Face Fat?

To lose fat on any area of the body, including the face, you must target that area with exercise. To lose fat fat, try exercises such as:

  • The Brow-Raiser.
  • The Cheekbone Lift.
  • The Chipmunk Cheek Squeeze.
  • The Chin Lock.
  • The Fish Face.
  • The Jaw Flex.
  • The Lion Face.
  • The Neck Roll. 
  • Blowing Air.

Best Facial Exercises To Lose Face Fat

facial exercises to lose face fat
Face yoga can be done anywhere. Photo: Shutterstock

Now that you know that facial exercises play an integral role in reducing face fat, you probably want to know, what are some facial exercises to lose face fat. Let’s explore some specific exercises in detail, so that you can learn these techniques and practice them on your own at home. Below are nine suggested facial exercises to lose face fat fast:

The Brow-Raiser

Open your eyes wide, then place the heels of your palms on the outer sides of your eyebrows. Press firmly and hold for 20-30 seconds. Keep the forehead as relaxed as possible, to not encourage wrinkles. After 20-30 seconds, release the hands from the eyebrows, take a deep breath, and repeat two more times.

The Cheekbone Lift

Smile while keeping your lips gently together. Think about stretching the smile from side to side, rather than from top to bottom. The cheekbones will naturally lift (you should feel the muscles tighten). 

Keep stretching the smile with a closed mouth until the cheekbones cannot go any higher. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, release, then repeat a few more times. This exercise is great for toning cheek muscles.

The Chipmunk Cheek Squeeze

Tilt your head back as far as it will go while pushing your chin out and forward. While the head is tilted back, squeeze your cheeks in (this will force you to pucker your lips). Hold for a few seconds. Release the cheeks and bring your head back to center. Repeat 10-15 times. 

The Chin Lock 

Sitting or standing up straight, lower your chin down to the top of your sternum. The key is to lower the chin down while keeping the chest up straight. Hold the chin down for 20-30 seconds, then lift the chin back to center. Repeat a few times. This exercise will increase the strength and length of the neck. 

The Fish Face

Similar to the chipmunk cheek squeeze, pucker your lips like a fish by squeezing your cheeks inward, then try to smile. Keep your head facing forward. Hold for 20-30 seconds, and repeat this exercise a few times. 

The Jaw Flex

Jaw flexes, also called chin lifts, can help define the jawline. While sitting or standing, push the chin out, then tilt your head back. While staring up, raise the lower lip up and try to kiss the sky. Hold this position for 10 seconds, release and relax, then repeat two more times.

The Lion Face

Get ready to make a silly face! Start by taking a deep, exaggerated breath in and out. To stretch the bottom part of the face, make an “O” shape with your mouth and increase the stretch by sticking out your tongue. Then, engage the muscles in the top of the face by looking up toward the ceiling. Hold this pose for 10 seconds. 

The Neck Roll 

Sit up straight. Gently tilt your chin down as far as it will comfortably go, then lift your chin back up straight, but only use your neck muscles to initiate these movements. Do not enlist the help of your chest to let your chin lower and raise. Repeat ten times. This exercise can also be done by lowering the neck side-to-side with the same principles (using the neck muscles only).

Blowing Air 

One of the best things you can do to improve tone in the cheeks, jaw, and neck is to blow out air strategically. Sit upright and tilt your head back until you can see the ceiling. With puckered lips, begin to blow out air for ten seconds. Bring your head back to center and relax, then repeat a few more times.

Other Tips For Facial Exercises

To lose face fat fast, including getting rid of a double chin, the nine exercises listed earlier are all good facial exercises to lose face fat. However, these exercises will be even more effective when paired with other elements and practices. Let’s explore some of them:

Use A Facial Oil

Whenever doing facial exercises, especially when the skin is being stretched, it helps to lubricate the skin. Apply a light facial oil on the skin before practicing exercises. This will provide a little moisture and glide to make the skin more flexible. 

You may wish to use a facial oil that has tea tree oil or aloe vera in it, as these compounds have added skin health benefits,[1] such as wound healing properties.

Hydrate

Any workout requires adequate hydration, including facial workouts. Additionally, the skin can become dry if you’re under-hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to ensure optimal skin health and to assist with fat loss.[2]

Stand Or Sit Up Straight

Most facial exercises should be done either sitting or standing up straight. Set aside a time and space where you can comfortably stand or sit to perform the exercises properly. 

Practice Often

You don’t have to limit yourself to practicing facial exercises once a day. You can practice routinely in the morning or evening as part of your getting ready/winding down routine, while also taking advantage of free time you have during the day to squeeze in these quick and easy exercises.

Stretch Your Face 

You wouldn’t work out your body without stretching[3] first. Same is true for your face. Though many facial exercises incorporate stretching, it’s good to take a minute before starting facial exercises to stretch and massage the face. Stick your tongue out, tilt your head front and back and from side to side, and get blood flowing before you begin.

Practice Anywhere

Unlike body exercise, you don’t need to be in a dedicated space, such as a gym, or use equipment to perform face yoga. You can do it in your car sitting in traffic, at the office, on an airplane, and even while you’re doing yoga!

Don’t Ignore Body Exercises

The face is a part of the body, which is why facial fat can increase or decrease when overall body weight increases or decreases. Fat leaves the body and face more easily when overall body weight is addressed. 

Rather than just focusing on facial exercises, consider exercises that address any and all excess body fat. Results come faster when you take a whole body approach, including learning the best way to debloat fast. Also, facial fat can accumulate with age, so adopting a healthy exercise routine[4] can be beneficial not only for the aging face, but for overall longevity.  

Work With A Professional

Just as there are personal trainers and other exercise professionals, you can work with a face yoga or facial exercise expert to create a tailored exercise routine to match your goals. Having a professional to guide you can keep you accountable to practicing and help you achieve results faster.

Breathe Deeply

During facial exercises, be sure to breathe deeply, as this will help relax the facial muscles and decrease overall stress.[5] Facial exercises are not meant to get your heart rate up. Rather, doing them should be a meditative experience.

Conclusion

Reducing face fat can be done with simple facial exercises that strengthen and tone facial muscles, while smoothing the skin. These practices can be done as part of a morning or evening routine, or while you’re out and about–many are discrete enough to practice in public.

To enhance results and lose facial fat quicker, incorporate other wellness skin routines along with face yoga, such as getting good hydration, using a face oil, focusing on overall weight loss, and stretching your face before each facial exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does facial exercise work?

Yes. Like any exercise which strengthens and tones muscles, facial exercises offer results when practiced consistently.

How long does it take for facial exercises to work?

Some results can be seen immediately. When we massage and stretch the face, we increase blood flow, which can immediately improve the look and feel of the face. Longer-lasting results, however, can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

Can I do face exercises everyday?

Yes. In fact, you may see the best results when you practice facial exercises daily.

How can I firm up my face?

Face yoga and other forms of facial exercises, along with a healthy diet, can help firm up the face.

Will I get permanent results from facial exercises?

No. Like any muscle workout, stretching, or attempt to lose excess fat, you will see the most long-lasting results the more regularly you practice the exercise. You will not get permanent results from doing facial exercises once or twice.

+ 4 Sources

EHproject has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We work mostly with peer-reviewed studies to ensure accurate information. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

  1. Nader Pazyar, Reza Yaghoobi, Esmail Rafiee, Mehrabian, A. and Amir Feily (2014). Skin Wound Healing and Phytomedicine: A Review. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, [online] 27(6), pp.303–310. doi:https://doi.org/10.1159/000357477.
  2. Thornton, S.N. (2016). Increased Hydration Can Be Associated with Weight Loss. Frontiers in Nutrition, [online] 3. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2016.00018.
  3. Hotta, K., Behnke, B.J., Arjmandi, B.H., Ghosh, P., Chen, B., Brooks, R.W., Maraj, J.J., Elam, M.L., Maher, P., Kurien, D., Churchill, A., Sepulveda, J.L., Kabolowsky, M.B., Christou, D.D. and Muller-Delp, J.M. (2018). Daily muscle stretching enhances blood flow, endothelial function, capillarity, vascular volume and connectivity in aged skeletal muscle. The Journal of Physiology, [online] 596(10), pp.1903–1917. doi:https://doi.org/10.1113/jp275459.
  4. Galloza, J., Castillo, B. and Micheo, W. (2017). Benefits of Exercise in the Older Population. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, [online] 28(4), pp.659–669. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2017.06.001.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Health Coach specializing in Integrative Nutrition, I approach wellness with a holistic and functional medicine perspective. As a writer, I simplify intricate topics such as nutrition, gut and hormone health, mental well-being, and spiritual health,… See More

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