Expert's opinion
Weight gain is a desired goal for many, though for some, knowing how to gain face fat, specifically, is important. Increasing face fat specifically, as opposed to overall body fat, is one way to improve the health and overall appearance of the face, to bring out its youthfulness and vibrancy.
If you’d like to gain fat only in face areas, it’s important to understand that weight gain cannot be specifically targeted to the face. Rather, face fat can increase as body fat does or through surgical interventions. However, facial exercises and skincare routines can tone up your face to help you look your best. This includes toner facial muscles, softer skin, and fewer signs of aging.
How To Gain Fat Only In Face
Explore seven ways to make your face appear fatter and fuller:
- Do Facial Exercises.
- Incorporate Antioxidant-Rich Foods.
- Gain Overall Body Weight.
- Consume Healthy Fats.
- Stay Hydrated.
- Protect Your Skin With Sunblock.
- Use Oils.
How To Gain Face Fat: 7 Natural Ways
Wondering how to gain fat in face areas? Try these simple, natural, and healthy techniques which you can do from the comfort of your home.
Do Facial Exercises (Face Yoga)
Just like exercise can tone the body and build muscle in targeted areas, exercises for the face,[1] such as face yoga poses, can help strengthen cheek muscles, plump up cheeks, and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.
Face yoga is a combination of muscle exercises, facial expressions, and facial massage, though there are other types of facial exercises that may be equally beneficial in strengthening muscle, reducing signs of aging, and increasing fat production.
What is the best “how to gain face fat exercise”? There are several techniques that can be effective, such as repeatedly lifting the cheeks by smiling with your lips together and stretching the cheeks by holding air in your mouth for 30 seconds.
Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Free radicals[2] are produced by the body in response to environmental toxins, such as pollution, chemicals from food, and sun damage. When too many free radicals build up, it can cause oxidative stress inside the body, which can lead to disease as well as premature aging.
However, antioxidants,[3] found in abundance in many whole foods, such as nuts, berries, tea, coffee, fruits, and vegetables, fight off free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. By consuming plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, the skin can maintain a healthy, youthful appearance.
Gain Weight
If you’re trying to gain fat in your face through diet and/or lack of physical activity, it can be hard to ensure that the fat goes only to your face and nowhere else. However, if you don’t mind body fat in addition to face fat, then eating a fat-promoting diet can help you gain weight all around, including your face.
Some people may find it challenging to gain fat due to having a fast metabolism. Consider safe and healthy tips for how to slow down metabolism to gain weight, such as eating more high-calorie foods and decreasing the intensity of your workouts.
Consume Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have wonderful benefits for the skin, including reducing skin dryness[4] and inflammation.[5] When the skin is better lubricated with these healthy fats and less prone to inflammation, the skin can become more supple, firm, moisturized, and youthful.
Additionally, foods containing healthy fats, such as salmon, mackerel, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil, are higher in calories than low-fat foods, which can help contribute to weight and/or fat gain.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can lead to dry skin, as well as other health complications that can make the skin appear dull and lifeless. Drinking enough water every day is essential to keep not only the body healthy, but the skin and face healthy, as well.
When you drink more water, your skin health improves. Everyone’s water intake needs will vary slightly, but the average adult should aim for at least eight full glasses or water (or 64 ounces) every day for overall health and healthy skin.
Protect Your Skin
While an excellent source of vitamin D, direct exposure to the sun is one of the fastest ways to age the skin. This can look like dryness, redness, sun spots, and tightness. When the skin is damaged and dry, it is not as malleable or able to move around fat or respond well to facial massage and other methods to fatten up the face.
Facial skin is delicate, so be sure to use a non-toxic sunblock any time you plan to be outdoors and exposed to the sun. In addition, consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat and remaining in the shade whenever possible to avoid too much direct sun contact.
Use Oils
While scientific evidence is lacking, many people find that applying a natural oil[6] to the face daily can help moisturize and firm the skin and create a feeling of plumpness. Safe oils to apply to the face include coconut oil, avocado oil, rosehip seed oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, olive oil, sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, and amla oil.
Though not an oil, some people also find aloe vera gel beneficial when applied to the skin. Aloe vera gel is often used for wound healing and to relieve sunburns.
Using oils daily and using a gentle exfoliator once a week to remove dead skin cells can help increase cellular turnover for more radiant skin.
Will Gaining Fat Or Muscle Help?
It can. Gaining weight in the form of fat can certainly increase the chances of gaining facial fat. Remember, it is difficult to isolate the face as your sole target when increasing fat. However, when you gain weight, it will likely show up in the face as well as in the body.
Unlike general weight gain from calorie-dense foods and lack of exercise, where the weight might be more evenly distributed throughout the body, building muscle tends to be more isolated to the area you are exercising. For example, lifting weights will target your arms and back, while running will target your legs.
To build muscle in the face, specifically, be sure to engage in face yoga and other facial exercises that specifically target facial muscles and facial skin.
How Long Does It Take To Gain Face Fat?
How long does it take to gain face fat once you start implementing these strategies? Similar to increasing body fat, it can take several months of consistent effort before you start to see results. If you’re looking to increase face fat, specifically, be sure to not only ingest fat-promoting foods, but also do regular facial exercises to target the facial muscles.
Other Medical Options For Gaining Weight in the Face
If gaining facial fat naturally is not your cup of tea, there are other options to explore. One option is a surgical fat transfer, in which fat is taken out of one part of your body (such as your legs or buttocks) and transferred to your face.
Fillers are another option, in which a doctor will insert fillers, usually into the cheeks, to plump up the face.
A person’s face can also be permanently augmented via surgery to look fatter. This involves inserting implants over the cheekbones, which, similar to breast implants, enlarges the area of the implant.
Any surgery poses risks, so be sure to consult with the surgeon to understand what is involved in the surgery, as well as any possible complications. Also, consider that when you undergo facial surgery, the appearance of other facial features, aside from your cheeks, can change.
Conclusion
Some people are born with chubby cheeks, and others have to work at it. But gaining fat in the face alone can be challenging without also gaining fat in the whole body; usually, facial fat increases as body fat does.
If you want to plump up your face naturally at home, there are ways to do it with facial exercises, a good skincare regime, and a diet of calorie-dense, healthy foods, specifically foods containing omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Medical alternatives to increasing facial fat are also an option. These include surgical fat transplants (moving fat from one area of the body to your face), fillers, and surgical implants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Foods rich in healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, various nuts, eggs and dairy can increase face fat. Fats from processed and friend foods can also increase facial fat, but they are not the healthiest options.
While sunken cheeks may be indicative of malnutrition, dehydration, or certain medical conditions, they may also be a natural product of aging. If you’re concerned that sunken cheeks are related to a serious medical condition, as your doctor for an examination and medical testing.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – while having a fuller, fatter face may be an ideal aesthetic for some, others prefer to have less facial fat and a more sculpted jawline.
It’s all about balance. Having too little face fat with sunken cheeks can look unhealthy, whereas a fuller face can seem more healthy and attractive. However, on the other extreme, having too much face fat may appear unattractive to some.
It’s thought that rounded faces tend to age the best, due to their superior fat storage, especially in the cheeks. This can help the face appear younger and fuller as you age.
While skin protection is important, it does not directly increase facial fat. Rather, it keeps the skin healthy, undamaged, and vibrant, to create a more youthful appearance and enhance existing facial fat.
It’s possible. Weight loss and weight gain can be difficult to isolate to specific body parts. This means if you gain weight, you may see it in your face as well as in your body, and conversely, if you lose weight, your face may lose fat, too.
Eat a healthy diet of whole foods, with plenty of omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants, while keeping your face out of the sun as much as possible. In addition, practice facial exercises daily to strengthen facial muscles and plump cheeks. And try to exfoliate your skin once a week.
