How to Reduce Face Fat: Can You Really Target It?

Buccal fat removal has been popping up on the runway, with red carpet and Kpop icons serving naturally snatched faces. Many people want a slim, sculpted face with well-defined cheekbones and a chiseled jawline.

Most celebrities who influence the new beauty standards have had work done, as it is not really possible to change bone structure, but it can be revealed by losing fat. Let’s dive into the science behind face fat, fat loss, factors influencing facial appearance, and medical options.

Can you target fat loss specifically in your face?

We all have specific areas from which we would like to lose fat, but unfortunately, picking and choosing is impossible unless we are talking about surgical intervention.

Fat loss is rooted in a calorie deficit, meaning you need to burn more calories than you consume throughout the day and keep doing so for a while. During a deficit, your body utilizes fat stores as an energy store. As the fat cells empty, they shrink in size, revealing the muscle underneath, resulting in a leaner appearance. Scientifically, this is known as lipolysis and involves several metabolic and enzymatic pathways.

You can achieve this by adjusting your exercise routine, daily movement, and diet.

Despite several devices, supplements, and techniques being marketed as the best approach to losing face fat and getting a chiseled jawline and cheekbones, this is simply misleading. It is impossible to guarantee fat loss comes from the face, and the only way to do so is to lose overall body weight and fat.

I contacted Dr. Ehsan Ali, the founder of Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor, board-certified in internal medicine, and a go-to physician for Hollywood’s elites, like the Kardashians, Lana Del Rey, Channing Tatum, and many more. In response to spot-reducing fat, he said, “When you lose fat, your body pulls from its overall stores based on genetics, hormones, and metabolism. It’s frustrating, but sustainable fat loss comes from consistent full-body efforts, such as nutrition, cardio, strength training, and stress management.”

How does diet affect facial fat?

Diet plays a vital role in weight management as it allows one to control calories in part. No foods can cause weight loss, but dietary adjustments may help you create and adhere to a calorie deficit without starving or counting every bite.

Eat high-volume foods. Eating foods that are low in calories and high in fiber allows you to eat more, which fills up your stomach and extends the eating time, promoting satiety.

Cook at home more. Eating home-cooked meals ensures you know exactly what you are putting into your foods and that you can control things like the amount of oil used.

Eat more whole foods. Eating predominantly whole foods helps you get various nutrients and supports your health. They also tend to be more satiating and lower in calories than ultra-processed foods.

Follow the 80/20 rule. Focus on healthy homecooked meals most of the time, but allow yourself to go out occasionally or have a dessert or snack you have been wanting. This helps you stick to your weight loss plan while still enjoying life and reduces mental restriction.

Eat more protein. High-protein foods make you feel fuller for longer, as the body needs to work more to break down the protein than carbs and fats. Also, a high-protein diet during weight loss helps preserve lean muscle mass. The goal is to reduce fat, not muscle mass.

Reduce alcohol intake. Alcohol offers empty calories and is often coupled with sugary mixers and high-calorie snacks. A study found that excessive alcohol intake resulted in significantly less weight loss over 4 years compared to those who abstained from it.

Reduce added sugar intake. High consumption of added sugar is associated with weight gain, greater waist circumference, and increased risk of obesity.

You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, but this does not mean bland meals and starvation. Focus on improving your dietary habits long-term while still living your life and enjoying the process!

Diet is a huge part of the equation, arguably the most important part. You can’t out-exercise a diet high in processed foods, sugar, and empty calories. I recommend starting with small, realistic shifts: cut back on added sugars, eat lean protein (it helps keep you full), and load your plate with vegetables and fiber-rich carbs like quinoa or sweet potatoes. Hydration is also underrated; sometimes, what we think is hunger is just dehydration.

Dr. Ehsan Ali

What role does exercise play in losing face fat?

Regardless of your target area, exercise and daily movement are essential parts of the weight loss equation. Despite clickbaity claims floating around, the best exercise for weight loss is one you enjoy and can stay consistent with. However, combining cardio and strength-based workouts may give the most bang for your buck.

Cardio

Cardio-based exercises like running, brisk walking, swimming, biking, rowing, or anything else that increases your heart rate are popular because they are free and can be done outside. For many, cardio is also a form of stress release. Also, besides being good for your health, cardio burns a lot of calories in a relatively short time, helping you create a calorie deficit.

A meta-analysis of 116 randomized clinical trials found that 300 minutes of moderate to intense cardio per week led to a clinically relevant reduction in waist circumference and body fat in overweight and obese individuals.

Strength training

Strength training can facilitate weight loss by helping you maintain muscle mass during a calorie deficit. This way, more of the weight loss comes from fat. Also, building or at least maintaining muscle mass supports metabolism, as muscle is a more ‘expensive’ tissue to maintain and requires more calories even when at rest.

A systematic review of 116 articles on 114 clinical trials concluded that caloric restriction with resistance training was more effective in reducing body fat percentage and whole body fat mass.

So, cardio-based activities help you burn more calories during the workout, while strength training enables you to preserve muscle mass and metabolism and facilitate weight loss from fat mass. Considering these factors, it makes sense to combine the two. Although the research suggests that combining the two does not lead to more fat loss, maintaining muscle benefits health, longevity, and aesthetics.

Based on years of experience with working out, I would suggest strength training 3 times a week, either by body part or full body sessions, and including cardio after or on alternate days, but have at least 1–2 days of active rest per week. If you are into some sort of cardio activity, keep doing what you are doing, but if, like me, you are not the biggest fan, focus on walking throughout the day and aim for at least 8–10k steps. You can break these down into shorter walks or have a longer brisk walk.

How do lifestyle factors influence facial appearance?

A quick way to get a slimmer face is to reduce puffiness from water retention, which may be especially prominent in the morning.

Water retention can be caused by:

• Eating salty food
• Allergies
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Drinking alcohol
• Hormonal fluctuations
• Genetics

Besides reducing the factors that may increase puffiness, some people, especially actresses and models in interviews and influencers on TikTok, swear by icing the face and massaging it using their fingers, a face roller, or a gua sha tool to move blood and lymph.

Regardless of the cause, staying hydrated throughout the day is essential to minimize water retention and maintain skin health, even if it seems counterintuitive. However, limit your liquid intake before bed as it may increase puffiness or lead to waking up throughout the night and disrupt sleep.

Dr. Ali also added that “poor sleep, stress, alcohol, processed foods, and dehydration can all cause bloating, puffiness, dull skin, and even breakouts. Conversely, getting enough rest, managing stress, eating well, and staying active can give your face a more sculpted, vibrant look.”

Sleep and fat loss

Sleep deprivation disrupts hormones involved in regulating metabolism and eating behaviors. Thus, poor sleep often leads to excessive cravings and snacking, especially on carbs, high-fat, or sugary snacks, because your body is trying to get quick energy. Feeling fatigued will likely result in skipping your workout or walking.

Do not worry if you occasionally get sleep deprived or on occasions like catching an early flight; that is part of life. However, if you consistently do not sleep enough, it may harm your health and weight loss goals. Try to keep a sleep schedule and have a wind-down routine before bed, but if the sleep issues are consistent, you should consult a doctor to check for underlying problems.

Stress and fat loss

Stress impacts metabolic and hunger pathways, but the effects are individual. Some feel like they cannot eat when stressed, while others cope with stress by eating or experiencing heightened appetite due to shift hormones. Regardles, elevated cortisol, especially chronically, has been linked to increased abdominal fat and weight gain.

Try managing stress by reducing the stressors, practicing mindfulness, and moving your body. If you feel like your stress levels are becoming unmanageable, see a doctor.

Do facial exercises help reduce face fat?

Face exercises and even face yoga exist, but like with any other target area, exercise helps build underlying muscle or endurance, giving the area shape and definition. However, exercises alone do not cause fat loss. Furthermore, facial exercises do not burn many calories to help create a calorie deficit for fat loss.

A Japanese study of 50 females found that using a device to perform facial muscle exercises twice daily for 30 seconds for 8 weeks significantly increased facial muscle thickness and cross-sectional area, contributing to facial rejuvenation. However, this type of intervention is more beneficial when the problem is a hollow or sunken face, sometimes seen with age.

Dr. Ali commented, “Facial exercises might tone facial muscles slightly, but they don’t burn fat in the face specifically. That’s another version of the spot-reduction myth. The truth is, losing overall body fat is the only proven way to slim down your face. That said, some facial massages and exercises may help with lymphatic drainage and reduce puffiness, temporarily improving definition, but it’s not the same as actual fat loss.”

Understanding facial fat: genetics, aging, and causes beyond body weight

Face shape, like many other characteristics (height, body shape, eye color), is primarily determined by genetics. This explains why some people have leaner faces while others may carry baby fat into their mid-twenties. The overall structure of the face is influenced by bone, muscle, and fat, resulting in variations such as long and narrow faces versus short and wide ones. It's also important to note that the size and proportions of your face can change over time, so it's common not to have the same face shape throughout your life. This is entirely normal.

A renowned plastic surgeon with over 30 years of practice, Dr. Leonard Grossman, commented, “Most young people — unless they are exceptionally thin — have more buccal fat than they will later in life. This ‘baby fat’ often decreases naturally with age. While there is a high demand for buccal fat removal, I usually advise my patients to be patient. What they may see as excessive now is often missed later, as the face naturally loses volume with age.”

He also adds that “buccal fat is largely hereditary. The same goes for submental fat (fat under the chin or along the jawline), which can be especially frustrating. No matter how much weight a person loses, this type of fat typically does not respond to diet or exercise.”

A meta-analysis on the relationship between BMI, facial fat, and attractiveness found that facial fat levels are consistently associated with attractiveness and perceived health curvilinearly. Significant deviations in either way, with facial fat being overly low or high, are associated with illness and lower levels of attractiveness. The ‘optimal’ face fat levels were associated with a BMI of 18.5–24.9, which aligns with the World Health Organization's classification of a healthy BMI. However, the paper also found that repeated exposure to a particular face shape changes preference, and people tend to favor familiarity.

Genetics dictate the structure of your face, including bone, muscle, and fat distribution. While some people have naturally leaner faces and others have rounder, these features are unchangeable without medical intervention. Before considering drastic measures like surgery, I suggest embracing your unique face shape by researching flattering hairstyles, makeup techniques, and accessories. If you want to create the illusion of a slimmer face with makeup, try contouring to alter proportions visually.

Medical and surgical options

If you find that a balanced diet, lifestyle changes, and makeup are not effective for you, or if you're naturally slim and either do not want to lose weight or cannot, yet you still notice excess fat on your face, medical and surgical options are available.

Non-surgical	Surgical
Hyaluronic acid fillers. Used to add volume to desired areas.	Buccal fat removal. Fat pads under the cheeks are removed during a surgical procedure.
Botulin toxin (Botox) injections. These relax the muscles around the jaw to give a slimmer and more defined appearance.	Jaw reduction surgery. The jawbone is surgically shaved off and reshaped to create a slimmer appearance. However, this does not reduce fat.
Kybella injections. Deoxycholic acid is injected to dissolve the fat cells under the chin.	Liposuction. Fat is removed surgically from the desired area.
EMFACE. The treatment uses a combination of radiofrequency and high-intensity facial electromagnetic stimulation to rejuvenate the face, firm the face muscles, and give a naturally looking lift.

If you decide to go with a medical intervention or even a surgical procedure, be aware that no matter how researched it is, deemed safe, or how many good reviews the clinic has, these procedures always carry the risk of complications. Furthermore, always go to an accredited doctor and a trustworthy clinic. Medical procedures are not the place to try and save some money.

Managing expectations and maintaining results

Fat loss does not happen evenly across the body and cannot be regulated, so patience is essential. For many, a slimmer face is one of the first signs of fat loss, but for others, it is a more troubled area that requires a couple of months of consistency to see significant change.

There is no precise science to give you an accurate timeline as it is very individual, but I would say you can expect the first signs of your face slimming after losing 5–10 pounds or after 4–8 weeks of consistency. However, no amount of weight loss guarantees a slimmer face 100%, as it is primarily determined by your genetics. However, losing significant weight will reduce fat, including the face.

An important caveat about weight loss is that crash diets or rapid weight loss can negatively impact facial appearance. They can cause a gaunt or sickly look with hollow cheeks, sagging skin, and a dull and tired appearance overall. This is because extreme diets cause fat and significant muscle loss, meaning you lose all tone and youthfulness in the face.

Slow and steady wins the race, so aim to make fat loss part of your lifestyle, improve your diet, increase your steps, build up a workout routine, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and manage stress. This way, you are building new, better habits that will allow you to reach your results without feeling miserable and maintain them afterward. Remember, the most flattering face is healthy and glowing, regardless of shape or cheek chubiness.

Final thoughts

Many people strive for a slimmer face due to (unrealistic) beauty standards and filters, but it is possible to achieve this goal realistically and healthily. Like any target area, facial fat loss comes from overall weight loss, requiring consistency, patience, and a change in lifestyle and habits.

Genetics, aging, hydration, sleep, stress, lifestyle, and even what you ate or drank the night before affect your face looks. It is supposed to change over your life, so the best option is to focus on being healthy and embracing your natural features. Experiment with your hair, glasses, makeup, and other details to find what makes you glow.

If you are considering medical or surgical interventions, consult a doctor or multiple for personalized guidance and support. However, if you are naturally slim but have chubbier cheeks than you would like and are still young, I do not suggest removing buccal fat, as it tends to go away naturally.