In my long tenure as a fitness coach, I constantly come across clients asking me if losing chin fat is possible and how to get rid of it.
It's very hard to target those localized fat deposits without surgery, lasers, and similar interventions, but there certainly are things you can do.
I always recommend natural fat-burning supplements and a combination of physical chin workouts that can build muscle underneath those deposits and make your features much more prominent and attractive.
Today, we’ll be looking at some of these jaw exercises that can tighten that sagging skin under the chin.
Quick Summary
- Exercise and diet are surefire ways of burning fat throughout the body, including chin fat.
- Aging and genetics, among other not-so-surprising factors, contribute to the development of a double chin.
- Fixing a double chin through diet and physical therapy can take up to 20 weeks.
What Causes a Double Chin?
Excess weight, aging, genetics, and poor posture are among the most common factors that cause a double chin.
Let’s get into some more detail.
Weight Gain
It’s generally easier for people with large frames to have a double chin/submental fat than it is for slim people.
“As people gain weight, many gain it evenly all across their body, including in the face and chin area,”
-Chris Dempers, Health & Fitness Specialist.
Aging
Aging is a common factor that causes the accumulating submental fat under the chin. Surprisingly, it's one of the most overlooked.
Here’s how aging influences the presence of double chins.
When you’re in your mid-20s, collagen production starts declining. Collagen is a protein in the body that holds body cells together and provides strength and elasticity to the skin [1].
Now, the more you age, the less collagen you produce and the more the sagging effect on your skin [2].
Furthermore, your muscular definition weakens with age and worsens the sagging effect.
It's even worse if you’re a smoker and don't get enough sunlight.
Genetics
Genetics plays a crucial role in determining whether you’re likely to have a double chin in the future or not [3].
A sure way of knowing this is by analyzing your family line. Do you have a history of skin elasticity in your family? Yes?
Then it's just a matter of time before reality comes knocking.
Poor Posture
If you’re reading this piece on your phone or laptop, you’re contributing to the double chin problem.
You see, craning over your neck is not a natural pose. It causes potential neck pains and may adversely affect the platysma muscle connecting the neck to the chin.
The pose results in weakened muscle and reduced elasticity around the jaws [4].
Can I Lose Fat Under My Chin?
Yes, you can lose fat under your chin. But, you'll need to lose weight in general since targeting a specific fat area with diet and exercise is nearly impossible.
In certain cases, despite losing fat overall, you may have to resort to surgical and other non-surgical procedures to improve your neck definition and jawline.
Related: How to Get Rid of Neck Fat
Do Double Chin Exercises Work?
Yes, double chin exercises do work. However, not through reducing excess fat but through building certain muscles, which ultimately makes the jawline look slender and much more attractive despite the fat deposits over it.
You should keep in mind that regularly doing these, and any other exercises, will lead to losing fat everywhere, including the chin. So, they work more like weight loss exercise regimens.
Therefore, the cool part about losing chin fat is that you don't have to be particular about facial exercises.
Even the daily moderate-intensity physical activities like walking to burn fat, jogging, cleaning your house, or playing with your kids, which more often leads to weight loss, can get you that defined chin.
6 Ways to Get Rid of It
If you’re looking for a fast way out, there are invasive procedures like laser lipolysis that involve the use of heat to melt chin fat. But they have their fair share of disadvantages.
For instance, liposculpture only treats fat and does not remove extra skin. In addition, a local anesthetic is needed.
Alternatively, mesotherapy, a minimally invasive procedure, can also increase skin elasticity by delivering fat-dissolving compounds to your chin [5].
But this one too has its cons.
For instance, the use of deoxycholic acid, a necessary element in the procedure, can cause serious nerve damage if used improperly.
Most of these procedures involve surgery and injections, with some requiring up to six treatments to remove excess skin.
As you can see, they can jeopardize your overall health, even when done by qualified wellness professionals [6].
Instead, you could opt for safer methods to get rid of a double chin and improve the jawline and skin elasticity.
Exercises and natural fat burners are, in my opinion, quite effective and, more importantly, the safest way to achieve this.
Below are 6 exercises that will help you get a more defined jawline:
1. Around the World Warm-Up
To perform the around-the-world warm-up, gently rotate your head in a clockwise motion, including tilting the head backwards.
Then in the reverse direction after a few clockwise rotations.
Do the same for the jaw by extending the jaw left, then forward to the right and back again. Hold the positions for 1-2 seconds.
2. Whistle at the Ceiling
The whistle at the ceiling chin exercise gives your neck a break after spending hours at the desk.
With relaxed shoulders and a straight back, look up into the ceiling and close your lips as if you’re whistling.
Hold the position for 10-20 seconds, depending on your comfort level. Rinse and repeat ten times.
3. Lower Jaw Forward Exercise
It's sometimes known as straight jaw jut and is similar to the whistle at the ceiling.
To perform the lower jut, stare at the ceiling and push your lower jaw forward. You should feel a stretch under your chin.
Now, pause for 10 seconds, relax, and pull your neck back to its normal position.
4. Stretch Tongue Exercise
The stretch tongue strengthens the muscle on the neck, chin, and face.
All you need to do is look straight ahead and stretch your tongue as far as possible, then lift it towards your nose and hold it for 10 seconds.
5. Ball Exercise
It's also known as ball squeeze.
Use a ball of 5-10 inches that is soft and easy to squeeze.
Place the ball under the chin and press the chin down against the ball. Repeat several times
6. Chewing gum
It's possible to get rid of a double chin by chewing gum. The act of chewing burns the fat cells underneath your chin.
Chewing exercises the muscles on your jaw and face line. It makes the muscles tighter by burning calories in the jaw.
To lose face fat efficiently, maintain low calories and opt for a sugar-free chew gum.
Related Article: How To Get Rid Of Hip Fat
FAQs
How Long Does It Take to Burn Chin Fat?
It takes about 20 weeks to burn chin fat, but you have to be consistent. Like body fat loss, you can burn extra fat under the chin by observing a strict diet and exercising every day for about five months [7].
What Foods Cause Double Chin?
High-calorie diets with processed foods and unhealthy fats contribute the most to weight gain and the development of a double chin.
Other factors such as age, genetics, and posture also play a huge role in its development.
To get rid of it, adopt a calorie deficit diet and exercise your jaw muscles regularly.
Why Do I Have a Double Chin When I’m Skinny?
Although you’re skinny, you have a double chin because of genetics.
Genes are a substantial contributing factor to the accumulation of fat cells under the chin. Some people are bound to carry more weight in certain areas of their bodies than others.
So, What Is the Best Way to Get Rid of Chin Fat?
The straight jaw exercise combined with a low-calorie diet for burning fat is the most effective way to lose that fat and make your jaw features more prominent. But you need to be super consistent for weeks to get the most out of it.
It can be extremely difficult.
But the good news is that you can speed up the results by adopting a high-quality fat burner:
These recommended fat burners have passed strict safety standards. And judging from the results from our clients who have used them, they’ll help you burn fat significantly faster.
References:
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262881
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1606623/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318131
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/text-neck-is-smartphone-use-causing-your-neck-pain/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18047610/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5885981/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5885810/
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