Jaw and lower face

Lose face fat: what works and what doesn't

You don't get to choose where you lose fat. Your face slims down when your overall body fat drops, not from cheek exercises or creams. There's a limit too: overly hollow cheeks make you look older. Buccal fat removal is something to discuss with a doctor. 🩺

Updated November 7, 2026 · By Julien Rayes · Version française

Why you can't target fat on your face

Working a muscle doesn't burn the fat covering it. A 2011 study tested this on the belly: 24 adults did sit-ups five days a week for six weeks and lost no more abdominal fat than the control group. Nothing suggests the face is an exception: fat in the cheeks and under the chin drops along with body fat.

What about face exercises?

They work the muscles, not the fat. In a pilot study published in JAMA Dermatology in 2018, women aged 40 to 65 did 30 minutes of facial exercises a day for eight weeks, then every other day up to week 20, and 16 of 27 finished. Two dermatologists rated photos and saw fuller cheeks and a slightly younger apparent age. Fuller cheeks, not slimmer ones. That's the opposite of what people trying to slim their face want.

What actually slims your face

Facial fat is visible, and it matters: a 2009 study showed that the weight people perceive in a face predicts the health and attractiveness others attribute to it, and that it is linked to real measures of cardiovascular health. To bring it down:

• 🥗 A slight calorie deficit, held over time. The NHS recommends aiming for 0.5 to 1 kg (about 1 to 2 lb) per week.
• 💪 Exercise, strength training included, and protein-rich meals.
• 🧂 Less salt and alcohol: the water they make you retain puffs up your face, especially in the morning. That isn't fat.

Buccal fat: what to know

⚠️ Buccal fat, or the Bichat fat pad, is a pocket of fat deep in the cheek. Surgically removing it has become a social media trend for hollowing the cheeks. The data is thin: a 2021 review found only four studies, of low quality, with no long-term follow-up. Two US doctors urged caution as early as 2018: midface fat shrinks naturally with age, and removing it young could leave the face hollow later. GlowUpTogether never recommends surgery.

Hollow cheeks: how far to go

A slight hollow under the cheekbones sculpts the face; too pronounced, it looks tired and older. The 2018 exercise study points the same way: fuller cheeks looked slightly younger. For a risk-free effect, makeup is enough: a matte contour just under the cheekbone, blended toward the corner of the mouth. If your cheeks hollowed with age or after major weight loss, filler injections are an option to discuss with a qualified doctor.

What the scan looks at

The GlowUpTogether scan rates how slim and curved your cheeks are and how defined your jawline and the area under your chin look, and it measures your face's width-to-height ratio. Retake it after a few weeks, at the same time of day and in the same light, to see what changed.

Sources: Vispute et al., "The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat", Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2011; Alam et al., "Association of Facial Exercise With the Appearance of Aging", JAMA Dermatology, 2018; Coetzee, Perrett and Stephen, "Facial adiposity: a cue to health?", Perception, 2009; Traboulsi-Garet et al., "Buccal fat pad excision for cheek refinement: A systematic review", Medicina Oral, Patología Oral y Cirugía Bucal, 2021; Benjamin and Reish, "Buccal Fat Pad Excision: Proceed with Caution", Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 2018; NHS, "Overweight and obesity in adults" (accessed 2026).

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to lose face fat?

It depends on where you start. At the recommended pace of 0.5 to 1 kg per week, changes in your face are often noticeable after a few weeks.

Do chewing gum or mewing slim your face?

No. Chewing gum works the chewing muscles, which can even get a bit bigger, and mewing has no evidence of an effect in adults. Our guides on the jawline and mewing explain why.

Why does my face look puffier in the morning?

Most often because of water retained overnight, especially after a salty meal or alcohol. It isn't fat, and it fades over the morning.

Is buccal fat removal risky?

It's barely studied: few studies, low quality, no long-term follow-up. The risk most often raised is a face that ends up too hollow with age. GlowUpTogether doesn't recommend it.