How to Lose a Double Chin without Surgery

Seeing a double chin is usually a reminder that you need to start considering physical exercise. No doubt you’d prefer to lose a double chin. However, sometimes a double chin is caused by much more than just weight gain. Sagging skin, losing muscle mass, aging and genetics are also common factors that can cause a double chin. In some cases, you may be born into a family that has a history of low skin elasticity in your face. This could easily exacerbate a double chin.

The bottom line is that you do not need to be overweight to have a double chin. And this can be incredibly frustrating if you are in decent physical shape but continue having this unseemly problem. However, if you’re someone who does have some submental fat under your chin, there luckily are options to better your profile and streamline your appearance without plastic surgery.

Don’t Go Under the Knife with Plastic Surgery

Going under the surgeon’s knife to correct a double chin should always be the last option. Liposuction, facelifts, and neck lifts are all possible but bear in mind that you will have swelling, bruising, and even some bleeding for two weeks. Your skin may also not recover the way you want it to. There have been far too many horror stories with neck lifts and facelifts.

Although going under the knife is the most publicized way to rid yourself of a double chin, medical practitioners have recently begun recommending deoxycholic acid as an alternative to surgery. Yet, the possible side effects and consequences are less glamorous than the profile you’re looking to get. 

Deoxycholic Acid Treatment Brings Mixed Results

Deoxycholic acid helps your body absorb fats and can effectively make your double chin disappear, but at what cost? Most individuals who end up pursuing this treatment option as an alternative to surgery end up being surprised how long it really takes. And worst of all, it is reportedly hurts really bad.

In reality, deoxycholic acid is not much of a better alternative to regular plastic surgery. For one, the injections are said to be extremely painful, much more so than botox injections or dermal fillers. After the injections, patients can also expect their neck to be swollen for 10 days or so. On top of that, you will also have to have multiple treatments over a period agreed upon with your doctor to see results. So, for those saying it’s an easier alternative to plastic surgery — it’s not. 

Lose A Double Chin with Face Exercises

So many people seem to think that plastic surgery is the only way to lose a double chin if they’re already of average weight. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. You really shouldn’t be going under the knife when it comes to your face anyway: it’s scary, especially considering how much could go wrong.  

Facial and jawline exercises have been proven in many research-based studies to slim the neck, tone the face, and reduce double chins if done daily. Best of all, they’re very easy to do so it doesn’t hurt to try. You can expect noticeable results in just a few weeks.

Doing Double Chin Exercises: The Targeted Muscles

Luckily, tightening your facial muscles and toning your face is possible with the help of targeted exercises. Just like any other exercise of a muscle, facial exercises workout your facial muscles thus making them tighter, firmer, and more compact. The end result is a more toned face and, most importantly, no more double chin troubles.

One of the main muscles you will want to focus on to rid yourself of your double chin are the suprahyoid muscles, a group of muscles located at the top of the neck right under the chin.

Do Double Chin Exercises Work?

You can’t target fat loss. You simply can’t workout your face to specifically lose a region of fat on you. However, the point of double chin exercises is not to lose fat per se but instead to tone the muscles.

Because the dermis (skin) on your face is so closely attached to your muscles, unlike any other part of your body, toning the face muscles produces visible changes to your appearance. Face exercises have also been proven to boost collagen production, a necessary protein responsible for rejuvenating skin. The end result is a tighter face.

We compiled all the clinical trials and expert opinion we could find on face exercises in a special article of ours on the topic.

Exercises to Try To Lose A Double Chin

Based on our research, the following are the best face exercises for double chin removal.

The Kissy Face

This one is a simple one that was explained by health expert K. Aleisha Fetters.

1. Stand with a straight posture, tilt your head back, and look directly at the ceiling.
2. Pucker those lips. Make a kissy face while facing the ceiling.
3. Extend the kiss for five seconds at a time and then relax. Proceed to do this 15 times.

You should feel some tension in your neck and chin. That’s what you want.

The Jaw Jut

We first found this exercise mentioned on Healthline.

1. Look at the ceiling and hold your head high with your posture erect.
2. Jut out your jaw so you feel the tension under your chin and the skin stretch.
3. Hold this position for 10 seconds, relax, and then repeat this 10 times.

This simple exercise will provide the skin under your chin with elasticity if you stick to it daily.

The Bottom Lip Scoop

This is another exercise that will work to increase the skin elasticity under your chin.

1. With your mouth open, roll your bottom lip over your bottom teeth as far as you can.
2. Close your mouth but keep up the tension on your bottom lip over your lower teeth.
3. Hold this for 10 seconds, relax, and then repeat this exercise 5 times.

You should feel this exercise as much in your jaw as you do under your chin.

The Alternative Jaw Jut

Our previous “Jaw Jut” exercise had you looking to the ceiling, but this version might be more suitable for you if you want a little neck stretch as well.

1. Turn your head to the left or right.
2. Jut out your bottom teeth as far as you can outward.
3. Slowly turn your head forward.
4. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

You should feel the stretch and tension not only in your neck but also under your skin.

The Press and Hold

For this easy exercise, we’ll be applying a little bit of pressure to your chin and the muscles under it.

1. Make your hands into two fists and push both of them against your chin with your mouth closed.
2. As you apply force upward with your fists, apply force downward with your lower teeth. Push your jaw downward with your fists pushing upward.
3. Increase the force until you feel the resistance between the two forces is appropriate. Hold this for 20 seconds. Then, relax and repeat this about 5 times.

This exercise will have you feeling the tension throughout your entire jaw, loosening up your skin while also working out your facial muscles.

Head Lifts

This is the most active exercise on our list and you must be lying down to perform it properly.

1. Lie on your bed face-up with your neck at the edge of the bed and your head relaxing off the end.
2. Lift your head up forward as far as you can towards your chest. Hold this for 10 seconds.
3. Slowly return back to your original position. Make sure to not sprain your neck. Relax. Repeat this for 10 reps.

You should feel the muscles under your chin and your neck get a serious workout from having to support your neck, but trust us, you will feel much looser after doing this exercise daily.

Chew Gum to Tighten Your Face

Face exercises that target the jaw also reduce double chins. After all, this makes sense: your neck, jawline, and chin are all connected by the same muscle group. So, working out one of them will inevitably tone the entire lower half of your face.

Jawline exercises specifically target the suprahyoid muscles as well as others, making it well-suited to lessen and eliminate double chins. For information on the many jawline exercises, I suggest you read our comprehensive guide on jawline exercises which will tell you everything you need to know.

Our recommendation is to chew mastic gum for 2-3 hours a day to work out your muscles of mastication.

When Can You Expect Results?

If you continue with face exercises, you can see a noticeable tightening in your lower-face in just a few weeks.

However, facial fitness should also correspond to taking care of your overall health. Do note, though, that these facial exercises for double chins are not replacements for regular exercise. If you have a double chin because of a weight issue, your best bet is to focus on losing body fat which will definitely lessen and in many cases eliminate your double chin altogether.

If you are like many of us who have a double chin without a major weight problem, these facial exercises just might work for you if you keep at it daily.

For more information on how to tighten the lower half of your face, read our guide on how to best do jawline exercises to achieve a defined profile.

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