The shape of a person’s face naturally changes over their lifetime because ageing can lead to a loss of fat or muscle tone around the face. Face shape can also vary depending on a person’s current body weight and how much muscle they have.
Some people may want to gain weight on their face to give it a rounder, plumper, or fuller appearance.
In this article, we discuss at-home methods that people can try to gain weight on the face through facial exercises and nutrition.
How To Gain Weight On Face
These are some of the natural methods and home remedies trusted by many to gain weight on face. Some require physical action, some require a topical application, and some are based on consumption.
1. Eat Nutrient-rich Foods That Contain Healthful Fats
Some healthful foods that are naturally high in calories may help a person gain weight and keep their face plumper. There are many different options, but the following are good examples of foods to choose:
- Seeds and nuts. These natural energy sources are high in calories, but they also provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, and healthful fatty acids, helping a person gain weight in a healthy way.
- Milk. Milk from animals usually contains more calories per serving than drinks such as plant milk, tea, or juice. It is also rich in fats and contains key nutrients and minerals.
- Fatty fish. Cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, and cod, contain more calories from healthful fats than other types of fish and meat. These fats can also promote skin health, as the skin needs fat cells to keep it looking youthful.
2. Apply Products To the Skin
Topical products may hydrate the skin, and long term use may protect the skin cells from ageing, resulting in fuller skin that appears healthy.
There are no research studies to confirm that topical products can encourage weight gain on the face, despite some people believing that they are effective. However, the popular methods below are generally safe to try and incur few side effects.
3. Honey or Sugar
Honey and sugar are both natural humectants, which means that they pull moisture in from the outside environment and store it in the skin. By doing this, they may give the facial skin a more full appearance.
Honey also contains helpful vitamins, enzymes, and amino acids. As a review article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology notes, high-quality honey also contains helpful antioxidants and has some skin healing properties.
Regularly applying honey to the skin may help provide nutrients to the skin cells and protect them from damage.
4. Oils
Some people claim that applying natural oils to the face may help a person achieve a more youthful look by creating fuller, plumper cheeks.
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that applying oil to the face will help a person gain weight on this part of the body. However, as a study in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology notes, fatty acids may fill in the spaces between the outermost layers of skin cells.
Certain oils may be helpful for the skin when a person applies them topically, including:
- olive oil
- coconut oil
- avocado oil
- shea butter
- almond oil
- amla oil
Each person’s skin will react differently to the various oils. Anyone considering applying oil to their face should test it on one patch of skin first to see whether it causes a reaction or any other issues, such as acne.
5. Face Masks
Face masks may also bring moisture to the skin, which may be especially helpful for a face that appears thin due to ageing.
Many different store-bought masks use special formulations to benefit the skin, often including ingredients such as:
- glycerin
- urea
- hyaluronic acid
- lanolin
- petrolatum
- mineral oil
However, people who prefer to create their own face masks can try using natural ingredients, such as:
6. Facial Exercise
Also called “facial yoga,” facial exercises tone the facial muscles for a more youthful appearance. A 2018 study of people doing 30-minutes of facial exercises daily for eight weeks yielded faces that were “firmer and more shaped like a younger face.”
Some facial yoga exercises include:
- Lift the cheek muscles while pursing your lips together and smiling. Then, put the fingers of each hand on either side of your mouth and lift your cheeks by sliding your fingers up to the top of your cheeks. Hold the position for 20 seconds.
- Closing your mouth, fill your cheeks with as much air as they can contain. Hold the position for 45 seconds before slowly blowing the air out.
- Open your mouth into an “O” with your lips over your teeth and smile. Then put the fingers of each hand on the tops of the corresponding cheek and gently lift and lower your cheeks for a period of 30 seconds.2
Conclusion
A slim face can make you look thinner than you’d like, especially if you also have an overly slender body frame. If your doctor has told you that weight gain would improve your health, adopt a healthy approach to adding pounds.
You can’t guarantee that the newly gained weight will give you plump cheeks, but reaching a healthy weight may add fullness to your face and improve your skin tone so you can look your healthiest.
As you get older, you lose fat in your face, which contributes to the visible signs of ageing. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you appear youthful as you pass age 40.3
A study published in a 2009 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery showed that, among twins, the twin with a four-point higher body mass index appeared youngest after age 40. Smoking, excessive drinking, too much time in the sun and certain medications can also exaggerate the appearance of ageing.
If you had a fuller face in your teens and 20s, expect this fullness to diminish as you age. Collagen, a protein that provides elasticity to your skin, starts to lose some of its elasticity once you’re over age 20 which — combined with fat loss in your face, results in a decrease in volume — a natural consequence of getting older. Recreating the cherubic cheeks of your youth might not be possible.
