Should You Avoid Facial Slimming? Causes of a Larger-Looking Face and Everyday Countermeasures

“I’d like to try facial slimming, but I’m not sure it really works…” “I’ve heard people say you should avoid facial slimming — what should I do?” If that sounds like you, you’re not alone.

Facial slimming can deliver real benefits in some cases, but it is also said to carry risks and drawbacks.

This article takes a close look at the benefits and risks you can expect from facial slimming, the causes of a larger-looking face, and countermeasures you can take in daily life.

What Benefits Can You Expect from Facial Slimming?

Facial slimming is a treatment that firms up the entire face by working on its muscles and bone structure. It is most often performed at beauty and esthetic salons, and draws particular attention from people hoping to improve facial sagging and their facial line. One woman shared that “my face used to get puffy by evening, but now it doesn’t” — though results are said to vary from person to person. Since the expected outcome is not guaranteed, be sure to consult a specialist thoroughly before receiving treatment.

Sagging Skin Firms Up

Facial sagging is said to occur when skin and muscle slacken with age and lifestyle habits, letting the whole face droop. Facial slimming stimulates the facial muscles and promotes blood flow, which is expected to firm up this sagging. As the facial muscles are activated, the facial line is refined and a more youthful impression can reportedly be achieved. As a concrete example, some practitioners note that clients feel their facial contour looks cleaner right after a session.

The Facial Line Becomes Balanced

Facial slimming treatments are said to use special techniques on the bone structure and muscles to improve left–right facial asymmetry and refine the facial line. For those bothered by a prominent jaw or cheekbones in particular, this treatment can be one option worth considering. A 37-year-old woman who received facial slimming at an aesthetic bodywork clinic reportedly saw considerable change in her facial line and the shape of her forehead.

We cover the benefits in more detail in this article.

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Why Do People Say You Should Avoid Facial Slimming?

While facial slimming offers appealing benefits, it is also said to carry more than a few risks and drawbacks. When considering treatment, it is important to fully understand those risks as well. Below, we explain the reasons people say facial slimming is “better avoided.”

One Session May Not Be Enough

In reality, facial slimming does not always produce dramatic results in a single session. In most cases, consistent treatment is required and results appear gradually — it’s best to keep that in mind. If you go in expecting a dramatic change in a short period, you may not get the results you hoped for. So when considering treatment, take a long-term view and think carefully about whether it fits your goals and lifestyle.

Repeated Sessions Are Often Needed

To maintain the results of facial slimming, regular sessions are often recommended. The reason given is that the effects are frequently temporary, making continuous, periodic treatment necessary. Viewed over the long term, this need for regular sessions can become a burden in both cost and time. Even at one session per month, a full year of treatment adds up to considerable time and expense.

The Treatment Can Sometimes Hurt

You may feel pain during a facial slimming session. The face is an especially pain-sensitive area, so when techniques involving strong pressure are used, pain or discomfort can linger after the treatment. For this reason, those who are sensitive to pain or discomfort may want to consider treatment carefully.

What Makes a Face Look Larger in the First Place?

Many people considering facial slimming may wonder, “Why does a face get bigger in the first place?” The factors that make a face look larger are said to involve lifestyle habits, personal quirks, and even unconscious behaviors. Here we explain the main causes of a larger-looking face.

Resting Your Chin on Your Hand

The habit of resting your chin on your hand is sometimes cited as one cause of left–right facial asymmetry. According to the head of one facial slimming salon, propping your chin on one hand puts pressure on one side of the face, which may skew the bone structure and muscles. If this habit continues over a long period, the balance of the whole face can break down — potentially making the face look larger as a result.

Chewing on One Side

The habit of chewing food on only one side is also considered a cause of facial asymmetry. Using only one side of the jaw and its muscles can create a difference in muscle development, giving the left and right sides of the face different impressions. This, too, may end up making the face look larger.

Sleeping on Your Side

Sleeping on your side is also pointed to as a factor in a larger-looking face. Especially if you always sleep facing the same direction, pressure is applied to that side and is said to affect the shape of the face. As this habit accumulates, the overall shape of the face can change, which may lead to it looking larger.

What Can You Do in Daily Life to Aim for a Smaller Face?

There are several methods you can build into everyday life to work toward a smaller face. The keys are promoting blood flow in and around the face and easing muscle tension. Below are some specific approaches.

Upper-Body Massage

To aim for a smaller face, massaging not just the face but the entire upper body — neck, shoulders, and décolleté — is said to be effective. Massaging these areas promotes blood flow and clears facial puffiness, leaving the facial line looking cleaner. Loosening tension in the neck and shoulders in particular improves blood flow to the face and helps prevent puffiness and sagging. If you can build upper-body massage into your daily routine, your facial contour may tighten and you may see a smaller-face effect.

Straightening Your Teeth

It may come as a surprise, but improving your tooth alignment is also said to contribute to a smaller face. When your bite is corrected, the balance of the whole face improves, and a firmer facial line can be expected. Beyond appearance, an even bite normalizes the development of the facial muscles, which also supports a smaller face. Orthodontics takes time and money, but in the long run it may prove a worthwhile investment in yourself.

Eating Foods with Detox Potential

To aim for a smaller face, detoxing — efficiently expelling waste from the body — is important. In particular, foods rich in soluble dietary fiber, fermented foods, and potassium help flush toxins and regulate the gut, so eat them proactively.

• Foods rich in soluble dietary fiber
  • Wakame seaweed, sweet potato, cabbage, etc.
  • Expected to absorb toxins in the body and expel them together with stool. Also increases beneficial bacteria and helps regulate the gut environment.
    

• Foods rich in insoluble dietary fiber
  • Soybeans, green beans, burdock root, etc.
  • Said to sweep the intestines clean and increase stool volume.

• Fermented foods
  • Natto, miso, soy sauce, vinegar, etc.
  • By reducing harmful gut bacteria and increasing beneficial ones, a strong gut-regulating effect can be expected. Also effective for improving and preventing constipation.

• Foods rich in oligosaccharides
  • Onion, burdock root, soybeans, honey, etc.
  • Serve as food for beneficial bacteria and help regulate the gut environment.

• Foods rich in potassium
  • Watermelon, natto, banana, etc.
  • Their diuretic action is expected to expel excess water from the body, flushing out toxins and waste together with urine.

• Teas with detox potential
  • Green tea (detoxifying, antibacterial, relieves constipation)
  • Genmaicha brown-rice tea (boosts metabolism)
  • Rooibos tea (expels toxins, boosts metabolism, improves blood and lymph flow)
  • Rosehip tea (improves circulation, expels toxins, reduces puffiness)
  • Dokudami tea, mugwort tea (diuretic, gut-regulating)

By consuming these foods and teas daily, your body can expel toxins more easily — and a smaller-face effect can be expected.

Concerned About Your Facial Line? Consult KADOMORI!

When considering facial slimming, understanding both the benefits and the risks is essential. You can expect firmer skin and an improved facial line, but multiple sessions may be needed and some pain may be involved. We also recommend understanding what makes a face look larger, and adopting upper-body massage, better tooth alignment, and detox-friendly foods.

If your facial line concerns you, please consult KADOMORI. We propose the treatment best suited to each individual and help you achieve a smaller face.

If you are considering facial slimming in Tokyo, Osaka, or Nagoya, see the articles below as well.

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