What Causes a Gourd-Shaped Face? Massage Methods and Our Recommended Treatments

Have you heard of a “gourd-shaped face”?

It refers to a state where causes like sunken temples or cheeks make the facial shape look like a gourd.

Many people are troubled by a gourd-shaped face, and many try to hide it with makeup.

This article details the causes of a gourd-shaped face, massage methods for improving it, and our recommended treatments.

What Causes a Gourd-Shaped Face?

A gourd-shaped face is a state where the temples or cheeks become sunken, or the cheekbones become prominent, making the facial contour look pinched.

Here we detail the causes of a gourd-shaped face.

Sunken Temples or Cheeks

One cause of a gourd-shaped face is sunken temples or cheeks.

With age, skin cells decrease around the temples and the skin thins, making them look sunken.

Also, the temples contain a muscle called the “temporalis,” used when chewing food.

However, as this temporalis weakens, the temple area can hollow, changing the facial silhouette.

Those who normally eat mostly soft foods tend to use the temporalis less, making the temples more prone to sinking.

Furthermore, reduced cheek fat is also a cause of a gourd-shaped face.

Reasons for sunken cheeks include the following:

• Reduced skin firmness and elasticity from aging
• Muscular tension and worsened circulation from stress
• Reduced fat from extreme dieting
• Lifestyle habits (poor posture, chewing habits, etc.)

Rapid dieting can cause facial fat to drop all at once, strengthening a gaunt impression.

Also, accumulated stress can tense the facial muscles, worsening circulation.

It’s a good idea to check whether you have any unconscious habits or tendencies.

Prominent Cheekbones

A gourd-shaped face can also result from prominent cheekbones.

Factors behind prominent cheekbones mainly include the following:

• Bone-structure influence from genetics
• Reduced muscle and fat from aging
• Influence of lifestyle habits

Since facial bone structure is strongly influenced by genetics, if your parents or grandparents have high cheekbones, you may have inherited that trait.

Also, as facial muscles weaken and fat decreases with age, the area around the cheekbones can thin, making the cheekbones relatively more prominent.

In particular, when the cheek muscles decline, a hollow can form beneath the cheekbones, further emphasizing them.

Furthermore, everyday lifestyle habits can also have an influence.

For example, do you unconsciously clench your teeth or grind them?

Habits like this can cause the cheek muscles to develop excessively, emphasizing the bone structure.

If you feel “my cheekbones seem more prominent than before,” it may help to pay attention to how you chew or your sleeping posture.

Sagging Cheeks

Cheek sagging is also one cause that emphasizes the traits of a gourd-shaped face.

Reasons for cheek sagging include the following:

• Reduced skin firmness from decreased collagen
• Weakened expression muscles
• Puffiness and fat accumulation

Collagen is essential for maintaining skin firmness.

However, sun exposure or spending time in dry environments reduces collagen production, causing loss of skin elasticity.

As a result, the whole face becomes more prone to sagging, and the lower part of the cheeks drops.

Also, facial muscles that aren’t normally moved much tend to weaken.

In particular, continuing to wear masks or going long periods without much facial expression can weaken cheek muscle strength, making sagging more likely.

Furthermore, when blood and lymph flow worsen, puffiness becomes more likely, and the cheeks can look heavier.

For those with more fat, sagging can also become more noticeable, so incorporating facial massage and expression-muscle training is recommended to prevent cheek sagging.

What Massage Methods Help Improve a Gourd-Shaped Face?

To improve a gourd-shaped face, training the facial muscles and improving lymph flow are important.

Here we introduce easy massage methods for improving a gourd-shaped face.

Temple-Lifting Massage

This massage improves temple hollowness and restores firmness.

1. Using the pads of both hands’ fingers, gently massage the temples in circular motions.
2. After about a minute, slide your fingers from the temples toward the hairline, lifting as if raising the muscles.
3. Do 3 sets while breathing slowly and deeply. A relaxing effect can also be expected.

Cheek-Firmness-Restoring Massage

This massage stimulates the muscles inside the cheeks for a plumper impression.

1. Using your index and middle fingers, gently press the area beside the corners of your mouth.
2. From there, slowly slide upward along the cheekbones.
3. Do this 5 times each on the left and right. The key point is not pressing too hard, using a pleasant amount of force.

Facial-Line-Refining Massage

This massage improves cheek sagging and aims for a sharp facial line.

1. Using your palms, slowly stroke upward from under your chin to under your ears.
2. Gently press and loosen the lymph nodes under your ears.
3. Repeat this 3 times on each side. Since it smooths lymph flow, it’s also recommended for resolving puffiness.

Continuing daily will make your facial impression cleaner, so please try making it a habit.

For Improving a Gourd-Shaped Face, KADOMORI’s Treatments Are Recommended!

For those who want to fundamentally improve a gourd-shaped face, KADOMORI’s treatments are recommended!

At our salon, we provide treatment tailored to each individual’s facial balance, addressing concerns about sagging and bone structure.

In particular, “Small-Face Design HIFU” and “Small-Face Lift Photo” tighten firmly from the skin’s foundation, and are also recommended for improving a gourd-shaped face.

Here we detail the characteristics of each treatment.

Small-Face Design HIFU

KADOMORI’s “Small-Face Design HIFU” is a recommended treatment for refining a gourd-shaped face.

Using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), we thoroughly approach deep within the skin, guiding you toward improvement of sagging and wrinkles.

In treatment, we first carefully assess your facial condition, then select the best-suited method from cavitation, radio-frequency, or the Synchro Wave.

Afterward, we perform HIFU across the whole face with fine adjustments, firmly lifting.

Finally, we let beauty ingredients penetrate while calming the skin, aiming for an even more beautiful finish.

Small-Face Lift Photo

“Small-Face Lift Photo” is a treatment that restores skin firmness through the synergy of light (IPL) and heat (RF radio-frequency), improving sagging and enlarged pores.

IPL light promotes collagen production deep within the skin, giving elasticity to the skin.

Meanwhile, the simultaneous addition of RF radio-frequency heat more effectively increases collagen, tightening sagging skin.

After treatment, your skin lifts, giving a cleaner impression to your facial line.

It’s a perfect treatment for those concerned about puffiness and sagging.

KADOMORI’s treatments are characterized by a design tailored to each individual’s face, letting you aim for your ideal facial line.

If you’re troubled by a gourd-shaped face, please try it at least once.

Troubled by a Gourd-Shaped Face? Consult KADOMORI!

This article has detailed the causes of a gourd-shaped face, massage methods, and KADOMORI’s recommended treatments.

A gourd-shaped face is said to form gradually due to various causes, but improvement can be expected through massage and treatment.

If you’re currently troubled by a gourd-shaped face, please consult KADOMORI!