Why Do Your Cheekbones Show When You Smile? How to Tuck Them In and Our Treatments

When your cheekbones show while smiling, it can bother you when taking photos or during conversation.

Since cheekbones are, as the word says, related to the bone, many people may have given up thinking there’s no way to tuck them in.

However, there are actually several ways to tuck them in, and you can gradually aim for improvement.

This article details the causes of prominent cheekbones when smiling, ways to tuck them in, and our recommended treatments.

What Causes Prominent Cheekbones When Smiling?

When your cheekbones become emphasized while smiling, you may find yourself concerned about your face in photos, or self-conscious while talking with others.

The causes of prominent cheekbones differ from person to person.

Beyond genetics and bone-structure influence, they can also become noticeable due to how fat accumulates and lifestyle habits.

First, let’s introduce the reasons why your cheekbones become prominent when smiling.

Influence of Genetics and Bone Structure

The shape of the cheekbones is greatly influenced by genetics, and if a family member has prominent cheekbones, you tend to be more likely to have a similar bone structure.

The cheekbone is made up of two bones — the zygomatic body and the zygomatic arch — and their shape affects the cheek’s impression.

The zygomatic body is the bone that rises and juts diagonally forward when smiling.

If this part is large, it can be emphasized more when smiling.

The zygomatic arch, meanwhile, is a bone that spreads sideways, extending near the temples, causing the cheekbone to become a cause of prominence when viewed from the side.

In this way, the bone structure itself greatly influences how the cheekbones appear, and it’s often inherited through genetics.
If either or both parents have prominent cheekbones, there’s a higher likelihood that your own cheekbones will become more noticeable as you grow.

Influence of Fat

Whether the cheekbones are prominent is also related to the amount of fat. Too much or too little fat can both emphasize the shape of the cheekbones.

First, let’s consider the case of too much fat.

When there’s a lot of subcutaneous fat on the face, the cheeks puff up while smiling, making the cheekbones look like they’re jutting forward.

In particular, those who feel thickness when pinching their cheek may have prominent cheekbones due to fat.

Conversely, too little fat or muscle can also be a cause of prominent cheekbones.
When fat and muscle decrease with age, the cheeks become gaunt, and the cheekbones can relatively appear to jut out more. Reduced collagen and sagging skin are also related — as cheek volume decreases, the shape of the cheekbones appears more distinctly.

In this way, when fat balance is disrupted, the cheekbones become emphasized, so maintaining moderate fat and muscle is important.

Influence of Daily Habits

How noticeable the cheekbones are is also related to daily habits.
When how the expression muscles are used or left-right balance is disrupted, the cheekbones can become more emphasized.

The cheek muscles move significantly when smiling. If these muscles develop too much, cheek fullness becomes stronger, making the cheekbones more noticeable. For example, those with expressive faces or an unconscious habit of raising their cheeks tend to have muscles that develop more easily.

Also, habits like resting your chin on your hand, always sleeping on the same side, or grinding your teeth are causes that throw off cheek balance. When too much strain is placed on the muscles of one side, only that side develops, sometimes making the cheekbones appear asymmetrical.

In this way, not just bone structure and fat, but daily habits also influence how the cheekbones appear. If it concerns you, it’s good to review your posture and habits, being mindful of balancing your cheek muscles.

How Can You Tuck In Your Cheekbones?

For those concerned about prominent cheekbones, you’re probably curious how to tuck them in.

While the prominence of the cheekbones is greatly influenced by bone structure and genetics, it’s possible to gradually make them less noticeable by changing habits and how you use your muscles.

Choose a method that suits you from facial massage, makeup techniques, or cosmetic medicine.

Here we detail methods for making the cheekbones less noticeable.

Perform Facial Massage

If prominent cheekbones are caused by genetics or bone structure, significant improvement through self-care is difficult, but if habits or muscular balance are involved, massage can be expected to ease the impression.

We introduce a recommended massage method.

1. Rest your elbows on a table, and gently place the pads of your thumbs on your cheekbones.
2. Using your thumbs, gently apply pressure as if pushing the cheekbones inward.
3. Hold for 10 seconds, doing 10 repetitions per set, 3 times a day.

Also, to improve lymph flow, it’s recommended to place your thumbs just below the cheekbones and trace toward your ears.

Finally, gently massaging from under your ears to your collarbone and shoulders also enhances the overall cleaner impression of your face.

Cover With Makeup

Prominent cheekbones can be covered to some extent with makeup.

Using blush, shading, and highlight can help balance them out.

Blush: The key point is applying it slightly below the highest point of the cheekbone. Pink-beige or orange-beige, colors that blend well with the skin, are ideal.

Shading: Creating a light shadow from the temple to the jaw angle eases the sideways prominence of the cheekbones.

Highlight: Applying it to the hollow just below the cheekbone gives a plumper impression, making the height of the cheekbone less noticeable.

Since dewy-skin makeup can emphasize the cheekbones, using a matte-finish foundation is recommended.

Receive Cosmetic Surgery

If you want to fundamentally tuck in your cheekbones, considering cosmetic surgery treatment is also a method.

Cheekbone Reduction

This is surgery that shaves down the front or side prominence of the cheekbone.

Since it’s performed through an incision inside the mouth to shave the cheekbone, scars are hardly visible from outside.

There is downtime, but a reliable effect can be expected.

Hyaluronic Acid Injection

This treatment injects hyaluronic acid into the hollow below the cheek, making the cheekbone’s prominence less noticeable.

There’s almost no downtime, and it’s a benefit that you can receive it easily, but the effect lasts about six months to a year, so periodic treatment is needed.

Cosmetic surgery lets you feel change without self-care, which is convenient, but it inevitably requires cost.

For those who feel this method isn’t very realistic, our salon’s treatments are recommended.

For Cheekbone Concerns, KADOMORI’s Treatments Are Recommended!

KADOMORI offers several treatments for improving the cheekbones.

This time, we introduce “KADOMORI-Style Facial Correction” and “KADOMORI-Style Facial Slimming.”

KADOMORI-Style Facial Correction

KADOMORI’s Facial Correction is a treatment that balances the bone structure using technique that has continued to be researched and evolved over many years.

Beyond those who want a smaller face, its characteristic is a high level of skill recommended even by cosmetic surgery doctors.

It’s especially recommended for those concerned about left-right facial balance or distortion, adjusting cheekbone prominence too while guiding you toward a beautiful facial line.

KADOMORI-Style Facial Slimming

This is a correction method that uses KADOMORI’s original theory and technique, adjusting from the bone structure.

Using special equipment called the Synchro Wave, rather than simply making the face smaller, we adjust while considering overall balance.

Because it beautifully refines not just cheekbone prominence but the whole facial line, it’s a perfect treatment for those aiming for a natural, well-balanced small face.

Troubled by Cheekbones When Smiling? Consult KADOMORI!

This article has detailed the causes of prominent cheekbones when smiling, improvement methods, and our recommended treatments.

Since bone is the cause, you may feel it’s hard to improve, but through self-care and treatment, gradual improvement is possible.

If you’re currently troubled by cheekbones when smiling, please consult KADOMORI.

For more on cheekbones, see this article as well.

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