When you're talking eyes and ears, two are desirable, but when it comes to chins most people would rather have just one. An extra chin is unsightly and is often evidence of your unhealthy lifestyle choices. A sagging gobble chin or double chin is generally caused by excess body fat, aging, or a combination of the two. Whatever the cause of your saggy extra chin, there are several ways to minimize its appearance and tighten up your jaw line.
Step 1
Strive for a healthy diet, which is imperative if you want to shed excess body fat. Ditch processed foods such as baked goods, sweets, chips and soda and instead opt for nutrient-dense foods. By fortifying your diet with "real" foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean sources of protein, you will improve your energy levels and fill up on lower calorie foods. Also, make water a staple in your diet. Water flushes out toxins, and helps to hydrate the cells in your body. Hydrated skin equals firm skin.
Step 2
Add cardiovasuclar exercise into your daily routine. Exercise will burn extra calories, thereby decreasing your fat stores. With regular exercise, you will notice fat loss throughout your body, including your chin. The best forms of cardio are those that require full body movements such as swimming, rowing and running. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that overweight adults should increase their activity to 45 minutes of exercise per day to facilitate weight loss and prevent weight regain.
Step 3
Perform strength training exercises regularly. Resistance training will help to build lean muscle mass, which is metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day, which, over time, will help with your fat loss efforts. The ACSM recommends one set of eight to 10 exercises that conditions the major muscle groups two to three days per week.
Step 4
Perform exercises to target the chin. Strengthening and toning the underlying muscles of your chin will smooth and tighten your sagging chin. Some example exercises include trying to touch your nose with your lower lip, pressing and holding your chin against your chest, and chewing sugar-free gum on a regular basis. You can also slap right under your chin using the back of your hand to help tighten the area. Start gently and slowly increase the speed. Continue for two to three minutes, and repeat three times a day.
Step 5
Take care of your skin. You can prevent some of the sagging gobble chin that occurs with aging by caring for the skin around your neck and chin. To keep your skin healthy, the Mayo Clinic recommends that you always protect your skin from sun damage, refrain from smoking, use gentle skin cleansers and manage stress. You should also apply firming moisturizers to your neck and chin every day.
Things You'll Need
- Gum
- Sun screen
- Skin moisturizer
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription", Seventh Edition; Lawrence E. Armstrong, PhD, FACSM, et al.; 2006
- Target Women: Double Chin Exercises
- Mayo Clinic: Skin Care
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