Like any other part of your body, your face loses muscle tone through lack or exercise and the aging process. One of the most common facial areas to acquire excess fat or sagging skin is the jawline, a condition known as a double chin. While there are no magical cures, says the Perfect Chin website, there are a number of natural ways to reduce a double chin--or better yet, prevent it from occurring in the first place.
Causes of a Double Chin
Two of the most common causes of a double chin are being overweight--which causes fat to accumulate under the jaw--or getting older and losing muscle condition around the neck and jaw line. But, according to the Perfect Chin website, some people are neither overweight nor advancing in years and simply have a genetic predisposition to developing a double chin. Regardless of the cause, the solution is the same: a healthy diet, regular fat-burning exercise, a good skincare routine and specific toning exercises that target the problem area.
Kiss the Ceiling
This exercise will tone the jaw line and your neck. FacialExercisesGuide.com says to sit or stand up straight and raise your chin slightly so you're looking at the corner of the ceiling. Pucker your lips and make as if you are trying to kiss the ceiling. Stretch your lips and chin as much as you can, but try to keep the rest of your face relaxed. Hold in the puckered position for about three seconds, relax and repeat 10 times.
Open and Close Your Mouth
According to the Double Chin Exercises website, this exercise is often referred to as The Shovel. Sit or stand up straight with your chin gently tucked in so your ears are in line with your shoulders. Open your mouth and wrap your lower lip over your lower teeth then open and close your mouth 10 times. You should feel a stretch along your chin and the muscles in your neck working.
Maintain Good Posture
Hunching over and bowing your head slackens the skin and muscles in your neck, says the Double Chin Exercises website. Over time, they will lose condition and the dreaded double chin effect will start to develop. To stop this from happening, stand up straight, with your shoulders back and down, your ears in line with your shoulders and chin raised so you are looking straight ahead. Maintaining a good posture throughout the day requires your neck muscles to work in order to keep your head up and your neck straight, says the Double Chin Exercises website.
Eat Slowly
You can even exercise your chin without realizing it. According to the Perfect Chin website, eating slowly and chewing your food thoroughly requires more jaw control than eating quickly, and builds the muscles in this area. The added benefit of lingering over your meal is that you will feel full sooner and eat less, which will help to keep your weight down--and away from your chin.
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