Worse than gaining weight! It is the biggest "killer" of middle-aged men's appearance →

Review expert: Peng Guoqiu, deputy chief physician of the Fourth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army

The three crises of middle-aged people are that their belly is getting rounder, their hair is getting thinner, and their face is getting bigger. Compared with gaining weight in middle age, it seems that gaining cheeks has a greater impact on a person's beauty.

When we were young, many people had a standard oval face with narrow jaws, which was especially obvious when viewed from the side, with a smooth and retracted jaw. However, in photos taken after the age of 30 or 40, the face began to move towards a square face, with a reduced sense of elegance and refinement. Observe the middle-aged male friends around you carefully, have their faces become squarer than when you first met them? Today, let's talk about the "killer" of appearance that middle-aged men cannot avoid - cheek fat.

Causes and types of cheek swelling

Cheek, also known as cheek, refers to the lower part of the cheek. Cheek growth is a popular term and there is no such concept in medicine. Cheek growth simply means that the face becomes wider and bigger with age.

From the inside to the outside, the cheeks are composed of the mandible , muscles (mainly masseter muscles) , fat and skin . So, who is the culprit behind the cheeks? Let's explore them one by one.

0 1

Skeletal cheeks

The mandible is the main bone that determines the size of the cheeks. The shape, size and position of the mandible play a decisive role in the beauty and coordination of the face . It is an important bone in the face and the only movable bone in the face. It is arched overall.

Generally speaking, bones stop growing after adulthood, but the mandible of some people may continue to grow. This growth period often lasts until the age of 25, and even for a few people, the mandible growth continues until the age of 40. This continuous growth is an important reason why some people have "growing cheeks".

According to the Plastic Surgery Department of the Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, "Growth and Development of the Mandible and Changes of the Lower Face after Aging":

"The length of the mandibular body continues to grow significantly from late adolescence to adulthood, and its growth period can continue after the age of 25 or even 40. From late adolescence to adulthood, the overall length of the male mandible can increase by 3 to 6 mm."

△Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Plastic Surgery Department "Growth and Development of Mandible and Changes of Lower Face after Aging"

However, don't panic, because the increase is not large. The increase in male "secondary development" is about 3-6mm. Females may also experience changes, but the range of change is only about 1mm , which can be basically ignored.

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Muscular cheeks

In addition to bones, the increase in masseter muscle volume is also an important reason for cheek fat. In the chewing day after day and year after year, the masseter muscle that is exercised will quietly thrive, especially for those who chew hard food for a long time or have the habit of grinding their teeth at night. The masseter muscle is used continuously and frequently, which will lead to overdevelopment of the masseter muscle. Moreover, compared with women, men are affected by male hormones, and their muscles grow faster, and their masseter muscles are usually more developed.

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Fat cheeks

Fat cheeks refer to the phenomenon that facial fat increases and accumulates in the jaw angle area, causing the facial contour to become fatter and rounder. This is usually related to overall obesity, slow metabolism and bad lifestyle habits. As facial fat accumulates, the cheeks become prominent and the skin may appear loose and sagging, affecting the beauty of the face.

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Aging cheeks

There is also a special type of soft tissue cheek growth, which is caused by the simultaneous action of facial muscles and fat. That is aging-type cheek growth, which is the real reason for most "cheek growth".

As we age, facial collagen is lost and muscle tissue relaxes, which causes facial fat to shift and deform, making the face wider. As a result, you will find that your previously angular face gradually becomes rounder and larger, and eventually even the jawline disappears. Although this process is irreversible, its progression can be slowed down through facial care and proper exercise.

How to improve cheek fat?

The prevention and treatment of cheek acne can be done in many ways, including lifestyle adjustments, skin care, and necessary medical treatment:

01Adjust your lifestyle

1. Diet control

Maintain a light diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants that help keep your skin healthy and elastic.

Avoid excessive intake of high-calorie, high-sugar foods, which can easily lead to weight gain and increase facial fat accumulation.

Reduce chewing of hard and chewy foods, such as almonds, hazelnuts, air-dried beef and chewing gum, as these foods will exercise the masseter muscles and lead to their development.

2. Exercise

By doing whole-body exercises such as swimming, running, and yoga, you can reduce body fat, and facial fat will also be reduced, helping to keep facial lines firm.

For the facial muscles, you can do some lifting and massaging movements to promote facial blood circulation and lymphatic detoxification, and help eliminate facial edema and fat accumulation.

3. Maintain a regular schedule

Avoid staying up late for long periods of time and ensure adequate sleep time, which will help promote skin metabolism and repair, and reduce the risk of skin sagging and cheek fat.

0 2 Skin Care

1. Use anti-wrinkle and firming skin care products

Choose skin care products containing anti-wrinkle and firming ingredients such as collagen and elastin. These ingredients help improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles and sagging.

2. Facial Massage

Regular facial massage can promote facial blood circulation and improve the firmness of facial skin.

0 3 Medical treatment

1. Face slimming injection

For muscular cheeks, you can inject a slimming injection (i.e., botulinum toxin) to shrink the masseter muscle, thereby improving the facial lines. However, it should be noted that the slimming injection should be performed in a regular hospital or beauty salon, and it should be prohibited for those who are allergic to the drug.

2. Cosmetic surgery

For aging-related cheek fat, cosmetic surgery can be used to tighten the skin and enhance facial lines. However, cosmetic surgery is not a permanent solution, it requires a lot of financial resources and energy, and needs to be combined with diet, exercise and other methods to consolidate the effect.

3. Surgical Resection

If the cheeks are puffy due to overdeveloped local muscles and other methods cannot improve the condition, surgical removal of part of the masseter muscle can be considered to achieve improvement. However, this method is risky and needs to be chosen with caution and professional medical advice should be sought.

In summary, the prevention and treatment of cheek rashes need to start from multiple aspects, including adjusting lifestyle habits, paying attention to skin care, and taking medical measures when necessary. At the same time, it is also necessary to formulate a personalized prevention and treatment plan based on personal circumstances and implement it consistently.

References:

【1】 Department of Plastic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, "Growth and Development of the Mandible and Changes of the Lower Face after Aging"

【2】Shenzhen Health Commission: "My face is getting bigger, maybe my cheeks are getting fatter"

【3】Dr. Ding Xiang: My face is getting bigger, maybe it’s because of this (not because I’m fat)

【4】Panda Science: "Are 'growing cheeks' more terrible than gaining weight?"

【5】Wuhan Union Hospital "Why did my cheeks become puffy when I was fine? How to save your cheeks from puffy cheeks? Avoid these pitfalls!"