How To Get Rid Of Chipmunk Cheeks (5 Natural Methods)
Chipmunk cheeks are just cheeks that are too "full".
The term is almost synonymous with "chubby cheeks", but tends to mean more childish cheeks that are a result of excess cheek muscle - rather than fat.
Let's figure out what is causing your chipmunk cheeks before we dive into ways to fix them.
What is Causing Your ChipMunk Cheeks?
Before you decide on what kind of treatment you need... you have to figure out whether your face is fat or just bloated.
Some chipmunk cheeks are a result or bloating, and are easier to reduce.
Others are a result of facial fat, which requires more invasive treatment.
Facial Bloating
Facial bloating fluctuates throughout the day depending on a range of factors.
Some medical conditions cause bloating.
And some easily changeable factors like salt and and dairy intake trigger facial bloating.
Facial Fat
Chipmunk cheeks are often the result of facial fat that is also fat in the neck, under the chin, and jowls.
This fat can accumulate during gradual bodily weight gain, with the face slowly getting puffier, fuller, and rounder.
Some people have larger cheeks because their face naturally stores more fat around the cheeks than others.
For instance, some people may have slim bodies but have a “babyface,” like Selena Gomez.
Masseter Muscles
Masseter muscles are the large chewing muscles on the side of the jaw.
They are between the cheeks and jaw.
Large masseter muscles often look good and result in a strong jawline, but overdeveloped masseter muscles can contribute to a bloated facial appearance.
You can get overdelevoped masseter muscles by grinding your teeth while you sleep (Bruxism) , temporomandibular joint disorder, excessively chewing gum, etc.
Other Factors That Can Cause Puffy Cheeks
Cushing’s syndrome, can cause large cheeks.
Some steroid treatments can lead to temporarily puffier cheeks as well.
Buccal Fat Pad Removal
The buccal fat pad is the mass of fat in the center of your cheek.
This is a natural, healthy fat that everyone has.
But the size of the fat pads can vary due to genetics, your diet and physical activity.
That's why some people may have more pronounced buccal fat pads than others.
They naturally carry more fat on their cheeks, which is what we call “baby fat.”
Luckily the buccal fat pad decreases with age.
But you can remove buccal fat quickly to eliminate your chipmunk cheeks.
The treatment removes fat mainly from where the cheek hollows would be.
One downside of removing buccal fat is the possibility of looking more and aged due to the loss of baby fat.
Plastic surgeons are aware of this and many of them will be sure only to remove just enough fat to avoid creating a sunken, older appearance.
They take age into account before they remove cheek fat.
By now, it is a common procedure.
Most patients have favorable outcomes with a low chance of complications, and no severe damage reported.
Can I Remove Facial Fat With Exercise?
Exercising and caloric deficit will help you lose fat all over your body... but you can't target a specific are of your body.
There's no way to lose weight in a particular area, even by doing “face workouts”.
Unfortunately for some, they lose weight in their face last of all.
Don't be discouraged though.
Weight loss is a miracle worker for removing buccal fat, tightening up your face and giving you hollow cheeks.
An amazing transformation from mewing, chewing and slimming. See more photos like this here.
How much fat should you lose in your face?
Well, it depends on your current fat percentage and how your body type.
A 5’6”, 150lb woman falls under the overweight category for that height.
Losing weight to reach a normal weight range (think 120-130 pounds) might results in a drastic change in your face.
But if that same 5’6” woman weighs 110-120 pounds, she falls into the underweight to normal weight range for that height.
If she has naturally large cheeks, dropping more weight may not lead to much change.
Overall fat loss will decrease the size of your cheeks.
But it may not work if you're the type to naturally store more fat in your cheeks.
Find a diet and exercise regime that works for you.
All the good weight loss plans revolve around a calorie deficit and increasing your heart-rate with exercise.
Ways to Treat Facial Bloating
If you notice your cheeks fluctuate in size at different times of the day, run some experiments to see what's causing it.
Adjust these lifestyle factors and see what makes a difference:
- 🥤 Avoid sugary drinks
- 🧂 Limit your salt intake
- 🍺 Avoid alcohol
- 🍬 Avoid junk food
How to Treat Large Masseter Muscles
Stop Clenching
Clenching your teeth can build your masseter muscles.
You need to learn how to stop clenching.
Usually, it just involves being aware of your jaw muscles and making sure that they are relaxed.
Certain triggers might make you clench your jaws.
Too much caffeine could make you jittery and clench your jaw.
Likewise for other stimulants.
General feelings of anxiety and stress can make you unconsciously clench your teeth.
It can be hard to avoid these feelings altogether, but finding ways to cope can help you make your masseter muscles relax.
Botox
Overdeveloped masseter muscles make the jaw look large.
It's often attractive on men but not always on women.
It makes some people's overall face look rounder, causing their cheeks to look like “chipmunk cheeks.”
A quick way to shrink masseter muscles is to simply use them less!
You want them to atrophy and become smaller just like your chest would if you stopped bench pressing.
Just like any other muscle, the less you use them, the smaller they become.
Need immediate results? Botox injections can help shrink the masseter.
Botox injections help the masseter muscles relax and then weaken.
The muscles will gradually shrink and return to a normal size.
You may have to get repeat injections every 3-4 months to see good results.
🍀 GOOD LUCK 🍀
Matt Phelps