Do I have enough face fat? How to lose weight without looking older

There are people who worry that their face loses fat first when dieting, making them look older. In fact, there is even a saying that "losing weight leads to premature aging," but is there no way to prevent facial aging caused by weight loss?

The face is one of the body parts where fat tends to be lost most easily. Fat is lost in the order of face, abdomen, chest, arms, hips, thighs, and calves. The upper body tends to lose fat faster than the lower body, and among the upper body, the face and chest fat are the first to go. This is because the face has more beta receptors that aid in fat breakdown compared to other parts of the body. Beta receptors are mainly found in the upper body, including the face, and they assist in fat breakdown by binding to the enzyme 'lipoprotein lipase,' which is involved in fat storage and breakdown. The small size of fat particles in the face is also related. When fat particles are small, fat is burned more quickly even with minimal exercise. Additionally, during dieting, not only fat but also muscles and ligaments decrease together. As a result, the face may lose elasticity and appear thinner.

To prevent aging while dieting, you should lose weight gradually. Losing too much weight in a short period causes the skin's elasticity to lag behind fat loss, making the face look older. Aiming to lose 2-3 kg per month is appropriate. Consistently exercising for even one or two hours a day helps maintain skin elasticity. Additionally, even when following a diet plan, it is important to pay more attention to protein and vitamin intake. Restrictive diets often lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients, causing the skin to become dull and saggy easily. Especially during dieting, stress levels tend to increase, and many people have trouble sleeping due to hunger at night, which accelerates skin aging.

If your face has become thin and aged-looking due to dieting, it is good to strengthen facial muscles. Just as body shape changes with muscle mass, the face's youthful or aged appearance depends on muscles. Aerobic exercises using a straw can be helpful. First, hold a straw in your mouth and slowly move it widely while making sounds of 'A, E, I, O, U' as a warm-up. Repeating this 3 to 5 times makes it much easier to move facial muscles. Next, hold the straw in your mouth and take a deep breath while slowly pushing your lips outward. Then, exhale while pressing your upper and lower lips together and slowly pulling your mouth to the sides. With your lips slightly tucked inward, pull the corners of your mouth to the left and right. Inhale and slowly return to the starting position to regulate your breathing. Each movement should be held for about 5 seconds, moving slowly to properly train the muscles.