"I lost weight, but I look much older... What's the secret to avoiding premature aging?"

They say not to lose weight too rapidly.

2 kg per month?

Well... I don't think that's going to be easy either, haha.

They say not to use extreme methods like starving oneself to lose weight.

It provides the fastest weight loss results, but at this time, a significant portion of the weight lost is not only body fat but also water and muscle from the body... The face tends to lose the most weight.

Good luck with your healthy diet!!

 

 

I lost 7kg in two months of dieting. However, people around me suddenly say I look much older. I've been told I look younger for a long time, but now even my parents and husband say I look older than them, so I'm quite surprised.

I lost 12kg to shed the weight gained after childbirth. As my chubby cheeks slimmed down, people around me started worrying that I look older. Losing weight is good, but hearing that I look aged makes me upset.

As summer approaches, many people have started a 'tight' diet. Although they have reached their target weight, those who lost weight through extreme dieting and excessive exercise may find that their face fat has also disappeared along with body fat, making it hard to just smile happily.

Jung Joon-ha lost about 18 kilograms in just one month for the Milan Fashion Week stage on MBC's 'Infinite Challenge' in 2013.

Jung Joon-ha earned the nickname "Jung Chot-nong" after an excessive diet. It is a cruel metaphor suggesting that his face looks like it is melting away. At that time, Jung Joon-ha shared on SNS that he was aging due to dieting, saying, "I lost weight and was told I looked so old that I shaved and changed my hair color," revealing his concerns. Netizens even advised Jung Joon-ha to gain weight again, calling him a bad example of dieting.

Jo Se-ho also appealed, saying, "People around me look at my face and ask, 'Did you get hit by time directly?'" In 2020, he lost 30kg through strict diet control and exercise, showcasing a slim body and abs, but he had to endure rapid facial aging.

After her diet, Park Na-rae, who looked unrecognizably beautiful, was also shocked when her mother from her hometown in Mokpo told her on MBC's 'I Live Alone,' "Sorry to say this, but I feel like you've aged on your face."

Park Na-rae said, "I'm dieting by doing a body profile shoot, so as I lose weight, I look like I’m aging," and hurriedly applied an ampoule to her face.

Extreme diets aimed solely at rapid weight loss can actually lead to side effects such as yo-yo dieting and diabetes. Experts particularly believe that rapid and excessive weight loss in a short period accelerates skin aging. To prevent aging, it is better to lose weight gradually and engage in exercises that strengthen facial muscles.

Rapid weight loss due to dieting causes a reduction in facial muscles and moisture, leading to decreased skin elasticity. Especially for those with a face shape characterized by prominent cheekbones and a developed jawline, losing facial fat can make the face appear more prominent and may even result in hollow cheeks.

If you want to avoid losing the slightly chubby and tired-looking face and don't want to regain the weight you've lost, it's better to switch to a balanced diet. Consuming a diet that includes a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats can help restore the natural volume of your face.

Facial yoga and facial exercises that strengthen the cheek muscles also help restore elasticity. Exercises that involve filling the cheeks with air are good for maintaining volume in the middle of the face. To perform the exercise, fill your mouth with air to puff out your cheeks, then alternately move the air to your left and right cheeks for 10 seconds each, then slowly release the air. Consistently dedicating about 5 to 10 minutes a day to exercising facial muscles can yield noticeable results.

Gently tapping both cheeks while applying skincare products can help promote blood circulation. Pushing the lower jaw forward as much as possible to tense the muscles under the chin and holding this position for 10 seconds can help define facial contours. Using beauty devices that utilize gua sha or microcurrent can relax stiff facial muscles, restoring a healthy complexion and a more lively appearance.

As you lose weight and your cheek fat diminishes, you may appear older, with more pronounced wrinkles around the eyes, dark circles, and deeper nasolabial folds and mouth wrinkles.

If managing lifestyle habits alone does not improve sunken areas, filling the recessed parts through professional procedures is also an option. Filler procedures involve inserting filler material into the dermis and subcutaneous fat layers of the skin.

Facial fat is the first to be lost compared to other areas. Beta receptors that aid in fat breakdown are mainly distributed in the upper body, especially in the face. The fat particles in the face are small, so even a little exercise quickly burns fat. Not only fat, but facial muscles and ligaments also shrink. When muscles and ligaments shrink, elasticity decreases. This is why losing weight can make you look older. There are virtually no methods to maintain reduced weight while restoring wrinkles and sagging skin.

To reduce the feeling of aging in the face, you should lose weight gradually. Although fasting can produce the fastest weight loss results, a significant portion of the weight lost during this time is not only body fat but also water and muscle mass.

Professor Kang Jae-heon of the Department of Family Medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital advised, "To prevent rapid facial fat loss during dieting, a weight loss rate of within 2 kg per month is desirable," and added, "It helps to ensure adequate protein intake during dieting and to avoid deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber."

 

<Source: Korea Economic Daily>