We tighten the body and get rid of sagging skin: proven methods

I want to maintain a toned figure, fresh skin, thick beautiful hair and a youthful oval of the face until my old age. This is an essential factor not only in female but also male beauty.

Alas. With age, the face loses clear contours and sagging cheeks appear. Even if your name is Michael Douglas or Susan Sarandon, shrews do not ask permission and simply impose their company.

The advertisement assures that getting rid of sagging cheeks is not at all difficult - just use cream X and serum Y, and if you add mask Z to them, your great-granddaughter will envy your youthful beauty! Let's figure out if this is true and what methods of fixing the problem really work.

To solve the problem, you first need to understand why your cheeks sag.

Where do bulldog cheeks come from?

The first question to answer is what is causing the problem. There are three main reasons.

Firstly, subcutaneous fat is deposited in the cheek area.

Therefore, the more fatty tissue on the face, the heavier the cheeks, and the more they sag. Such jowls can appear even in youth. In this case, it is possible to remove bulldog cheeks if you lose weight.

Secondly, the cheek area is a kind of “warehouse” where reserves of facial fat tissue are stored. This warehouse - Bisha's pouches - is the same fat depot as the thighs or abdomen. And unlike subcutaneous fat, Bish’s lumps are almost impossible to lose weight - they can only be removed.

However, there is a third reason - age. After about 30 years, the body decreases the production of collagen and elastane, which kept the skin toned. The leather frame, which has become insufficiently dense, sags, and the skin of the cheeks (often under the weight of Bish’s lumps) moves down and forms an unsightly fold.

From the point of view of the science of biology, everything is clear - by this age, according to Mother Nature, a woman has already fulfilled her functions: she charmed a suitable man and gave birth to a child, which means that collagen can no longer be wasted. But since we completely disagree with nature in this regard, a logical question arises: what to do?

In this material, we will evaluate the effectiveness of popular methods of preventing and eliminating jowls - from free to radical plastic surgery techniques.

How to remove bulldog cheeks on your face yourself

If sagging cheeks are associated with excess fat, then the task is clear: you need to remove excess fat. Moreover, with a successful combination of circumstances, the result can be obtained even at home: unlike the thighs or upper arms, the face loses weight quite quickly. In order to start the process, you will have to review your diet and increase your level of physical activity.

Expert comment:

“As a doctor, I always tell my patients that the main thing is not to lose weight, but to reach a normal weight for yourself and maintain it.

The secret to a stable weight is simple: your diet should be such that you can stick to it for the rest of your life, getting maximum pleasure. And don't rush to lose weight quickly. You can’t go hungry; it’s better to take Monica Bellucci’s advice and eat little by little, but five to six times a day.

Losing weight too quickly will only worsen the problem, since the skin of the cheeks will not have time to tighten during the weight loss process and will simply hang in unsightly folds.”

Maxim Vasiliev, plastic surgeon.

We say a resounding “yes” to fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, lean meats, dairy products, and cereals. Baked goods, sweets, fatty, smoked, salty foods, fast food - a resounding “no”. Add morning exercises, dancing or jogging in the park to your new diet - and in a few months your facial shape will change significantly.

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Skin tightening after weight loss

Loose, sagging skin on the abdomen most often appears after intense weight loss. The problem is so specific that neither exercise nor a vitamin diet can completely eliminate wrinkles and folds, especially in the lower abdomen. Aggressive weight loss leads to the loss of a large amount of not only fat, but also muscle mass. At the same time, the formation of new collagen and elastin fibers is inhibited by the hormone cortisol (stress hormone), which is released in excess during such a stressful load on the body. As a result, the skin loses its tone, and a hardware tightening of the abdominal skin is required, because the body does not have enough resources for self-healing.

How to fix sagging cheeks with makeup

Decorative cosmetics cannot tighten sagging cheeks, but they make them less noticeable.

Rule #1. To correct a face with bulldog cheeks using makeup, you need to visually distract attention from them.

A simple system will help you:

• dark eyeliner (after 45, give preference to brown rather than black shades),
• double layer of mascara on eyelashes,
• blush that perfectly matches the tone of your face.

Rule #2. Dark shades visually reduce the area to which they are applied.

Therefore, after completing your makeup, carefully brush the bronzer brush over your lower jaw and in the chin-neck area. This way you will visually disguise sagging skin and align it in tone with the shadow under the lower jaw. Jowls will visually merge with this shadow, but remember the sense of proportion!

The line of the lower jaw corrected with bronzer will merge with the shadow under the chin and visually rid the face of small jowls.

Additional measures for skin tightening

In addition to these main methods, we will specially note for you a few more options that many people use:

• forget about a hot shower. It is a hot shower that washes away a large amount of oils from the skin and, in general, dries out the skin. But a cool shower, not icy of course, on the contrary, will not dry out the skin;
• After all water procedures, do not forget to moisturize the skin, for this you just need aloe gel. This is one of the best options for the skin. It can be applied either simply after a bath or at any time to problem areas;
• do honey treatments. What are they? These are ordinary honey wraps; naturally, this is done especially on problem areas of the body. Do this procedure 2 or 3 times a week;
• try to visit the pool. Active water movements will have an extremely positive effect on your health and coffee in particular. Just remember one rule - after swimming, you should always take a shower to wash off all the chlorine;
• Take plenty of vegetables and fruits. You can eat them in any form, but it is best fresh. And try to eat different vegetables and fruits every day.

Gymnastics for sagging cheeks

Exercises against sagging cheeks, like exercises for the body, are designed to strengthen the facial muscles.

1. Puff out your cheeks strongly and, counting to five, release the air through pursed lips.
2. Hold a pencil between your lips and actively write the alphabet in the air, from A to Z. Feel how the muscles of your face and neck work.

If doing exercises against sagging cheeks seems boring to you, you can start painting real canvases by holding the brush with your lips. In the photo: artist Mariam Pare at work.

Each exercise must be performed daily.

Expert commentary

“I am often asked if it is possible to remove sagging cheeks with exercises. I answer honestly: due to the peculiarities of the location of the facial muscles in the lower jaw area, it cannot be removed. You can only prevent their appearance. Therefore, you need to start doing facial exercises even before you notice the first signs of age.

Gymnastics can only help at the first signs of jowls associated with excess weight. By the way, weight loss must be combined with massages and cosmetic care so that there are no problems with sagging cheek skin.

But what has already sagged cannot be restored either by massage or gymnastics.”

Andrey Iskornev, plastic surgeon.

How to tighten your skin after losing weight at home

The joy of rapid weight loss can disappear when you look at yourself in the mirror. It is quite possible to tighten sagging skin at home, but this is not a quick process with any chosen method.

The right diet

The main emphasis in the diet is on protein foods. Plant and animal proteins should be consumed approximately equally per day. The norm is approximately 1–2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. The menu must include lean meat, poultry and fish, seafood, cottage cheese, eggs, any legumes (especially soybeans), and mushrooms.

Proteins of plant and animal origin are equally important for the body

Fats are useful for replenishing the layer of subcutaneous fat and muscles, but you should not get carried away with them (especially animals). 30 g per day is enough. Pay attention to unrefined cold-pressed vegetable oils and nuts, natural dairy products. Fatty sea fish (salmon, trout, salmon) are very healthy.

Olive oil is used as a salad dressing and base for sauces

To activate the synthesis of collagen and elastin, lean meat, green and leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits and berries are useful.

Leafy greens are a source of most micronutrients that the body cannot produce on its own.

Everything that provides the body with simple carbohydrates is expelled from the diet, primarily fast food, products containing refined sugar, dyes, flavors and preservatives, and margarine. They also contain trans fats, which contribute to the appearance of cellulite. Complex carbohydrates (2.5 g per 1 kg of weight), on the contrary, are beneficial, providing energy for a long time and ensuring normal metabolism. Their source is wholemeal bread, any vegetables (except potatoes), pasta made from durum wheat.

Including unhealthy foods in your diet will ruin all your efforts to lose weight.

You need to eat often, but in small portions. Divide your daily diet into 4–6 servings. Don't be lazy to draw it up in advance.

Sweets should also be healthy. For dessert you can eat dried fruits, halva, marmalade, marshmallows, honey, marshmallows.

Drinking regime

Drinking enough water is important both during weight loss and to tighten sagging skin. It is simply impossible to restore tone, firmness and elasticity to tissues that do not receive moisture in the required quantity. Water is also involved in the process of processing fats. Its deficiency is also harmful to health - the blood thickens, it can no longer supply organs and tissues with nutrients and oxygen in the same volume, swelling, cellulite occur, fatigue, depression, and apathy are common.

In this case, only clean drinking water, not mineral or carbonated, is taken into account. The only possible alternative is green tea, herbal infusions and decoctions. The norm is about 30 ml per 1 kg of body weight. It is better to avoid coffee and strong black tea completely. Caffeine dries out tissues, “expelling” moisture from them.

Green tea helps remove waste and toxins from the body

Make it a rule to drink a large glass of water in the morning on an empty stomach. You can acidify it with lemon juice and add a few leaves of mint and lemon balm. The same thing - about 20-25 minutes before any meal. This has a very positive effect on metabolism.

Water with lemon has a positive effect on digestion and reduces appetite

You shouldn’t go to the other extreme and pour glasses of water into yourself, even if you don’t feel like drinking at all. It is much healthier to take a few sips every 45-60 minutes.

Video: why drinking regime is so important

Wraps

This is a truly unique procedure that allows you to bring your skin back to normal relatively quickly. Wraps are done in salons, but homemade ones are no worse. Despite the “aggressiveness” of individual components, they are safe even for sensitive skin. Procedure:

• increases skin tone, elasticity, improves color;
• helps get rid of the “orange peel”;
• activates blood and lymph flow;
• helps to quickly remove waste and toxins;
• saturates tissues with vitamins and microelements.

Hot wraps are contraindicated for:

• any mechanical damage to the skin;
• problems with the heart, blood vessels and kidneys;
• pregnancy (any period and six months after it);
• menses;
• any gynecological diseases;
• elevated body temperature, simply feeling unwell.

Any prepared mixture is pre-tested, especially if you know that you have a tendency to allergic reactions. It is applied to the wrist or the inner bend of the elbow. If after an hour and a half no suspicious symptoms appear, everything is fine.

First, take a bath or hot shower to steam your skin. To enhance the effect, it is treated with a scrub. The freshly prepared mixture (it cannot be stored, not even for a short time) is heated to body temperature and evenly applied to problem areas with a brush. On top of the treated surface, if possible, hermetically wrap it in several layers of cling film, cover it with a blanket or put on warm clothes and provide yourself with physical activity. You can remove the “shelter” after 30–40 minutes. The remaining mixture is washed off with water. It is enough to do wraps once every 2-3 days, the duration of the course is 12-20 procedures.

The wrapping composition is applied to the skin as evenly as possible.

To enhance the effect, some cosmetologists recommend doing body wraps in a bathhouse or sauna. But first you need to objectively assess your own health.

You can use store-bought cream with caffeine and chili pepper extract for wraps, but practice shows that homemade formulations are more effective. Most popular recipes:

• A glass of liquid honey, 3-4 pinches of ground hot pepper. For thin skin, light honey is suitable, for thick skin - darker and more viscous. Beat thoroughly with a blender or simply grind. To enhance the effect, add a teaspoon of finely ground sea salt.
• A bar of dark chocolate (cocoa content - 70% or more), melted in a water bath, about 20 ml of olive oil, a few drops of pharmaceutical essential oil of orange, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, rosemary. This wrap also lifts your spirits and relieves fatigue. Chocolate can be replaced with cocoa powder diluted with milk.
• Half a glass of freshly ground coffee or grounds, water, a couple of pinches of red pepper and mustard powder. The finished mass has the consistency of thick porridge - it flows down in heavy drops.
• Powdered white or blue clay, water or any herbal decoction, a pinch of ground cinnamon. Everything is mixed until it becomes a homogeneous paste. This is the most “delicate” mixture; it is used for the face, neck and décolleté. Clay can be replaced with special mud.
• Powder (200 g) or fresh leaves (0.5 kg) of kelp. The powder is diluted with water, the leaves are simply applied to problem areas.
• Gelatin. Pour the powder with water or herbal decoction in a ratio of 1:8, let it swell for 30 minutes. Then heat in a water bath until all the lumps disappear.
• Dry or pressed yeast (20–25 g), 100 ml each of liquid honey and fresh heavy cream or sour cream. Beat everything with a mixer or blender until smooth.

Chocolate wrap is not only good for the skin, but also a good mood

Cold wraps have no contraindications other than mechanical damage to the skin. They can be kept on the skin for an hour and a half. The most popular:

• Fruity. Any available fruits and berries (apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes), avocados are crushed to a puree state, and approximately the same volume of homemade cream or sour cream is added to them.
• Vinegar. Apple or wine vinegar is diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio, a couple of drops of essential oil of mint, lavender, lemon balm, and orange are added. The resulting liquid is soaked into gauze or other thin fabric.
• Oily. Olive, almond, coconut, nut oil can be used alone or in a mixture with pepper, mustard powder, grated ginger, poppy seeds, finely ground salt. For sensitive skin, add yogurt, sour cream, and cream to the mixture. Essential oils are also useful in this case - juniper, mint, grapefruit, tangerine, fir.
• Agar-agar. Two beaten yolks and 20 drops of camphor oil are added to the powder.

Apple cider vinegar has the same effect on the skin as a chemical peel

Rose oil and mumiyo very effectively increase skin elasticity. Both extremely rarely cause allergies, so they will be appropriate in any recipe.

Wrap compositions are more effective on warm skin and muscles

Video: kelp wrap

Massage

For slight sagging skin, a self-massage will also have an effect. It is advisable to spend the first 10-12 sessions with a professional to better understand the technique. The procedures are carried out daily until the desired result is obtained. Then to consolidate it - once every 3-4 days. Session duration is 15–20 minutes.

The most important thing is not to overstretch the skin, this will provide the opposite of the desired result. It is stroked, rubbed vigorously and lightly pinched until it turns slightly red. There shouldn't be any pain, but you shouldn't be too gentle either. They do not move chaotically, but along massage lines that coincide with the lymph flow lines. An ordinary hoop works very well for saggy skin on the stomach and waist.

The massage is carried out by moving along the lymph flow lines

The most effective and at the same time gentle massage is honey. It not only tightens the skin, but also cleanses the pores, giving it a well-groomed and fresh look. Honey is applied to the skin and massaged in a circular motion clockwise, with force the sticky palms are pulled away from the body. The grayish-white flakes formed on the skin are washed off in the shower, then a nourishing cream is applied to the skin. An allergy test is required before the procedure.

Honey massage helps tighten the skin, it also provides it with nutrients and effectively cleanses it.

Video: honey body massage

Vacuum massage has a harsher effect on the skin. Sets of silicone jars of different diameters are easy to purchase in specialized stores. But “grandmother’s” glass jars will work just as well. The skin is steamed, rubbed, and cream is applied. Then attach the jar so that there is approximately 1.5 cm of skin under it and slowly move it, moving from the center of the problem area to the periphery. Another option is to simply attach the jars to the problem area and remove them after 5-7 minutes.

At first, after a cupping massage, small bruises may remain on the skin, this is normal.

Pinch massage can be performed at any convenient time. Any oil or fatty cream is first applied to the skin. Then it is kneaded with stroking and light blows from the edge of the palm. The problem area is treated with pinches using the thumb and index finger, gradually increasing the speed, sharpness and vigor of the impact. They move from the center of this zone to the periphery.

There are several pinch massage techniques; the most effective in combating sagging skin is the Jacquet massage.

To enhance the effect of the massage, rub the skin with ice cubes 2-3 times a day. Both ordinary water and herbal decoctions, infusions, and natural juices are frozen.

Ice is an effective remedy for restoring skin tone.

Cosmetic procedures

“First aid” for sagging skin is a cream with a lifting effect. It is chosen taking into account skin type and age. Carefully study the composition - ideally there should be no preservatives or flavorings. The necessary components are vitamins C and E, retinol, collagen, hyaluronic acid, peptides, amino acids.

It is advisable to choose creams with a lifting effect made entirely from natural ingredients.

Be sure to use scrubs every 2-3 days. Regular exfoliation of dead cells activates the supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues, their renewal, and stimulates blood flow. Homemade scrubs are prepared from ground coffee, fine salt, brown sugar, oatmeal flour, cinnamon, adding liquid honey, vegetable oil, any dairy products, egg white or yolk until the required consistency is obtained. Citrus essential oils will enhance the effect.

Regular use of scrubs helps activate the skin renewal process at the cellular level

Video: homemade body scrubs

Once every 3-4 days, masks made from natural ingredients are useful. Apply them for 20–30 minutes, rinse off the residue with warm water.

• 2-3 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee, liquid honey, any vegetable oil, fruit or berry puree.
• Half a glass of unpasteurized milk, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, grape pulp, pineapple or papaya.
• Egg white, whipped into a strong foam, 2 tablespoons of liquid honey, a teaspoon of royal jelly. For mature skin, the protein is replaced with glycerin.
• Gelatin, for the swelling of which, instead of ordinary water, an infusion of lemon balm, mint, sage, calendula or any natural fruit or berry juice is used.
• Milk and potato starch are in approximately equal proportions.

Water treatments

The easiest way is to combine massage and shower. To do this, rub the skin for 5–7 minutes with a washcloth or sponge made of natural fibers (loofah, sisal), a silicone mitten with massage balls, and apply a few drops of any essential oil to it. The shower head is directed to the problem area. Then the skin is vigorously rubbed with a towel and soothed with light strokes.

Rub the skin vigorously with a sponge or washcloth, but not until scratches appear.

A contrast shower has a very good effect if it is not contraindicated for health reasons. They accustom themselves to it gradually, expanding the temperature range. First you need to stand under hot (but not scalding) water for 2-3 minutes, then switch to cool water for about 30 seconds. The cycle is repeated 2-3 times. The procedure is always completed with cold water.

If there are contraindications, contrast showers are replaced with water aerobics. This workout does not put stress on the joints and heart.

When taking a bath, add pine extract or just pine needles, sea salt, turpentine, and mustard powder to the water. Of the herbs that have a tonic effect on the skin:

• mint;
• pharmaceutical camomile;
• sweet clover;
• prickly tartar;
• horsetail;
• elecampane;
• celandine;
• nettle;
• St. John's wort;
• yarrow;
• licorice.

Approximately 0.5 kg of fresh or 100 g of dry raw materials is poured into 5 liters of boiling water and left for 20 minutes. You need to lie in such a bath for about half an hour. The interval between procedures is 2–3 days.

Sea salt cleanses the skin of dead cells

Among the salon procedures, we can recommend hydrotherapy - a combination of Charcot shower and professional massage. To achieve the effect, 12–15 procedures are enough.

Salon treatments

Procedures carried out by a professional cosmetologist can tighten the skin quite quickly, but you will need not just one session, but a whole course.

The best effect is given by:

• Mesotherapy. A “cocktail” based on hyaluronic acid is injected into the upper and middle layers of the dermis.
• Deep and medium peeling. The procedure provides relief from stretch marks and activates the process of natural skin renewal.
• Myostimulation. The effect is similar to fitness. Muscles relax and tense under the influence of current pulses. Provides targeted impact.
• Use of fillers and thread lifting. Most often practiced for face and neck lifts. In the first, folds are smoothed out by filling them from the inside with a viscous gel based on hyaluronic acid. In the second, a “framework” is created under the skin from special absorbable or non-absorbable threads, with its help the required level of tension is ensured.
• Thermolifting. The procedure effectively combats all signs of aging, including folds and wrinkles, decreased skin elasticity, and uneven skin texture.

Mesotherapy is one of the most popular procedures for skin tightening.

Effective prevention of jowls - what is it?

We have already said that jowls on the cheeks are formed 60% due to the fault of “packets” of adipose tissue - Bish’s lumps.

Expert comment:

“My practice shows that the only truly effective prevention of jowls is achieved as a result of partial removal of Bish’s lumps. Having performed the operation at 30 years old, at 45 the jowls will simply have nowhere to come from. They will appear, but much later.

The operation is performed through intraoral access and leaves no marks on the face.

This procedure has another very pleasant bonus. In people with a massive, heavy lower part, as a result of the operation, the face becomes harmonious and clearly defined, visually narrows and looks much younger.”

Maxim Vasiliev, plastic surgeon.

How to lift sagging cheeks without surgery

If the sagging of the tissues is already noticeable, go to the mirror and conduct a simple experiment. Pull the skin in the cheekbone area slightly upward. You will see bulldog cheeks disappear as if by magic.

Of course, there is no magic here, and the secret is simple: sagging tissues need to be lifted, and the contour of the face will become much younger, clearer, and more beautiful.

For this purpose, plasmafiller or dense gel of Belotero hyaluronic acid is injected into the cheekbone area. The cheekbones fill out, become higher, the facial tissues return to their rightful place, and the first jowls disappear, as if they never existed.

Installing a zygomatic implant has a similar effect, but this procedure requires surgery.

Andrey Iskornev at work. Preparation (marking) and performance of Celebrity Lift - the star cheek lift using Radiesse and Belotero gels.

The country's famous TV matchmaker, Roza Syabitova, “before” and on the 7th day “after” the procedure.

The result “before” and “after” correction of the oval face and bulldog cheeks. Surgeon: Vasiliev Maxim.

“Before” and 10 days “after” rhinoplasty (surgeon Mkhitar Meloyan) and removal of Bisha lumps (surgeon Andrey Iskornev). The lower third of the face stretched out, the heaviness of the cheeks went away. The face looks lighter and more harmonious.

How does SMAS lifting work?

The Ultroformer 3 device uses HIFU (High intensity focused ultrasound) technology - high-intensity focused ultrasound penetrates several levels of the skin and reaches the muscular aponeurotic layer (SMAS). The technology is based on the treatment of different layers of skin of the face and body. Under the influence of ultrasonic waves, the temperature of soft tissues at a microthermal point at a given depth increases to 60–70°C.

Directed radiation triggers the processes of contraction and compaction of SMAS, tissue repair, lipolysis, and also activates collagen production. Thermal damage stimulates the synthesis of a new collagen matrix, the renewal of which is completed in 3–4 months.

How to remove severe cheek ptosis

The Silhouette Lift thread lift helps even against severe ptosis. The threads very naturally redistribute the tissues of the middle third of the face upward, to a “young” position. And their effect doesn’t end there. The threads stimulate the production of new collagen, which visibly refreshes the skin.

Installation of threads does not require general anesthesia, the procedure takes about 40 minutes, rehabilitation takes only a few days.

Surgeon: Vasiliev Maxim. Lifting sagging cheeks with V-Lock threads + lip contouring.

How to look “a little over 40” even at 70

Review:

“Of course, massages, creams, gymnastics and masks against bulldog cheeks are wonderful.

But I'm already over forty-five. The drooping of the cheeks is pronounced, and there is a double chin. What to do?

If your cheeks are very sagging, neither massages nor creams will help. More serious and effective methods are needed here. I had a full SMAS facelift with the installation of a small chin implant.

This is how I got a beautiful deep neck angle, the double chin disappeared, and my jowls disappeared. I didn’t expect that the implant would change the proportions of my face so miraculously, I’ve become very prettier!”

Olga, 53 years old.