Bulges on and around the face, especially double chin, is not only because of fat though it is commonly seen among those who are obese. Most of us would be unaware that postural and muscular issues can also lead to saggy chin. If a person has a poor posture, or a posture with the head bent forward, it leads to a bulge and double chin. Lifestyle changes including exercise can help reduce the appearance of double chin.
What causes double chin?
“The first and major factor that leads to double chin is, of course, fat gain or obesity, which becomes visible on the face too,” says Dr Praharsh Devraj, medical director and cosmetic doctor at Clinic Next Face, Bengaluru.
The subcutaneous fat that sits right under the skin makes one look chubby. Apart from that, muscle laxity can cause droopy appearance in the chin area, making the bulge evident.
Another factor that contributes to double chin is lymphatic drainage. All the toxins in the body get accumulated in lymphatic nodes. When the lymphatic system fails to drain those accumulated toxins naturally, it makes the face look bloated.
“Crowded teeth lead to smaller space for the tongue in the mouth and causes poor posture of the tongue, which leads to a laxity of the muscle. This can cause double chin too,” adds Dr Devraj
With ageing, people start developing folds and wrinkles on the face and the skin becomes thinner and dry because of the loss of components such as collagen and hyaluronic acid. This makes the bulge more pronounced.
People with hypothyroidism tend to have double chin. In hypothyroidism, the metabolism slows down. When the body does not have sufficient space to store fat, it stores under the skin and in the area that does not move a lot. The chin is one such area. To reduce double chin caused by hypothyroidism, regular intake of prescribed medicine is essential.
Ways to reduce double chin
Practicing good tongue posture, swallowing and chewing properly, reduces the saggy appearance of double chin. Mewing is one such way. It is a technique where the tongue is pressed against the roof of the mouth to strengthen the jaw muscles.
Practicing the right pattern of swallowing can help reduce the double chin. Good swallowers do not use lip to facilitate swallowing.
Dr Devraj explains: “To know if you’re swallowing properly, take a sip of water or eat something and observe the way you swallow. If you are using your lip to form that suction when you swallow, then that is wrong. Your lip should not move while swallowing and the tongue should have complete contact with the roof of your mouth to create that pressure and push the food down the throat.”
Exercises to get the right oral form
Dr Devaraj explains exercises that can help you get the right oral form and reduce the bulge in the chin.
1. McKenzie Chin tuck: Take a wall support and push your chin behind with two fingers and stretch the muscles. This helps maintain the posture more straight or erect.
2. Swallowing exercise: One of the crucial aspects of understanding the right posture around your mouth and neck is to learn how to swallow the right way.
a) Smiling swallow: In this exercise you need to smile and simultaneously practice a swallow. It may be challenging but you will not recruit unnecessary muscles to create the suction while swallowing and only recruit the tongue to swallow efficiently.
b) Edge swallow: This is the tougher variation of smiling swallow. In this exercise you keep your upper and lower teeth edge to edge and try to swallow. It will help tone your buccinator muscles.
3. Tic-toc: In this exercise you teach the tip of the tongue, the right position by clicking it. The louder the toc sound, the better your control on the position of the tip of your tongue. If you get your tongue rested on the roof of your mouth you automatically engage the muscles on the floor of your mouth and things will look tauter.
4. Scapula stretch: Hold the opposite side of your head and stretch the muscle sideways. You must feel the good stretch on the back of your neck. Repeat the same on the other side.
5. SCM raises: While lying down on the bed, elevate your head. This posture activates your front neck muscles called the sternocleidomastoid. Try to look straight and hold isometrically for 15-30 seconds.
Takeaways
- Double chin is caused due to obesity, genetics and bad tongue posture. The droopy appearance is also caused due to conditions like hypothyroidism.
- To reduce the double chin one needs to chew, swallow, have proper tongue posture along with exercises to get the right oral form.
