Chubby cheeks and apples disappeared within space of a year!
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:44 am

Hi I was just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if there's anything apart from fillers etc that can help??! In the last year I've basically noticed my chubby cheeks disappear to nothing and I suddenly look gaunt and saggy faced... My skin has also changed dramatically, it is just 'different' and old and thin looking... I am 28 and recently started a healthier lifestyle... exercise, cutting down on alcohol, more sleep, and I gave up smoking 2 months ago... I thought I would look better but I look worse! I know it's a trivial problem in the grand scale of things but I look at myself in the mirror and I don't recognise myself... I find myself thinking about it constantly... It is really getting me down! I've actually lost weight stressing about it which ironically actually compounds the problem! Is it normal that this has happened??? Any advice?? Sad

free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:09 pm

Well done for cleaning up your lifestyle! What is your diet like Malinky, do you meet or exceed all your government's recommendations for healthy eating? Are you maintaining a healthy weight, underweight or currently losing weight?

You might consider facial exercise for building the underlying muscle - there are several lengthy threads over on the 'Skincare tools & DIY' board. But more important would b e to identify the cause of this sudden deterioration. Have you had a full health check?

free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:38 pm

Do you FEEL different? Did you change your lifestyle because you were having health problems? Are your hormone levels OK?

A healthy lifestyle takes time to show effect, so if you were feeling not OK and looking like that it may take a while before things improve. But if you feel like things are getting worse instead of better it may be a good idea to have a check up.

free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:38 pm

That is great that you were able to keep up with positive changes! I would stick with it. When I lost weight, my face change too and I didn't like the way that I looked. I had a very odd face shape and I stopped looking in the mirror. I was happy with the change of my body though. Looking back at those pictures, I didn't see that I still looked good.

Stick with it and all the best!

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:13 am

I bet you actually look great but it's just that You are adjusting to the new changes Wink

-- I bet everyone is commenting that you look slimmer and healthier.

Just make sure you are getting all of the essential fatty acids and various other vitamins and nutrients your body needs to maintain health and to maintain collagen production etc.

Firefox will be able to point you in the right direction on this, but for a start I would suggest you should be taking a good fish oil supplement of some sort and getting a good dose of Vitamin C.

Good luck! Very Happy

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:25 pm

I think for a lot of people, the face is the first part that shows weight loss.
You and I are at about the same age. As a child/teen i've always remained in a healthy weight (never overweight). Genetically I have chubby cheeks. I've noticed that in this year alone, my face is slightly changing. Perhaps to others, they don't notice....but you are your worst critic. Although I haven't lost any weight and my weight has remained stable since highschool...my face is losing it's "plumpness". It's just the process of aging i guess. I am not looking forward to turning 40 if i'm noticing the process of aging now. They say that around the age of 30 yrs old...that is when the process of aging really starts to hit. Your body slows down in producing collagen (the good stuff that makes your skin look plump. Although my cheeks are still plump...my face is looking more angular than in my teens or even early 20's. It's great that you've changed towards a more healthier lifestyle. Your body and your looks will thank you for that later down the road. Starting on fish oils is great for the skin and hair. Now is a good time to start on a simple anti-aging regime as well. Vitamin C serums is known to aid in boosting collagen. Retin A helps with that as well. Also peptides are great to speed up the process of cell turnover. If you don't notice a difference with these products then I would suggest Selphyl (which is the same concept as fillers) but uses your own natural blood for volume instead.

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2012 5:15 pm

My face started leaning out when I was 36. I loved it because I'd always had a rather childish chubby face. I finally had cheekbones. Now, I wish my cheeks would thin out a bit more and I have been struggling to lose five pounds. The fat pads just emphasize my nasolabial folds.

I think a lean and sculpted look is sexier than the marshmallow faced celebrities with fat injections. They just look odd.

free skin care · Fri Apr 27, 2012 11:39 pm

SoftSkin wrote:

My face started leaning out when I was 36. I loved it because I'd always had a rather childish chubby face. I finally had cheekbones. Now, I wish my cheeks would thin out a bit more and I have been struggling to lose five pounds. The fat pads just emphasize my nasolabial folds.

I think a lean and sculpted look is sexier than the marshmallow faced celebrities with fat injections. They just look odd.

I always had chubby cheeks too despite being normal weight/slim-build and my face started to get more angular at around 36 too. And I prefer the lean sculpted look as well - I hate it when celebs have the fillers and their faces look all puffy and pillow-faced! lol Laughing

free skin care · Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:50 am

Make sure you are getting enough fats in your diet, if I'm "eating healthy" I find that I look like absolute garbage if I don't add spoonfuls of oil here and there to whatever protein I'm eating (I eat a lot of fish). Its something that people forget about when they forgo added fats like salad dressings, cheese, etc.

free skin care · Tue May 01, 2012 1:23 am

I was moon faced as a young woman, after 30 I got these amazing cheekbones, a well defined chin and suddenly my huge forehead actually became proportional with the rest of my face. I loved the fact my face changed after 30. Other people commented that I'd finally grown into my face. And I am certainly seen as a lot more attractive by the opposite sex than I ever was in my 20's. If someone could have sold me this at 20, I would have bought it! Laughing

free skin care · Tue May 01, 2012 10:31 am

Ava with wings wrote:

Make sure you are getting enough fats in your diet, if I'm "eating healthy" I find that I look like absolute garbage if I don't add spoonfuls of oil here and there to whatever protein I'm eating (I eat a lot of fish). Its something that people forget about when they forgo added fats like salad dressings, cheese, etc.

Hi Ava,

what kind of oil would you add to your food without risking gaining weight? I tired adding olive oil to salads at one time, but noticed the weight piling on,

thanks

Jackie xx

free skin care · Tue May 01, 2012 12:47 pm

I am no expert, but you have to keep in mind the overall caloric intake. Don't just pile healthy fats without making sure your caloric intake is where you want it to be (if you want to maintain weight, then keep it the same, but replace some carbs/protein calories with fat calories).
Think almonds, walnuts, olive oil, fatty fish, flax seed/ flax seed oil, coconut oil (my understanding is that coconut oil is actually used as energy fuel because it consists mostly of medium chain triglycerides, so it can be a great carbohydrate substitute when you do not want to raise your blood glucose too much; my coach has me take 1/2 tbsp pre-workout with 25g protein, so although I am fueled, I still burn fat while exercising and prevent muscle loss that would likely occur had I worked out on an empty stomach; this is of course what works for me... everyone is different).

Quote:

Coconut oil contains a large proportion of lauric acid, a saturated fat that raises blood cholesterol levels by increasing the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol[27] that is also found in significant amounts in breast milk and sebaceous gland secretions.[28] This may create a more favourable blood cholesterol profile, though it is unclear if coconut oil may promote atherosclerosis through other pathways.[27] Because much of the saturated fat of coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid, coconut oil may be a better alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oil when solid fats are required.[29] In addition, virgin coconut oil is composed mainly of medium-chain triglycerides,[30] which may not carry the same risks as other saturated fats.[29][31] Early studies on the health effects of coconut oil used partially hydrogenated coconut oil, which creates trans fats, and not virgin coconut oil, which has a different health risk profile.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil

There are many studies on PubMed about MCT. Here's an example:
Pre-exercise medium-chain triglyceride application prevents acylcarnitine accumulation in skeletal muscle from very-long-chain acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase-deficient mice.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20446112

I also reduce my carbohydrates as the day goes on, and replace them with fats instead.

Hope this helps.

Jackie284 wrote:

Ava with wings wrote:

Make sure you are getting enough fats in your diet, if I'm "eating healthy" I find that I look like absolute garbage if I don't add spoonfuls of oil here and there to whatever protein I'm eating (I eat a lot of fish). Its something that people forget about when they forgo added fats like salad dressings, cheese, etc.

Hi Ava,

what kind of oil would you add to your food without risking gaining weight? I tired adding olive oil to salads at one time, but noticed the weight piling on,

thanks

Jackie xx

free skin care · Tue May 01, 2012 5:05 pm

the good fats that comes from fish oils, nuts, avacados etc. are what you need to maintain a youthful appearance (nice shiny hair, radiant glowy skin and helps collagen production)

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.