10 Ways To Get Rid Of A Double Chin, Exercises, & Prevention

A double chin is a noticeable indication of fat accumulation characterized by chubbiness around the jaws. If you are looking for tips on how to get rid of a double chin, you have come to the right place. Although being overweight is the most prevalent cause of a double chin, not everyone who has a visible double chin is obese. Due to genetic factors, one can be thin and still have a double chin. Aging skin can also contribute to a double chin.

It is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to getting rid of a double chin. The best way to get rid of a double chin will vary depending on the individual. While diet plays an integral part in reducing the appearance of a double chin, incorporating a few simple workouts and home remedies can also help. However, you must realize that reducing a double chin overnight through diet and exercise is difficult. Consistent efforts towards ensuring adequate hydration, facial yoga exercises, and suitable cosmetic surgery are some ways to get rid of a double chin.

In this article, get a deeper understanding of the causes behind a double chin and the treatment options available. Keep reading to know more.

What Causes A Double Chin?

According to a survey conducted by The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery from October to November 2021, 70% of 3,527 individuals were bothered by the excessive fat present under their chin or neck. It was the second most bothersome skin concern, after the presence of excess fat on any part of the body. Here are some of the reasons that cause a double chin.

• Age: Advancing age can cause sagging of the skin, which might result in a double chin.
• Genetics: Those with a family history of double chin or skin with less elasticity may develop it.
• Weight Gain: Accumulation of fat can cause the skin to stretch and lose its elasticity.
• Aging: With aging, collagen deposits weaken, causing fat to herniateⁱ  in the neck area. This can lead to loose skin and result in a double chin.

If you are wondering how to get rid of chin fat, the following exercises can help reduce a double chin.

8 Exercises To Reduce A Double Chin

These double chin exercises focus on lifting and strengthening the muscles and skin around the chin area. The movement created during these exercises may help reduce double chin and prevent aging skin (1).

Note: These exercises will not give you immediate results. You would need to do them consistently for a long period of time to see visible results.

1. Tongue Press

This exercise for double chin involves pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth and tilting your head back and forth to get rid of the excess fat in your jaws.

Repetitions – 5

Sets – 3

2. Say X-O

This double chin exercise is relatively easy. All you need to do is spell X-O repeatedly to get the muscles of your jaws, cheeks, and neck moving and burn fat.

Repetitions – 12

Sets – 3

3. Kiss the Ceiling

As the name suggests, tilt your head backward and form an ‘O’ with your mouth as if you are kissing the ceiling. This will get the muscles in your chin working and burning neck fat.

4. Side Neck Stretch

Sit upright and stretch your neck as far as you can on either side. These neck stretches reduce the fat accumulation on the sides of your chin.

Repetitions – 10

5. Stick Out Tongue

Yes, sticking your tongue out as far as it goes and swishing it from side to side can also help you get rid of a double chin.

Duration – 12 seconds

6. Neck Rotations

Neck rotations require you to stretch your neck from side to side to help move all the muscles around your chin and jaw.

Repetitions – 10

7. Jaw Jut

Jaw jut involves tilting your head back and pushing your jaw and tongue outward to get rid of any fat build-up.

Repetitions – 1 0

8. Pigeon Face

Hold either side of your lower jaw (right below the ears) with your thumbs and index fingers and tilt your head forward. This puts a strain on the muscles of your chin, thus helping you get rid of the double chin.

Repetitions – 3

Duration – 5 seconds

9. Chin Tuck

Sit upright and with your ears directly over the shoulders. Keep a finger on your chin and pull it and your head straight back. Pull it until a good stretch is felt at the base of your head and the top of your neck. Hold for 5 seconds before bringing your chin forward again to the finger.

Repetitions – 10, or as tolerated

Besides these exercises for double chin, you can also use these popular home remedies to get rid of the excess fat under your chin.

10 Home Remedies To Get Rid Of A Double Chin

1. Wheat Germ Oil

Wheat germ oil contains vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant (2). Though anecdotal evidence suggests that massaging with vitamin E oil may help reduce double chin, there is no scientific research that backs this claim. Check out how to lose chin fat using wheat germ oil below:

You Will Need

Wheat germ oil (as required)

What You Have To Do

1. Take a little wheat germ oil in your palms and apply it to your jaw in an upward direction.
2. Massage for 5 to 10 minutes and leave it on overnight.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this once daily.

2. Massage

A facial massage may help reduce your double chin. You can either massage the skin below your chin directly or use an oil for it. Massaging can improve the blood circulation to your jaws (3). Massage, paired with laser therapy, can also help you get rid of the subcutaneous fatⁱ  under your chin and reduce your double chin (4).However, ensure you are not allergic to the essential oil you use for massaging. Always do a patch test before using it on the skin.

3. Green Tea

Green tea is packed with catechins that have antioxidant properties and promote weight loss (5). Thus, it may help you lose some weight and reduce the double chin. Check out below how to lose a double chin using green tea:

You Will Need

1 teaspoon of green tea
1 cup of hot water
Honey (for taste)

What You Have To Do

1. Add a teaspoon of green tea to a cup of hot water.
2. Steep for 5 to 10 minutes and strain.
3. Add some honey to the green tea and consume immediately.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this two times daily.

Note: Merely drinking green tea will not help you lose weight. Following a balanced diet and doing the aforementioned exercises can help you obtain the desired results.

4. Olive Oil

Olive oil is packed with antioxidants that nourish your skin, protect it from damage, and make it firm (6). A combination of these activities is good for getting rid of a double chin. Adding olive oil to your diet can also help you lose a few extra pounds (7). Keep reading to learn how to get rid of double chin fat using olive oil.

You Will Need

Olive oil (as required)

What You Have To Do

1. Take some olive oil and heat it slightly.
2. Massage it gently into your jaw and neck.
3. Leave it on overnight or for an hour or two before rinsing it off.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily.

5. Oil Pulling

The constant swishing action of oil pulling can get the muscles in your jaw working (8). This can help in reducing your double chin. Follow the instructions below to know how to reduce double chin fat using oil pulling.

You Will Need

1 tablespoon of coconut or sesame oil

What You Have To Do

1. Swish coconut or sesame oil in your mouth.
2. Do this for 10 to 12 minutes, after which you can spit it out.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily, preferably every morning before brushing.

6. Vitamin E

Vitamin E has high antioxidant content. It protects your skin from damage and keeps it moisturized (9). Regular use of vitamin E oil may reduce the appearance of a double chin, though this has not been scientifically proven. Check out how to remove double chin using Vitamin E below:

You Will Need

2-3 vitamin E capsules

What You Have To Do

1. Extract the oil from vitamin E capsules.
2. Apply it to your jaw and upper neck and massage for a few minutes.
3. Leave it on overnight.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily.

7. Chewing Gum

Another easy remedy to reduce a double chin is simply chewing on some gum. The very act of chewing is like an exercise that can help burn the excess fat on your face and chin.

8. Melons

Melons have a high antioxidant potential that can keep your skin protected and hydrated (10). They may also prevent sagging and reduce your double chin. Check out how to reduce double chin using melons below:

You Will Need

½ cup of cut melons
Cotton pads

What You Have To Do

1. Blend half a cup of cut melons with water.
2. Apply the mixture all over your neck and jaw using a cotton pad.
3. Leave it on for about 30 minutes and then rinse it off.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily.

9. Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter possesses highly moisturizing properties owing to the presence of vitamin E. It also increases skin elasticity (11). Therefore, it may help reduce the appearance of a double chin. You can check out how to lose double chin using cocoa butter below:

You Will Need

1-2 tablespoons of cocoa butter

What You Have To Do

1. Take one to two tablespoons of cocoa butter in a bowl and heat it slightly.
2. Massage the warm butter gently into your upper neck and jaw for a few minutes.
3. Leave it on overnight or wash it off after 30 to 60 minutes.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once daily.

It is possible to develop a double chin due to weight gain. If this is the reason, you need to alter your diet to lose weight to reduce the double chin faster. The following section lists some healthy options that you can try out.

Quick Tip

A double chin may take a few months to disappear, but it highly depends on its size.

Diet To Reduce Double Chin

1. What To Consume

• Drink more water.
• Boost your intake of fruits and vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and melons (12), (13), (10).
• Drink green tea daily (5).
• Use coconut oil for cooking (14).
• Consume lemon juice every morning on an empty stomach may help in reducing the fat mass in your body (15).
• Consume fresh aloe vera juice once daily (16).
• Add a tablespoon of powdered flax seeds to a glass of warm water and mix well. Consume this once daily (17).

2. What To Avoid

• Packaged foods
• Frozen foods
• Aerated drinks
• Refined sugar

Although exercise and diet may help reduce double chin, in some cases – especially if your double chin is caused by genetic factors – these options may not work successfully. So, how do you get rid of a double chin in such a case? Well, you can simply consult a healthcare provider to explore other treatment options.

Treatment Options To Get Rid Of Double Chin

1. Injection Lipolysis (Non-invasive): It is a chemical process that reduces the number of fat cells around the site of injection. Phosphatidylcholineⁱ  and deoxycholic acidⁱ  are the most commonly used solutions for injection lipolysis. The medication is injected in a single sitting, and the treatment frequency can spread over 2 sessions spaced 4-5 weeks apart. Most patients see the results in 6-8 weeks after the series of treatments. It is an FDA-approved treatment to eliminate the fat underneath the chin (18).

2. Chin Liposuction (Invasive): This surgical process involves the removal of fat from beneath the skin to sculpt the chin and neck. A small incision is made under the skin, and the fat is sucked out using a tube. Although it is a quick procedure, the associated risks are higher. Some other non-surgical yet medically approved methods for eliminating unwanted fat are CoolSculpting and Kybella. However, all of these procedures are meant to help you get rid of the excess fat for once; to keep the effect intact, it is important to make and live by appropriate lifestyle changes.

Carolyn Parks, a blogger, tried cool sculpting to reduce stubborn fat around her jawline. She said, “Over the next few weeks, I religiously took pictures of my side profile, hoping I would wake up with a chiseled jawline that could cut glass. Unfortunately, I did not attain the results I had hoped for. My jaw line looked the same, not even a slight improvement (i).”

It is important to note that any kind of surgery comes with its share of potential risks. Learn more about the risks of the aforementioned surgeries in the next section.

Risks Of Double Chin Surgery

Though they are considered safe, these surgeries do run the risk of certain complications. They include:

• Infection
• Nausea, vomiting, or trouble waking up
• Bleeding or blood clots
• Incisions that take time to heal
• Nerve injury
• Pain or swelling
• Scarring or discoloration of the skin

However, these occur in rare cases. Consulting an experienced medical practitioner is important to avoid these risks. Also, if you do not want to go for surgery, there are other tips you can follow to reduce the appearance of the double chin. Check them out in the next section.

Quick Tip

Applying skin care products like moisturizers and serums in the correct way (upward sweeping motion) may help minimize your double chin.

Tips To Reduce The Appearance of Double Chin

• Wear eyeliner, mascara, and neutral lipstick shades to make your eyes look larger and draw attention away from your double chin.
• Apply a powder that is a shade darker than your skin tone on your double chin.
• Go for a haircut that ends just below the chin or a long step cut.
• Choose dresses with a broad and open neckline to draw attention away from the chin. Avoid high-necked shirts and blouses.
• Stand up tall and avoid slumping your shoulders.

Here are a few additional tips that may help prevent the recurrence of a double chin.

Prevention Tips

• Practice good posture.
• Exercise daily.
• Limit your caloric intake.
• Consume more fat-burning foods like oats, nuts, and eggs.
• Keep a check on your weight.
• Follow a healthy diet that consists of citrus fruits and leafy vegetables.