|
Short of a pricey cosmetic procedure or serious weight loss, there are very few realistic, non-surgical solutions to the pesky double chin. Those unflattering fatty deposits beneath the jaw line are largely determined by a genetic predisposition. Just as some people store fat along their hips, others develop a gut as they age, and still others develop a double, or even triple, chin. This tendency doesn't necessarily correlate with overall obesity, which is why some heavier folks never seem to develop jowls while other, more slender people can sport a floppy neck. A few searches on "double chin exercises" revealed there are in fact more surgical procedures and wonder pills that claim to reduce a
double chin than there are actual exercises. But don't despair -- careful inspection of some of the results yielded a few possible solutions. One article recommended the following toning exercise. First, open your mouth as wide as you possibly can. Are you doing it? Now hold that position for about 10 seconds, then relax your mouth, and repeat a few more times. Apparently the muscles that open and close your mouth are located in the exact area you wish to target. For faster results, add resistance by placing a tennis ball underneath your chin while testing your jaw-span. On the BBC web site, Doctor Rob Hicks
provides a variation on this exercise. As you open your mouth wide, pull your bottom lip over your bottom teeth and wiggle your jaw up and down. In addition, he suggests using a skin toner and slapping the area under your chin with the back of your hand. If preventive measures such as a low-fat diet and good overall fitness don't soften the blow of genetics and aging, try wearing your hair in a more flattering fashion or using make-up to mask reality.
|
