A study has shown that losing weight can make a person look older as fat loss could accelerate the aging process by deflating the cheeks and hollowing the eyes.
This phenomenon is called the 'Diet Face' which was previously thought to be due to the gravity that has taken the toll on the body years later.
After analyzing the CT head scans of 19 middle-aged volunteers that are taken a decade apart, the researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin found that weight loss, instead of gravity, caused the aging processing to accelerate which makes people look older.
The findings could lead to better facelifts technology and help understand how many celebrities look much older after they trim down weight. Some of these celebrities are Simon Cowell, Celine Dion, Lenny Henry, Davina McCall, Renee Zellweger, and former Chancellor Nigel Lawson.
Volume Loss Theory of Aging
MailOnline reported that the findings of the study confirm the volume loss theory of aging. In particular, lead author Dr. Aatron Morgan said that facial fat loss removes support from the overlaying fat, which causes the deepening of the nasolabial fold that runs through the nose to the mouth.
Moreover, fat loss near the surface deflates the cheeks making the jowls descend that it loses the shape or definition around the jawline. At the same time, volume loss around the eyes makes it look hollow.
Dr. Morgan explained that the face looks older after losing weight because it has less fat in the first place, making fat loss more apparent. Although the results may vary across people, they all showed "definite and measurable loss of midface fat volume."
Furthermore, Collins Dentistry and Aesthetics said that facial fat is associated with youth so losing facial fat could make the face depleted. Plus, the skin loses elasticity during old age, and without the volume that supports it, the asking could sag and fold, creating facial folds, wrinkles, turkey neck, and jowls.
The study, published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, concludes that fat serves as the scaffolding that holds the face up to prevent it from sagging.
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Design More Natural Approaches to Face Rejuvenation
To counteract the problem of looking old after losing weight, the person may opt to do facial treatments to their skin, which provides nutrients and stimulate the healing mechanism of the body to help the face look younger. Also, they could choose to do facelift like what many people, like celebrities, do with their skin.
The researchers of the study think that the findings could help plastic surgeons design more natural approaches in face rejuvenation to recreate the facial fat distribution of youth.
"This proves there is volume depletion and not just laxity of tissues with aging. So, volume replacement should be used in addition to surgical procedures to attempt to recreate the youthful face," Dr. Morgan said.
Understanding the mechanisms behind weight loss and sagging facial skin is paramount in the field of plastic surgery. Doctors advise those who are dieting to lose weight gradually and eat plenty of Omega-3-rich fish, fruits, and vegetables to achieve a healthy weight loss.
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