Facial Fat

[notaround]

Hey guys,


My main driving motivator for starting my journey towards getting lean is to reduce facial fat. I've come to a brief doubt-stage though that maybe my facial bone structure is bad and that no matter how lean I get, my face will never quite look "lean". I'm not quite sure if this is reality, since I've never been below 16% body fat before, but this is a serious doubt in my mind...

Yesterday I started reta cycle at 0.9 mg

planning to start the GLOW stack once it arrives (also need some help with dosing and the whole 9 yards with this new peptide stack if anybody would be willing to help 🙂 ).

My face has a red blush on both sides of my cheek and has always been rather round. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[YoYoFat]

Does your face’s “red blush” look like it’s in a butterfly shape pattern, like across your nose too? That blushing and moon face-looking fullness can be a sign of lupus.

I lost a lot of face fat, which bummed me out because it was my chubby face that kept me looking. youthful.

 

[mraajr]

I do not want to be a Debbie downer here, but spot reduction of fat is pretty much not a thing. I am sure you could find some videos of people saying otherwise, but the data is pretty clear on this. There are things you can do/take that help reduce visceral fat that would make it appear like you are losing fat around your abdomen, but subq fat just goes away where it wants to based on genetics. Building muscle in certain areas can also make it appear like fat is leaving those areas because the skin is tighter, but it is still there, just less noticeable. Unforturnately, the face is not an area where building muscle is all that easy. Lol.

No matter how much weight I lose, my stomach and inner thighs always carry more fat than the rest of my body. I am 6'2" and getting close to 200 lbs., and no matter what I do, I cannot get rid of the fat and flab around those areas. Even when I was under 190 lbs., it was still there. Coincidentally, my face is always one of the first places that I lose fat.

 

[notaround]

I do not want to be a Debbie downer here, but spot reduction of fat is pretty much not a thing. I am sure you could find some videos of people saying otherwise, but the data is pretty clear on this. There are things you can do/take that help reduce visceral fat that would make it appear like you are losing fat around your abdomen, but subq fat just goes away where it wants to based on genetics. Building muscle in certain areas can also make it appear like fat is leaving those areas because the skin is tighter, but it is still there, just less noticeable. Unforturnately, the face is not an area where building muscle is all that easy. Lol.

No matter how much weight I lose, my stomach and inner thighs always carry more fat than the rest of my body. I am 6'2" and getting close to 200 lbs., and no matter what I do, I cannot get rid of the fat and flab around those areas. Even when I was under 190 lbs., it was still there. Coincidentally, my face is always one of the first places that I lose fat.

So it's basically all genetics then? My face

Does your face’s “red blush” look like it’s in a butterfly shape pattern, like across your nose too? That blushing and moon face-looking fullness can be a sign of lupus.

I lost a lot of face fat, which bummed me out because it was my chubby face that kept me looking. youthful.

The red blush is most prominent an inch above my jawline, and then slowly recedes in color intensity. It is barely noticable around my eye area, but what could this mean?

 

[mraajr]

So it's basically all genetics then? My face

It is 100% genetics. You will hear all kinds of wild claims like "MELT STUBBORN BELLY FAT" and the like, but those claims are all bullshit. Outside of surgery, there is no method to spot reduce fat.

 

[swimmer]

I have heard of something called cool sculpting but I don't think you can do it on your face. There is also something called lemon bottle but I don't know much about it.

 

[Nathanologist]

Facial fat loss is a side effect of fast weight loss. The phrase ozempic face was coined because of this. It’s not like, caused by the med, just a side effect of fast fat loss. But it’s common enough to be a thing. If you’re into that it could be a positive outcome for you. But it’s also not a guarantee.

 

[Abberz274]

I know for me personally I carry a lot of weight in my face when I’m heavier and it’s the second to last area to go when I’m losing weight. I’ve also found that I have a lot of inflammation and fluid build up in my face too. I’ve started doing a lymphatic drainage massage with a Gua-sha and I’ve actually been surprised with how much of a difference it has made.

 

[conzopiriani]

Building muscle in certain areas can also make it appear like fat is leaving those areas because the skin is tighter, but it is still there, just less noticeable. Unforturnately, the face is not an area where building muscle is lol.

See post 'Who do I have to suck for some Eloralintide?"

 

[randompersonrandom]

I know that I'm going to look a little older in the face when I get my weight all the way down (Started at BMI 30, currently 24, aiming for 20), and I'm at peace with that. I'd rather look 45, a little weathered, and gloriously happy with a gorgeous, lean body than looking a little less weathered but doughy and round and also deeply worried about my cholesterol. I'll moisturize and call it good; I'm never going to win any beauty contests, but I'm also never gonna ENTER any.

 

[desinr-gal]

So it's basically all genetics then? My face

The red blush is most prominent an inch above my jawline, and then slowly recedes in color intensity. It is barely noticable around my eye area, but what could this mean?

It could very well be rosacea. Look that up. I have rosacea, it is worsened by temperature extremes, hot water, high heart rate during exercise, many types of chemicals in cosmetics.
etc. The list is long. Its usually genetic, very common in people originating in England, ireland, scotland.

 

[notaround]

It could very well be rosacea. Look that up. I have rosacea, it is worsened by temperature extremes, hot water, high heart rate during exercise, many types of chemicals in cosmetics.
etc. The list is long. Its usually genetic, very common in people originating in England, ireland, scotland.

the skin on my shoulders is not prominently red, however it is quite patchy and a little bit rough. Ive had friends ask me if I had a rash or something, but honestly I've had had it for the last 5 years roughly. Also, my red blush is most prominent after exercising (running, basketball, heavy lifting) in the cold.

 

[desinr-gal]

the skin on my shoulders is not prominently red, however it is quite patchy and a little bit rough. Ive had friends ask me if I had a rash or something, but honestly I've had had it for the last 5 years roughly. Also, my red blush is most prominent after exercising (running, basketball, heavy lifting) in the cold.

read about rosacea it sounds like that's what you have. Yes cold too is a trigger.

 

[notaround]

Also side note, I think I might not be a super responder towards Reta because I started off with 0.9 mg 2 days ago, and last night injected another 0.5 grams. I have woken up this morning and felt normal. Maybe for me it's going to take a few weeks or so to feel anything... Should I just keep doing once a week of 1.5 mg injects?

read about rosacea it sounds like that's what you have. Yes cold too is a trigger.

Thank you for the reference.

I've noticed no particular swelling, but the red pigmentation is still there. I'm not sure if this is accurate but I've always imagined swelling to be like a swollen ankle, or like a irritated mosquito bite /rash where the skin was hyper-sensitive and very stiff to touch. That is not the case for my face, so im starting to think maybe its just bloat and facial fat (alcohol, carbs, etc).

 

[AndyPanda]

Also side note, I think I might not be a super responder towards Reta because I started off with 0.9 mg 2 days ago, and last night injected another 0.5 grams. I have woken up this morning and felt normal. Maybe for me it's going to take a few weeks or so to feel anything... Should I just keep doing once a week of 1.5 mg injects?

Thank you for the reference.

I've noticed no particular swelling, but the red pigmentation is still there. I'm not sure if this is accurate but I've always imagined swelling to be like a swollen ankle, or like a irritated mosquito bite /rash where the skin was hyper-sensitive and very stiff to touch. That is not the case for my face, so im starting to think maybe it’s just bloat and facial fat (alcohol, carbs, etc).

You are doing it wrong, friend. Steady state concentration where Retatrutide actually works takes 4 to 5 half-lives which is 24-30 days of consistent weekly dosing to build a therapeutic plateau. Micro-dosing Reta sabotages steady state concentration.

 

[desinr-gal]

You are doing it wrong, friend. Steady state concentration where Retatrutide actually works takes 4 to 5 half-lives which is 24-30 days of consistent weekly dosing to build a therapeutic plateau. Micro-dosing Reta sabotages steady state concentration.

I disagree. Please look at these graphs, The one with 1x weekly dose, vs every 3 days shows a much higher variability in amount of peptide in circulation, compared to the comparable every 3 days dose. Which I am currently following.

For some reason I am unable to add the pictures of the graphs I made 🙄
here is the plotter link. Enter both versions of dosing and compare. The smaller more frequent dose result in a much steadier state than the once weekly.

GLP-1 Plotter - Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) & Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) Dose Calculator

Plot graphs and calculate levels for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus) or Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) based on dose & half-life.

glp1plotter.com

 

[desinr-gal]

I disagree. Please look at these graphs, The one with 1x weekly dose, vs every 3 days shows a much higher variability in amount of peptide in circulation, compared to the comparable every 3 days dose. Which I am currently following.

For some reason I am unable to add the pictures of the graphs I made 🙄
here is the plotter link. Enter both versions of dosing and compare. The smaller more frequent dose result in a much steadier state than the once weekly.

GLP-1 Plotter - Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) & Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) Dose Calculator

Plot graphs and calculate levels for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus) or Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) based on dose & half-life.

glp1plotter.com

Here are links to each version, where you can see the graphs.

Check out my protocol on GLP-1 Plotter!

Click to reveal my protocol or plot your own dose graphs for Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus) or Tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

glp1plotter.com

Check out my protocol on GLP-1 Plotter!

Click to reveal my protocol or plot your own dose graphs for Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus) or Tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

glp1plotter.com

 

[AndyPanda]

Here are links to each version, where you can see the graphs.

Check out my protocol on GLP-1 Plotter!

Click to reveal my protocol or plot your own dose graphs for Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus) or Tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

glp1plotter.com

Check out my protocol on GLP-1 Plotter!

Click to reveal my protocol or plot your own dose graphs for Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus) or Tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

glp1plotter.com

https://www.nejm.org/doi/suppl/10.1056/NEJMoa2301972/suppl_file/nejmoa2301972_protocol.pdf

 

[Chucky]

You'll lose facial fat as you begin to drop weight. But 2 exercises I used to do at the gym which made me look a little daft, was a dumbell on my forehead and then did chin curls with my head hanging off the edge of the bench. The other was to put a dumbell on my chin, hold my head back so my chin was pointing up towards the ceiling and then push my chin forward. To be honest, not exactly sure how much it helped, but I felt it went along to go from a round face to a more defined one.

 

[Cgrey80]

I hear ya, OP! So much of this comes down to genetics and just the way each of us is "built". For example, I'm now down to 16.89% body fat (DEXA and BodyPedia verified), but I carry most of my fat on my very lower torso, so I have more of a belly still than guys with higher body fat percentages than me -- because they have more even/better distribution of their body fat. It can be frustrating. I didn't really start to see my face slimming down until recently. And I've gone from a high of 33% to my present 16 and change. But, my face stayed fairly pudgy looking until recently. It's exciting to start getting some more definition, finally! Hoping that trend continues for me as I continue on my body recomp.

Two things to keep in mind: if you don't already know, some peptides connected to body recomp can cause water retention -- Tesa is reportedly one of those -- and water retention can make your face, temporarily, look fatter. But, everyone's different. I'm in the middle of my first cycle of Tesa and I haven't experienced water retention.

Also, don't lose all that facial fat! I'm in my mid-40s and look younger than a lot of the people who went to high school and college with me. The people who had those perfectly chiseled jaws are showing their age a lot more than I am. Fat preserves! 😉

 

[TurkeyGravy]

Facial fat loss is a side effect of fast weight loss. The phrase ozempic face was coined because of this. It’s not like, caused by the med, just a side effect of fast fat loss. But it’s common enough to be a thing. If you’re into that it could be a positive outcome for you. But it’s also not a guarantee.

Is there a way to avoid the "Ozempic face"? What if you're on tirz or reta?

 

[Nathanologist]

I think you missed the point. It’s not the drug, it’s the rapid loss of weight and possibly there could be an age element.

1. Slow down the weight loss.
2. Prioritize protein and supplement collagen.
3. Eat the rainbow.
4. Drink your water.
5. Exercise. Strength train.

Possibly try topical GHK-Cu and Hyaluronic Acid in a carrier? Idk.

 

[notaround]

After some research I've came to a possible solution:

After reaching my lean goal, if my face is still rather cherubic I will use HCTZ diuretic to try and debloat. Also, I'm currently eating like twice a day and dry scoop 3 times (75 g protien), and if that doesn't work my buddy I'm going to Agartha!

 

[Patience]

diuretics only work for bloating related to water retention, it's a bit sketch to do just for funsies

 

[mrfat]

I disagree. Please look at these graphs, The one with 1x weekly dose, vs every 3 days shows a much higher variability in amount of peptide in circulation, compared to the comparable every 3 days dose. Which I am currently following.

For some reason I am unable to add the pictures of the graphs I made 🙄
here is the plotter link. Enter both versions of dosing and compare. The smaller more frequent dose result in a much steadier state than the once weekly.

GLP-1 Plotter - Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) & Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) Dose Calculator

Plot graphs and calculate levels for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy/Rybelsus) or Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) based on dose & half-life.

glp1plotter.com

Are you confusing micro dosing with more frequent dosing? A micro dose of reta would probably be under 1mg/week no matter how frequently you inject.

If you're doing 4mg/week of reta and split it into 4 1mg doses as opposed to 1 4mg dose then I agree that you'll suffer less sides.

 

[temp57]

Hey guys,


My main driving motivator for starting my journey towards getting lean is to reduce facial fat. I've come to a brief doubt-stage though that maybe my facial bone structure is bad and that no matter how lean I get, my face will never quite look "lean". I'm not quite sure if this is reality, since I've never been below 16% body fat before, but this is a serious doubt in my mind...

Yesterday I started reta cycle at 0.9 mg

planning to start the GLOW stack once it arrives (also need some help with dosing and the whole 9 yards with this new peptide stack if anybody would be willing to help 🙂 ).

My face has a red blush on both sides of my cheek and has always been rather round. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

As some people have already replied about facial fat being genetics - i agree it kinda sucks lol.

But in my experience the face slims down quite quickly within the first few weeks. I recommend taking progress photos so you can see where you started. You’d be surprised how much your appearance can change just from losing water/fat in your face, and people will notice too which is also nice😅

good luck!

 

[miss-sanne]

Hmm, i have that too, but it's how i look, lol. I just easily get round cheeks etc.
Loose the weight overall, and get rid of inflammation.
I use ghk-cu now.
I lost 16 kg now from 87 to 71, and my face is 'much better-, but not there yet, still want to shift 8-10 kg.
red blush can be very harmless, but annoying, like rosacea (i hate my rosacea), or serious like lupus, get it checked out just to be sure.

 

[desinr-gal]

Are you confusing micro dosing with more frequent dosing? A micro dose of reta would probably be under 1mg/week no matter how frequently you inject.

If you're doing 4mg/week of reta and split it into 4 1mg doses as opposed to 1 4mg dose then I agree that you'll suffer less sides.

People define these differently. Many consider even multiple doses under a standard dose to be "micro dosing" others say it's only if weekly you are under a starting dose.
My point was that multiple doses a week maintains a more stable level of Reta, than once weekly dosing. And it does so with out the unpleasant side effects.

 

[notaround]

Hmm, i have that too, but it's how i look, lol. I just easily get round cheeks etc.
Loose the weight overall, and get rid of inflammation.
I use ghk-cu now.
I lost 16 kg now from 87 to 71, and my face is 'much better-, but not there yet, still want to shift 8-10 kg.
red blush can be very harmless, but annoying, like rosacea (i hate my rosacea), or serious like lupus, get it checked out just to be sure.

Ive noticed that when I pinch my cheek, inside of my cheek on my right cheek, there is like a slightly tender thing in there that is a little squishy, but squeezing the left side of my cheek is just slightly squishy but no tender feeling.

 

[tubby]

I think you missed the point. It’s not the drug, it’s the rapid loss of weight and possibly there could be an age element.

1. Slow down the weight loss.
2. Prioritize protein and supplement collagen.
3. Eat the rainbow.
4. Drink your water.
5. Exercise. Strength train.

Possibly try topical GHK-Cu and Hyaluronic Acid in a carrier? Idk.

Are you sure about that?

People have rapidly lost weight via gastric bypass (and its variations), extended water fasts, GLP1-RAs, as well as the newer multi-agonist injections. My suspicion is that there's something specific to single-agonist GLP1 drugs that biases people towards losing a higher protein:fat ratio on very-low calorie diets and being a major driver of "Ozempic face."

For example, if someone goes on a water fast their body will up the release of growth hormone, as a means of preserving lean mass. I'm not sure if this has been studied, but I wouldn't be surprised if a perpetual 24/7 "I just ate" signal being faked from the gut to the brain along the afferent pathway of the vagus nerve could interfere with growth hormone release and cause the body to catabolize more lean mass than is ideal (vs breaking down fat). You could try to counter that effect by upping your protein (which is consistent with your advice). Or it's conceivable that moving to a multi-agonist treatment might mitigate that effect too.