Home
Rodale Bookshelf
The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women: Double Chin

Chapter List

Special Limited Time Offer!
Order today and
Save an Extra 15%!
Use coupon code: LSAVE15

Double Chin

Double Chin

Lose It or Hide It

Who would have guessed that back in your twenties, when you and your girlfriends wrapped aluminum foil over record album covers to help tan your necks, what you were doing--inadvertently--was contributing to double chin?

Sunlight breaks down the elastin and collagen fibers in your skin that keep your neck smooth and taut, explains Alison Vidimos, M.D., a staff dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. And that encourages skin to sag.

But sunlight isn't the primary cause, says Dr. Vidimos.

"Double chins are caused by excess fat, or by a combination of excess fat and a loss of muscle tone as you age," says Dr. Vidimos. And like other facial features, double chins sometimes run in families. Add sun-damaged, sagging skin to even a little extra fat, and you have a double chin.

NONSURGICAL OPTIONS

Here's what you can do to help ditch double chin.

Peel pounds. You're not likely to have a double chin unless you are carrying at least a little extra fat, says Debra Price, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and a dermatologist in South Miami. Her advice: "Try to get back to a healthy weight."

Eat less, exercise more. Use your double chin as motivation to cut calories and increase the amount of physical activity in your life, says Maria Simonson, Sc.D., Ph.D., director of the Health, Weight and Stress Clinic at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore.

Cut the amount of food that you put on your plate in half, for example. Or drink a glass of water before meals to fill you up. Learn to savor the taste and texture of your food. This will slow you down.

Apply sunscreen. To keep the sun from damaging your skin any further and making the problem worse, smooth on a broad-spectrum sunscreen that reflects both ultraviolet rays A and B, says Dr. Price. She recommends sunscreen products that contain titanium dioxide, microscopic particles that reflect ultraviolet light. Apply the sunscreen to your neck every day. (And don't forget to apply it to your face as well.)

Shop with Us: Brands A-Z; Products A-Z; Autoship; Ways to Shop; Member Discounts

Customer Service: Contact Us; Help Desk; Shipping Policy; Return Policy; Ask a question; Track Your Order

My Account: My Account; My Order History; My Shopping Cart

Health Library: Vitamin Guide; Guide to Herbs; Health Concerns; Home Remedies; Seniors Health; Women's Health

About Us: Our Blog; Our Philosophy; Corporate Discounts; Affliliate Program; Terms of Use

Featured Partners

Email Sign up: Weekly health news, sale announcements and coupons!

Call us M-F 9am-5pm: 1-800-439-5506

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Information about each product is taken from the labels of the products or from the manufacturer's advertising material. MotherNature is not responsible for any statements or claims that various manufacturers make about their products. We cannot be held responsible for typographical errors or product formulation changes. You should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.All discounts are taken from suggested retail prices. Prices are subject to change.