A double chin refers to the extra layer of fat that forms under the chin. Though what many might not realize is that double chins can appear even when we are not overweight. Sometimes it can appear due to old age, bad postures, or even because of our genes.
When it comes to photography, our chins can appear larger and more pronounced without us even being aware of it. It certainly can be an annoyance but worry not. We have several tips on how to hide a double chin in pictures.
But before that, check out what you’ll read in this article:
- 🤔 Why do you have a double chin in your photos?
- 💅 How to hide double chin in photos
- 👄 Give mewing a try! This and other techniques can do wonders for your chin.
- 🤳 Fix your photos with an app. If all else seems to fail, there’s always photoshop to help you.
Double Chin Causes in Photos
Before we go through our tips and tricks, we’ll first discuss what causes the double chin effect to show up in photos. There are a few notable reasons as to why your face might be thin but slightly larger in photos. The main causes are:
Bad Camera Angle
More often than not, the position of the camera or how you hold your phone distorts your features. Hold the camera at a low enough distance, and your chin will give the illusion that it’s larger than it is. This happens when the camera is facing upwards towards you and makes your chin and jawline the most prominent object on the screen.
Depending on how you adjust your camera when taking profile shots can also inadvertently focus on your soft features and make them seem bigger.
Extra Big Smile
A smile can really brighten up your face and expression and make for a good photo. However, when we give large smiles that are fully stretched out, it may not be flattering. You might not realize it, but you can get a double chin when smiling. The wider your smile, the more bunched up the skin around your mouth will become.
Drawing Your Head Back Instead of Keeping your Chin Forward
Many may not realize that their poor posture can lead to their face displaying a double chin. Especially with phones, people are slouching more often or pushing their chin to their collarbone.
That is why it’s not recommended to draw your head back when photographed. Pushing your chin down all the time can weaken the muscles in your neck and jawline, further developing your double chin.
That’s why you should lean slightly when you pose. It will give a more flattering appearance.
How to Hide Double Chin in Pictures When Posing/Shooting
Plenty of techniques and tips exist to eliminate double chins by keeping your chin forward. Check out some of the methods down below.
1. Slightly Lean Your Head Forward (Peach Tucking/Turtle Neck Stretch Technique)
Two helpful techniques to try are the peach tucking and turtle neck stretch methods. Peach tucking is thinking of an imaginary peach underneath your chin. As you picture a peach tucked under you in your mind, your chin will be raised in a slight arc, as illustrated in the images below. This simple trick of the peach effect is a great way to avoid double chins.
The turtle neck stretch is an easy exercise you can do to get your chin forward by holding it at a higher angle. It even helps ease your tense shoulder muscles. All you need to do is push your face forward first while keeping the rest of your body still. Then you bring your head back and tuck your chin. Repeat the process several times a day for better effect.
What’s more, these two are techniques that a lot of celebrities use. If you’re interested in these, then you can also try face yoga exercises to fight double chin.
2. Try to Take Pictures From a Higher Angle
At times the easiest way to change something in your double chin is a change in perspective or pose. When you take a photo at a downward angle, the camera sees smaller objects. That also includes your face, specifically your chin, thus making it look wider than it is.
This is why it’s better to take pictures from a higher angle. Lift your hand and place the camera exactly at eye level, with your chin tilted slightly upwards.
3. Avoid Smiling Too Widely
As we’ve mentioned, a big smile makes your face stretch. It gives your skin the bunching-up effect and forms a double chin.
But don’t get us wrong – by no means do we suggest you avoid smiling on camera. Smile away, but don’t push your lips too far, or it might feel unnatural and look unflattering.
4. Adjust the Lighting
When lights bounce off surfaces and your face, it alters your features. The angle of the light determines where shadows fall, accentuating some facial details more than others.
The best lighting for photos is either while facing a window during daylight or finding a spot outside in the shade. Alternatively, you can pay attention to the shadows on your face as you adjust the lighting. By focusing the light on your cheekbones, you increase the shadows on your jawline, making it look smaller.
5. Alter Your Facial Features With Makeup
Makeup artists and influencers often have the best method of getting rid of double chins and other features. With the right lines and powders, you can create the illusion that your face is sharper than it actually is.
This is done with the technique known as contouring. By using foundation, concealer, and other products, you can draw fake shadows along your face. This can give the impression that you have more pronounced features, thinner noses, and a sharper jawline.
6. Try Changing the Pose
Another simple way to make your jawline look thinner is to switch poses. Avoid slouching whilst sitting, and keep your shoulders back – basically, holding your chin in your everyday position.
You can also avoid sitting altogether and just stand. People may seem bigger when they’re sitting down, whereas standing elongates your body and neck.
7. Shorten the Shooting Distance
Perhaps it’s not even the angle or lighting at fault but the distance between you and the camera. When the camera or phone is too far away from you, an unfortunate effect is that your jawline and neck blend together.
Try and keep the camera closer to your face, but not intimately near. However, be careful as this can enlarge your nose and ears.
8. Tone Your Chin and Neck Muscles
A jawline improvement guide can do much to help tone your chin and jawline. Chewing gum is a great way to work out those neck and jaw muscles and keep your skin nice and tight! On the other hand, there are massages you can try, and even find a tutorial on slimming your jawline.
Now, if you’re looking to completely get rid of your double chin altogether, there are permanent ways to do so. Here are several means to consider:
9. Applying the Mewing Technique
Mewing is the right method for ridding yourself of that extra fat layer. You can find out all about the mewing method on our site. You can also download our Mewing.Coach app where you can find various ways to effectively reduce double chin by mewing daily.
This technique is a simple exercise that requires keeping your tongue and mouth in the right positions. It also covers how to properly chew and swallow to improve your facial symmetry.
10. Exercise to Lose Face Fat
A good way to avoid double chins is by working out and losing body fat. But if you plan to achieve a thinner chin, you’ll need to set up a regime. When it comes to body weight loss & double chin removal, cardio is the way to go.
It plays a far more important role than weight training as it focuses on burning fat, and you can do it in the nearest gym. Hop onto a treadmill or a vertical climber and move that body!
You can always consult a trainer or follow a step-by-step exercise guide on losing a double chin via weight loss programs.
11. Reshaping Your Chin Surgically
Another permanent solution would be to go the surgical route. Chin and neck liposuction is a faster way of removing the extra layer of fat under your chin. Other double chin removal surgeries are the facelift and neck lift.
However, these are the more expensive ways to do so. Not to mention the results can be achieved by other non-invasive techniques, like mewing.
Alternate Ways of Getting Rid of Double Chins
If the gym is too expensive and you want to know how to cheaply get rid of a double chin, look no further than the outdoors. Going for a jog or a quick walk can get your body in shape just as easily as going to the gym.
A diet can help just the same. Take a look at your eating habits. Do your meals consist of big portions of carbohydrates? Or too many deep-fried starches? Could you stand to eat less sugar than you usually do? Consider what you can cut off your diet that might be causing your double chin.
Photoshop Programs Can Help Remove Your Double Chin in Photos
When nothing seems to work, and your body is as thin as a healthy weight, the solution you’re looking for is in the palm of your hand. Photo editing apps exist to help fix your photos and remove anything unwanted.
You can find hundreds of these apps for both Android and iOS devices, and many of them are free to download.
The Final Result
Your double chin appearing in photos could be caused by a number of reasons, from poor posture to bad angles. But as there are various reasons causing it, there are many ways to fix it too.
Try changing the lighting and your positions when taking a picture. For more permanent effects, do the peach technique and mewing. They’re easy and completely free!
