Hollow cheeks have become one of the most desired facial features in the looksmaxxing community, and for good reason. That chiseled, high-cheekbone look signals low body fat, strong facial structure, and creates shadowing that makes your entire face more striking.
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But here’s the problem: most advice on how to get hollow cheeks is either dangerous (starve yourself to 6% body fat) or expensive (buccal fat removal surgery). The reality sits somewhere in between, and it’s more nuanced than “just lose weight, bro.”
This guide breaks down the legitimate methods for achieving hollow cheeks, from body fat optimization to mewing mechanics, without the usual cope or dangerous shortcuts.
Understanding What Actually Creates Hollow Cheeks
Before diving into methods, you need to understand the anatomy. Hollow cheeks result from three main factors:
Buccal fat pads are the primary culprit. These fat deposits sit in your mid-face, between your cheekbones and jawline. Everyone has them, but their size varies genetically. Some guys naturally have smaller pads, others carry more volume there even at low body fat.
Overall body fat percentage matters more than most people admit. You can’t spot-reduce facial fat, but systemic fat loss will eventually hit your face. For most men, genuine hollow cheek definition starts appearing between 12-15% body fat. Some need to drop to 10-12% depending on genetics.
Bone structure sets your ceiling. If you have naturally prominent cheekbones and a wider zygomatic arch, you’ll achieve hollow cheeks easier than someone with flatter mid-face bones. This is genetic and can’t be changed without surgery, but optimizing everything else still makes a massive difference.
The key insight: you’re working with what you have. Some guys will get model-tier hollow cheeks at 13% body fat. Others will need to hit 10% and still won’t have extreme hollowing. Both can still significantly improve from their baseline.
Body Fat Optimization (The Non-Negotiable Foundation)
You cannot have hollow cheeks at 20% body fat. Period. Your face stores fat, and until you reduce overall adipose tissue, no amount of facial exercises or mewing will create that definition.
The target range for most men is 10-15% body fat. This is sustainable, healthy, and where facial aesthetics peak for the majority. Going below 10% typically requires unrealistic dietary restriction and often makes you look gaunt rather than chiseled.
Getting there requires a proper caloric deficit, but here’s what matters for facial fat specifically: consistency over months, not crash dieting. Rapid fat loss often leads to loose skin and doesn’t give your facial structure time to adapt. Aim for 0.5-1% body fat loss per month.
Prioritize protein intake (0.8-1g per pound of body weight) to preserve muscle mass while cutting. Losing muscle makes your face look softer and older, counteracting the hollow cheek look you’re after. Combine this with resistance training 3-4x per week.
The hybrid athlete approach works well here because it combines strength work with conditioning, keeping you lean while maintaining muscle mass in your face and neck that enhances your bone structure.
Water retention masks facial definition. Keep sodium moderate (not too high, not too low), stay hydrated, and limit alcohol. Booze causes inflammation and water retention in your face that can hide cheekbones for days after drinking.
One study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that facial fat distribution changes were among the most noticeable indicators of overall fat loss, with the mid-face region showing significant reduction in subjects who achieved 10-15% body fat levels.
Mewing and Tongue Posture (The Controversial Truth)
Mewing gets dismissed as cope by some and praised as transformative by others. The truth: proper tongue posture matters, but not for the reasons most people think.
Correct tongue posture means your entire tongue rests against the roof of your mouth, not just the tip. The back third matters most. This should feel natural after a few weeks of conscious practice, not forced.
The mechanism isn’t magic. Proper tongue posture subtly reshapes how your maxilla (upper jaw) sits, which affects the soft tissue draping over it. Over months to years, this can create slight changes in facial structure, particularly in younger men (under 25) whose bones are still somewhat malleable.
For hollow cheeks specifically, mewing helps by:
- Preventing the tongue from sitting low and pushing your buccal fat pads outward
- Potentially providing slight upward and forward maxillary growth that makes cheekbones more prominent
- Improving overall facial posture and reducing double chin appearance
Research on orthotropics (the formal term for mewing principles) shows mixed results. A study in the Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Research found that tongue posture does influence palatal width and vertical facial dimensions in growing adolescents, but effects in adults over 25 are minimal and take years to manifest.
Be realistic: mewing alone won’t give you hollow cheeks if you’re at 18% body fat. It’s a supplementary practice that optimizes your existing structure, not a transformation tool.
Chewing and Masseter Development (Strategic Approach)
Building your masseter muscles (jaw muscles) creates indirect hollow cheek appearance by widening your lower third and creating more contrast with your mid-face.
Hard gum chewing is the most accessible method. Mastic gum or specialized jawline gum works better than regular gum because it provides more resistance. Chew for 20-30 minutes daily, focusing on even pressure on both sides.
But here’s the catch: overdoing it can create an overly square jaw that actually makes your face look wider, not more defined. For hollow cheeks, you want balanced development, not hypertrophied masseters.
The sweet spot is 3-5 sessions per week, not daily grinding for hours. This builds moderate masseter size that enhances your jawline without creating a bulldog look.
Some guys in the looksmaxxing community also use harder materials like falim gum or even specialized jaw exercisers. These work faster but increase injury risk (TMJ issues, tooth damage). Stick with mastic gum unless you’re experienced.
Important caveat: chewing doesn’t directly create hollow cheeks, but a stronger lower third makes your mid-face look more sculpted by comparison. It’s about ratios and proportions.
Facial Exercises That Actually Matter (And The Ones That Don’t)
Most “facial exercises for hollow cheeks” you’ll find online are complete BS. Sucking in your cheeks repeatedly doesn’t reduce buccal fat. Making fish faces doesn’t sculpt anything.
However, one technique has merit: the cheek pull method. Place your index fingers inside your mouth against your cheeks, then gently pull outward while simultaneously sucking your cheeks in to create resistance. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10x daily.
Does this actually remove fat? No. But it can strengthen the buccinator muscles and improve muscle tone in your mid-face, which creates slightly better definition when you already have low body fat.
Another legitimate approach is overall facial muscle activation. Your face has over 40 muscles, and keeping them engaged prevents sagging and maintains tautness. Simple facial expressions, particularly ones that engage your cheeks and zygomaticus muscles, help maintain tone.
Research from the JAMA Dermatology journal showed that consistent facial exercises over 20 weeks improved mid-face fullness in women (by building muscle, not removing fat), but the study focused on anti-aging, not creating hollow cheeks specifically.
The bottom line: facial exercises are a 5% factor at best. They’re worth doing if you’re already optimizing everything else, but they won’t create hollow cheeks on their own.
The Buccal Fat Removal Question
Surgical buccal fat removal directly addresses the anatomical cause of full cheeks. A surgeon makes a small incision inside your mouth and removes part or all of your buccal fat pads.
The results are permanent. Your buccal fat doesn’t grow back. This creates instant hollow cheeks for guys who naturally carry large fat pads.
But there are significant risks to consider:
Premature aging is the big one. Your face naturally loses fat as you age, particularly after 30. Guys who remove buccal fat in their early 20s often look gaunt and older by their mid-30s. What looks aesthetic at 23 can look skeletal at 38.
You can’t reverse it. Unlike other looksmaxxing changes, this is permanent. If trends shift or your face changes with age, you’re stuck with the results.
Cost ranges from $2,000-$5,000 depending on the surgeon, and it’s purely cosmetic so insurance won’t cover it.
My take: exhaust natural methods first. If you’re already sub-12% body fat, practice proper tongue posture, and still have extremely full cheeks due to large buccal fat pads, then it might be worth considering in your mid-to-late 20s. But most guys don’t need surgery, they need to lose fat and optimize what they have.
This falls into the category of softmaxxing versus hardmaxxing. Always max out your softmaxxing potential before considering surgical interventions.
Lifestyle Factors That Affect Facial Bloat
Even at low body fat, several factors can make your face look puffy and hide your bone structure.
Sleep quality directly impacts facial definition. Poor sleep increases cortisol, which promotes water retention and inflammation in your face. Aim for 7-9 hours consistently. You’ll notice your face looks noticeably more defined in the morning after quality sleep versus a night of poor rest.
Sodium and processed food cause water retention. You don’t need to go ultra-low sodium, but if you’re eating out frequently or consuming packaged foods with 2,000mg+ sodium per meal, your face will hold water. Keep sodium between 2,300-3,000mg daily for most guys.
Alcohol is facial bloat enemy #1. It causes systemic inflammation, disrupts sleep, and makes your face puffy for 24-48 hours after drinking. If you’re serious about facial aesthetics, limit drinking to once weekly at most.
Stress and cortisol promote facial fat storage, particularly in the mid-face region. Chronic stress literally works against hollow cheeks by encouraging your body to store fat and hold water. Manage stress through training, adequate sleep, and avoiding constant overstimulation.
A study in Psychoneuroendocrinology found that chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels were associated with increased visceral fat and facial adiposity, even in subjects with normal BMI ranges.
Gut health might seem unrelated, but inflammation from poor gut function shows up in your face. Bloating, food sensitivities, and poor digestion all contribute to facial puffiness. If you’re constantly dealing with digestive issues, fixing your gut health should be a priority.
Posture and Head Position
How you hold your head affects how your face looks immediately. Forward head posture (tech neck) makes your lower third recede and your mid-face look fuller.
Proper posture means your ears align with your shoulders when viewed from the side. Your chin should be level, not tilted up or down. This simple adjustment can make your cheekbones look more prominent and your jawline sharper.
Practice this consciously until it becomes automatic. Set reminders on your phone, or use posture as a cue every time you look at a screen.
When taking photos (let’s be real, that’s when most guys care about this), slightly tilt your head down and forward. This creates shadows under your cheekbones and defines your jaw. Models and influencers do this instinctively.
Lighting and Angles (The Often-Ignored Reality)
Since we’re being direct: lighting creates or destroys the appearance of hollow cheeks more than almost anything else.
Overhead lighting creates shadows under your cheekbones, making them look more hollow. Flat, front-facing light (like ring lights directly in front of your face) eliminates shadows and makes everything look flatter.
This is why you look more defined in bathroom mirrors with overhead lights versus outdoor midday sun that hits you straight-on.
For daily life, you can’t control lighting. But understanding this helps you realize that sometimes your face looks different because of environmental factors, not actual changes in your structure.
When taking photos, angle yourself so light hits from above and slightly to the side. This maximizes shadow depth and makes your bone structure pop.
The Genetic Reality Check
Some men naturally have prominent buccal fat pads and will never achieve extreme hollow cheeks without surgery. Others have naturally hollow mid-faces even at 15% body fat.
Your bone structure matters immensely. Wide zygomatic arches (cheekbones) and prominent maxilla create hollow cheeks easier. Flatter mid-face bones make it harder, regardless of body fat.
Look at your face at your leanest point in life (maybe high school sports season, or a period when you were really dialed in). That’s probably close to your genetic ceiling for natural hollow cheeks. You can optimize from there, but you’re not going to dramatically exceed that baseline without surgical intervention.
This isn’t blackpill defeatism, it’s realistic expectation-setting. A guy with naturally prominent cheekbones might achieve model-tier hollow cheeks at 12% body fat. Another guy might need to hit 10% and still have moderate hollowing at best. Both are looksmaxxing successfully relative to their baseline.
The Practical Timeline
If you’re starting from 18-20% body fat with no attention to tongue posture or facial optimization, here’s a realistic timeline:
Months 1-3: Get your diet dialed in, start a proper training program, begin practicing correct tongue posture. You’ll see initial fat loss, but minimal facial changes yet. Your face is often the last place fat comes off.
Months 3-6: Noticeable facial fat reduction as you approach 15% body fat. Jawline becomes more defined, cheekbones start showing more. This is when most people first comment that you “look different.”
Months 6-12: If you continue optimizing to 12% body fat and maintain proper tongue posture, you’ll see the full natural potential of your hollow cheeks emerge. Bone structure becomes clearly visible, mid-face looks sculpted.
Beyond 1 year: For younger guys (under 25), continued proper tongue posture might create subtle structural changes that further enhance cheekbone prominence. For everyone else, maintaining your body fat percentage and good habits keeps your results.
This is a long-term optimization, not a quick fix. Anyone promising hollow cheeks in 30 days is selling you something that doesn’t work.
Putting It All Together
Getting hollow cheeks comes down to a hierarchy of effectiveness:
Tier 1 (Essential): Reduce body fat to 12-15% through proper diet and training. This is 70% of the equation and non-negotiable.
Tier 2 (Important): Practice correct tongue posture consistently. Optimize sleep, manage stress, and minimize facial bloat from lifestyle factors.
Tier 3 (Helpful): Strategic masseter development through chewing, maintain good head posture, potentially add facial exercises if you’re already doing everything else.
Tier 4 (Individual basis): Buccal fat removal surgery, but only after exhausting natural methods and only if you have genuinely large buccal fat pads preventing definition despite low body fat.
The guys you see with insane hollow cheeks typically combine low body fat (10-13%), good genetics (prominent bone structure), and years of proper habits. It’s not one weird trick or a secret technique.
Start with the foundation. Get lean, practice proper tongue posture, and maintain good lifestyle habits. Give it 6-12 months of consistency. That’s where real results come from, not surgical shortcuts or cope exercises.
Most importantly, hollow cheeks are one piece of overall facial aesthetics. Don’t neglect other aspects of your glow up chasing one specific feature. A balanced, optimized appearance beats having one standout trait while neglecting everything else.