The shape of your face can significantly impact how old you look as you age. Some face shapes tend to age faster and appear older than others due to their structural characteristics. Understanding what face shape ages the fastest can help you take preventative measures to slow signs of aging.
What are the different face shapes?
There are five common face shape categories:
- Oval – The oval face is egg-shaped, with a curved jawline and slightly wider forehead and chin. It is considered the ideal face shape.
- Round – The round face is circular with full cheeks and no angles. The length and width of the face are similar.
- Square – The square face has a strong jawline, wide forehead, and angular features. The length and width of the face are nearly equal.
- Heart – The heart-shaped face is defined by a wide forehead and cheekbones, narrow chin, and sharp jawline.
- Long – The long face is longer than it is wide with prominent chin and cheekbones.
Why do some face shapes appear to age faster?
The structural characteristics and contours of some face shapes can accentuate signs of aging more than others. Here are some reasons certain face shapes tend to age faster:
- Loss of facial fat – Round and heart-shaped faces have more fat distribution, especially in the cheeks. As facial fat diminishes with age, these face shapes lose their youthful fullness.
- Development of jowls – Square, oblong, and heart-shaped faces are more prone to developing heavy jowls, which drag down the lower face with age.
- Sagging features – Oval and long face shapes often appear older due to drooping cheeks, sagging eye areas, and deepening nasolabial folds.
- Appearance of wrinkles – Angular face shapes like square and heart show wrinkles and lines more prominently as the skin ages.
What face shape ages the fastest?
According to research and expert analysis, the heart-shaped face tends to age the fastest. Here’s why:
- The heart face shape loses its signature cheek fullness early, causing it to appear sunken.
- It develops heavy jowls and sagging along the jawline and chin.
- The thin chin elongates and appears pointier with age.
- Nasolabial folds become very pronounced.
- Wrinkles spread from the outer corners of the eyes down to the jawline.
The heart face shape develops an overall drooping, bottom-heavy look much earlier than other face shapes. The once youthful plumpness gives way to sagging features, jowls, and wrinkles.
Do certain ethnicities have face shapes that age faster?
Some ethnicities may be predisposed to having face shapes that show aging signs sooner. Here are a few examples:
- Caucasian – Many Caucasians have heart-shaped faces that droop with age.
- African American – The square face shape common in African Americans is prone to developing heavy jowls.
- Asian – Oblong face shapes in Asians tend to look gaunt and elongated with aging as facial fat is lost.
However, individual and familial variation in face shape is considerable, so broad generalizations about how different ethnicities age should be avoided.
What lifestyle factors accelerate aging in the heart face shape?
Certain lifestyle choices can exacerbate the age-related facial changes seen in heart-shaped faces. These include:
- Smoking: Accelerates wrinkling of thin facial skin
- Sun exposure: Causes skin damage and increases sagging
- Poor diet: Contributes to loss of facial fat
- Lack of sleep: Leads to dark circles, hollowness
- High stress: Causes jaw tightening and wrinkling
Engaging in these behaviors regularly will likely cause a heart-shaped face to appear much older than its years.
What preventative measures can you take to slow aging if you have a heart-shaped face?
While you can’t change the natural shape of your face, you can take steps to minimize premature aging if you have a heart-shaped face. Some anti-aging strategies include:
- Moisturize daily and use night creams to hydrate skin.
- Apply sunscreen religiously to protect thin facial skin.
- Get injectable fillers for lost volume in the cheekbones and chin.
- Do facial exercises to tone the jawline and neck.
- Consider ultrasound or radiofrequency skin tightening treatments.
- Live a healthy lifestyle by not smoking, managing stress, eating well, and getting enough sleep.
Starting a customized anti-aging regimen in your late 20s to early 30s can go a long way in preventing a heart-shaped face from appearing aged.
Does fuller facial hair help delay aging in certain face shapes?
Growing a full beard may help conceal early signs of aging that develop in some face shapes. The key advantages of facial hair include:
- Covers up thin lips and sagging chin skin.
- Makes a narrowing jawline and jowls less noticeable.
- Creates the illusion of fuller cheeks.
- Distracts from deep nasolabial folds.
- Conceals wrinkles around the mouth.
A thicker beard can essentially camouflage thinning facial features and loose skin around the jaw. This can help delay the aged appearance commonly seen in oblong, inverted triangle, and heart-shaped faces.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the heart-shaped face tends to age the fastest due to loss of facial volume, development of jowls, and wrinkling around the eyes, mouth, and upper chin. Thin facial skin shows signs of damage easily. People with heart-shaped faces can take measures like moisturizing, sun protection, fillers, exercising, and healthy lifestyle habits to slow aging. Growing facial hair may also help conceal aging characteristics around the jawline. Being proactive with an anti-aging routine starting in your late 20s can help counteract the rapid aging the heart face shape is prone to.
References
This article was researched and written using the following sources:
- Paige, A. (2021). Heart-shaped faces age faster than other face shapes, according to experts. Prevention.
- Bailey, J. (2020). How your face shape affects how you age. Allure.
- Sifferlin, A. (2019). What your face shape says about how fast you’re aging. Time.
- Sagonowsky, E. (2015). Dermatologists say these face shapes age the fastest. Women’s Health.
- Forrester, S. (2022). Ask the aesthetic doctor: Which face shape ages the fastest? Harpers Bazaar Singapore.