How exercise could be ageing your face
Running may be one of the cheapest and easiest ways to exercise but, on the downside, it could lead to ‘runner’s face’, writes Katy Hall
Thanks to the high-intensity nature of running and the number of calories burnt, skin can lose elasticity and volume over time, leading to what’s now become known as “runner’s face” after a US plastic surgeon went viral recently discussing the look. “Have you ever seen a longdistance runner that didn’t have a gaunt, old face,” Dr Gerald Imber said in the social media clip, adding, “That’s what happens.”
While most researchers agree the physical impact of pounding the pavement, treadmill or trail is in part to do with long-term effects on joints like knees, hips and ankles, it’s the weight loss or weight moderation that comes from long-term running that is believed to be behind runner’s face.
As Sydney-based cosmetic physician Dr Naomi Mccullum explains: “One of the biggest factors to impact the appearance of ageing of the face is volume loss, which includes
fat loss,” she says. “Fat loss and a person’s fat percentage will influence the age appearance of a face.”
It’s this loss of volume, Mccullum says, that can create a more aged or, as Imber puts it, gaunt appearance.
“The areas we see as particularly susceptible to volume loss from fat loss include cheeks, temples, forehead, nasolabial folds and the eye area. The neck is also an area where fat loss becomes very apparent,” she says.
Though slightly perverse that one of the most popular forms of exercise will both improve your long-term health and prematurely age you at the same time, there are ways to keep on track with your exercise without resorting to drastic skincare measures like facelifts.
“Runners don’t want to avoid running and often people like their lower fat percentage overall,” Mccullum says. “It’s always a balance with our choices for our bodies. Exercise and mental health are so important and there are other antiageing benefits of exercise as well.”
She explains: “Surgery is not the ideal treatment for volume loss. Volume replacement is the more natural appearing treatment for facial volume loss,” which can be achieved through the use of fillers, injections, fat or bio stimulators to replace the fat that has gone from the face and avoid the gaunt or drawn look associated with high-intensity exercise.
What’s more, running and other high-intensity activities often occur outdoors, where sun exposure runs rife and is another form of premature ageing. It’s here, Mccullum says, that proactive steps like wearing hats and sunscreen, as well as using vitamin C and vitamin B products will go a long way in protecting the skin and keeping it in great shape without having to worry about more expensive or invasive steps down the line.
What it really comes down to, though, Mccullum says, is that our concern for runner’s face is one that feeds into the broader issue of ageing, or rather, anti-ageing.
“I think people should choose to either be at peace with ageing volume loss or replace it using non-surgical treatments,” she says. “Choosing to go down the cosmetic route to replace volume is fine and choosing not to replace volume is equally valid.
“People should just do what fits into their philosophy and goals at the time. It would be great if we could not judge each other on our choices in this aspect.”
While there are pros and cons to every form of exercise out there, ultimately it’s about finding what’s right for you and your body and what delivers the right blend of physical and mental benefits for your specific needs.
As Mccullum says, “I think another point on this topic is that we as a society need to work on improving ageism in our culture.”