If I lose weight, will it also reduce the empty spaces in my face?

Some of the fullness caused by accumulated fat can be reduced through weight loss. However, muscle volume and saggy tissue are difficult to change with dieting alone. That is why it is so important to first identify the root cause.

Is it okay to choose a treatment based on my own self-diagnosis?

While this helps guide our approach, we can only determine the exact proportions by evaluating and feeling your skin in person. This is because the sequence of your treatment depends on the unique blend and ratio of muscle, sagging, and fat.

Can I have all the treatments done in one visit?

Treatments targeting different skin layers can be performed on the same day. However, we often schedule them separately to ensure comfortable recovery and minimize swelling. Above all, lifting the sagging areas first is key to achieving a stable, beautiful result.

If your face looks larger, it might not be fat—it could be 'empty space'.|Hongdae Skin Clinic|Beautystone Clinic

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If your face looks larger, it might not be fat—it could be 'empty space'.

For Asian faces, the impression is often determined by the 'open spaces' rather than individual features. Once you identify whether your open space is caused by muscle, sagging, or fat, the right treatment will become clear.

Jun 2, 2026

ud83dudcda Facial Space Management u00b7 Series Table of Contents

1. Understanding the Empty Space (Yebaek)
- 1.1 My Self-Diagnosis (Current Article)
2. Space Created by Muscles
- 2.1 Masseter u00b7 Temporalis Botox
- 2.2 Salivary Gland Botox
3. Space Created by Fat
- 3.1 Sagging Fat u00b7 Ulthera
- 3.2 Fat Dissolving Injections
4. Designing the Space
- 4.1 Designing Steps

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, "My features look fine, but my face somehow looks a bit large"? Even when you lose weight or try dieting, it can be frustrating when that feeling doesn't go away.

Often, this isn't an issue of weight, but a problem of 'empty space' (yebaek). In my clinical experience, what truly defines an Asian face's impression is not just the individual features, but the wide, empty-looking areas surrounding them.

To put it simply: a face that looks large is usually due to this "space." Once you identify whether that space is caused by muscle, sagging tissue, or accumulated fat, the right treatment naturally becomes clear.

What is this "space," and why does it define your look?

Unlike Western facial structures, Asian faces tend to have a flatter midface and a more prominent lower jaw. Since the skin and subcutaneous tissue are also relatively thick, the facial contours can easily lose definition, making the face look wider. This wide, empty-looking area is what we call the "facial space" (yebaek).

Even with the same size eyes, nose, and mouth, if the space between them is wide, the features look clustered in the center, and the face appears larger than it actually is. This is why simply organizing and defining this spaceu2014without touching the facial features themselvesu2014can make your impression look much more defined.

When this space is large, the exact same features can look flat and wide. Conversely, when the space is refined and streamlined, the contours become crisp, making the face look smaller and more three-dimensional. In my clinical practice, when patients ask me, "What should I touch up to look prettier?", the answer is very rarely the features themselves, but rather the empty spaces around them.

While Western beauty treatments often focus on "adding volume to create three-dimensionality," Asian facial space refinement takes the opposite direction. It is about reducing where reduction is needed, and lifting what has sagged to create a beautifully defined contour.

Which of the three types of space do you have?

There are three main causes that create this facial space. You can easily do a rough check at home.

Try this	If you see this result	The cause of your space
Bite down firmly	A hard, bulging muscle is felt at the corners of your jaw	Chewing muscle (u203b Masseter)
Touch under your ears and under your jaw	It feels thick and heavy, but it's neither muscle nor fat	Salivary Gland Hypertrophy
Look at a mirror while lying down	Your face looks slimmer lying down, and lifting your cheeks upward improves your look	Sagging tissue (u203b SMAS laxity)
Gently pinch under your jaw	Thick fat is pinched and remains pooled regardless of posture	Accumulated fat

* Masseter: This is the strong chewing muscle that runs from under the cheekbone to the angle of the lower jaw. If it grows large due to habits like teeth grinding or clenching, the jaw can look angular.

* SMAS: This is the fibromuscular layer wrapping around the muscles under the skin. When it loosens due to aging and gravity, the tissue above it drifts downward, causing the jawline to look saggy and poorly defined.

Why different causes require completely different treatments

Even if the concern is the same "large-looking face," different causes require completely different solutions.

For space caused by muscle, we reduce the volume using Botox. This works by temporarily blocking nerve signals so that underutilized muscles gradually shrink.
For space caused by sagging, we must lift the tissue rather than dissolve it. Dissolving volume when there is sagging can make the face look even more hollow. In this case, a lifting treatment like Ulthera is the right choice.
For space caused by accumulated fat, a localized fat-dissolving injection designed to melt just that area is the ideal approach.

If you repeat a single treatment without identifying the root cause, you may end up spending money without seeing much change in your impression. This happens when someone with large jaw muscles only gets lifting treatments, or someone with sagging skin only gets fat-dissolving injections. The treatment itself isn't bad; it was simply unmatched to the actual cause of your facial space.

In aesthetic dermatology, even for the same concern, the approach differs depending on the cause, and facial space is no different. Muscle, sagging, and fat lie in completely different layers of the face and require different solutions, which is why your choice even within non-surgical contouring methods will vary. This is why a proper medical diagnosis always comes before choosing a treatment name.

Most faces have a mix, so the order of treatment is key

In reality, most patients who visit us do not have just one single cause, but a combination of two or three. They might have a bit of muscle, a touch of sagging, and a little accumulated fat under the chin.

That is why rather than doing everything at once, it is much more natural to address the most prominent factor first, in a stepped sequence. Typically, we lift the sagging foundation first, reduce any remaining muscle, and finish by refining local fat pockets.

In the end, the starting point is always the same. Taking a moment to trace where your own facial space comes from is the very first step toward a beautifully refined, balanced look.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If I lose weight, will my empty facial space decrease?

Space caused by localized fat can be partially reduced through weight loss. However, muscle volume and sagged tissue do not easily change with dieting. This is why identifying the cause first is so important.

Q. Can I decide on my treatment based on self-diagnosis alone?

While it is helpful for guiding your general direction, the exact proportions can only be determined through a hands-on, professional medical examination. The treatment sequence changes based on how your muscle, sagging, and fat are mixed.

Q. Can't I do all the treatments at once?

Treatments that target different layers of the skin can indeed be performed on the same day, but we often space them out considering swelling and recovery times. More than anything, addressing sagging first yields the most stable and natural results.