Can Mewing Reshape Your Face?
Medically reviewed by Edmund Khoo, DDS
Though many YouTube and TikTok videos praise the practice, there's not much evidence that mewing works. Mewing is a face-reconstructing technique that involves keeping your tongue on the roof of your mouth to change your jawline's shape.
Some supporters have claimed that mewing can reshape your face for a more defined jawline, helping with jaw pain, breathing, or orthodontic issues. On the contrary, experts have warned that people with jaw issues needing surgery or orthodontic work shouldn't try mewing.
Related: Jaw Pain: What To Know
Where Does Mewing Come From?
Mewing isn't a medical term. It was named after the British orthodontist Dr. John Mew, who popularized the method in the 1970s as part of his alternative orthodontic practice, orthotropics.
Orthotropics uses facial and oral posture exercises and some appliances to change the jawline and face shape. It was initially intended for children to help influence jaw development and straighten teeth for a more aesthetic look. However, the London School of Facial Orthortopics, an organization founded and supported by John Mew, now also promotes the practice for adults.
The Mews claimed that human jaws are getting smaller because of environmental and lifestyle factors—like eating soft food and mouth breathing—not the traditionally accepted genetic connection. They theorize that smaller jaws can crowd teeth and change facial shape. As a solution, mewing is supposed to help make the jaw larger and stronger, realign teeth, and create a more squared jawline.
How To Mew
The basics of mewing, according to the London School of Facial Orthotropics, involves keeping your mouth closed with:
The tongue touching the roof of the mouth
The lips pressed together
The top and bottom teeth touching or nearly touching
You'll have to train yourself to naturally return to this position, which can take time and practice—potentially 14 months to 2 years. The gist of the mewing ideology is that continuously returning to this posture can help straighten teeth and improve facial structure.
Does Mewing Work?
No credible research has proved mewing can permanently alter your jaw structure. There's also no evidence mewing can treat health issues like sinusitis, breathing problems, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), or sleep apnea.
Most of the claims come from John and Mike Mew or the Mews-backed London School of Facial Orthotropics. Promising before and after mewing pictures posted online are also unreliable since photo angling and lighting can be deceiving. At most, you might get a temporary contoured look if you try mewing during a photo session.
Research has supported the observation that human jaws are getting smaller, which aligns with John Mew's theory. In addition, oral posture, or how you position your teeth and tongue, has been shown to affect jaw development in children. A small study of 50 children even found that those who breathed through their mouths had minor changes to their facial features.
Tongue alignment can change your facial structure. How you naturally rest your tongue can also clue in orthodontists on potential mouth issues, such as tongue thrusting that pushes teeth forward and causes bite, speech, or swallowing problems.
Potential Risks
While it's unlikely mewing will successfully change your jawline or teeth, trying to alter your jaw structure without healthcare provider guidance can be risky. Mewing shouldn't be used to try to change your teeth or jawline. Instead, see a healthcare provider if you're concerned about jaw structure issues. They can properly evaluate the complexities of your facial structure and determine a treatment plan.
Facial restructuring is quite complex and involves altering the jaw, facial bones, and soft tissue. Altering your jawline without expert guidance could cause lasting damage to these intertwined parts. However, since there's not enough evidence to prove mewing works, the practice will unlikely cause any unwanted side effects.
Treatment Alternatives to Mewing
If your jaw shape, pain, or dental woes stem from a misaligned jaw—called malocclusion—you'll likely need to see an orthodontist. Depending on the cause of a misaligned jaw, treatments may include:
Surgery: Corrective jaw surgery to help realign the upper and lower jaws
Tooth repair: Reshaping or capping irregular teeth that cause overcrowding
Orthodontics: Including braces, or metal bands attached to bonds on the teeth to help adjust tooth alignment
Tooth removal: Removing teeth that cause overcrowding
If you want to change your facial composition or jawline for aesthetic reasons, cosmetic surgery and treatments are other potential options. However, these cosmetic procedures can be very pricey and come with their own set of risks. Some methods that can alter your jawline include:
Facial contouring: Facial sculpting surgery that changes your chin, cheeks, and jawline's shape by removing fat or adding implants
Dermal fillers (jawline contour treatment): Gel injected into the skin around the jaw to sharpen or adjust the symmetry of the jawline
Radiofrequency (RF) therapy: Energy waves are shot deep into your skin and create heat, which can stimulate collagen production or reduce fat to contour the facial skin
Related: What Is Palatal Petechiae?
A Quick Review
Mewing is a DIY facial reconstructing technique that involves keeping your tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth to help change the shape of your jawline. Despite anecdotal evidence, there needs to be more evidence to prove mewing works—though basic ideas connected to mewing are backed by research.
If you try mewing, you'll likely not have lasting results. Chat with a healthcare provider before trying any do-it-yourself facial reconstruction techniques if you have concerns with your jaw structure.
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