Can mewing actually change the shape of my face?

Fad or fact?

Let’s be honest, we all want to be hot, whatever that means to each of us. There’s a lot of money in helping people look, or even just feel hot. Just think of how much we spend each year on skincare products, haircuts and cute clothes… actually, let’s not think about that. 

But imagine if you could get hotter – in this case, by getting a stronger, more defined jawline – for free and with minimal effort. Such is the promise of the British orthodontist John Mew and his son Michael Mew. Their method, aptly named ‘mewing’, uses specific mouth exercises to supposedly reshape the face. 

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After the internet got a hold of it in 2019, the method took off. Mewing became a well-known phrase in both the mainstream online beauty circles and the darker ‘looksmaxing’ and incel corners.

In a culture where there seems to be a new viral beauty hack almost every day, it can be hard to figure out what’s actually worth your time and what’s just another false promise. Mewing may be popular, but is it legit?

How to mew

You know what? You might be mewing at this very moment without even knowing it. Mewing is actually extremely simple. It’s about changing your day-to-day habits. More specifically, it’s about changing where your tongue sits inside your mouth. Instead of letting your tongue rest on the bottom of your mouth, press it against the roof of your mouth. 

Leave a slight gap between the tip of your tongue and your top front teeth and then apply flat, gentle pressure to the roof of your mouth with your tongue. To figure out the correct positioning, try saying words ending in ‘ing’. Apply pressure for as long as feels comfortable, or do it in little bursts. There are also devices that can be bought that assist with mewing, such as a mewing ring or specialised gum that’s said to strengthen your jaw. 

Does mewing work?

The evidence on that is a little dicey. In the orthodontics community, mewing has caused a lot of controversy. Mewing was created on the premise that the human jaw is becoming smaller, which may be a result of a trend towards mouth breathing and eating softer foods. There is evidence that this phenomenon is true. Having a smaller jaw than our ancestors may be partially responsible for the frequency of dental concerns, sleep apnea and teeth crowding in the modern world.

The purpose of mewing is to widen the jaw, which is said to help solve these issues while also meeting beauty ideals by making the face more symmetrical and the jaw stronger. Allegedly, results from mewing take a long time to notice, ranging from weeks to years. 

As it stands, there’s only anecdotal evidence that this actually works, although the anecdotal evidence is plenty – search ‘mewing’ on TikTok, Reddit or YouTube and you’ll be met with a sea of suspiciously too-good-to-be-true before and after photos. 

Of course, elements like angles, makeup, lighting and editing may play a role in the results. As mewing has spiked in popularity with Gen Z, some sceptics believe that the extreme results noticed from mewing may just be because of natural changes in facial structure during puberty.

While many people online seem to be big fans of the mewing lifestyle, the orthodontics community is not so convinced. In fact, the General Dental Council even reprimanded John Mew because it was not happy with his fringe views. 

It was also concerned that, given the technique’s rapidly growing popularity, people with legitimate medical problems would turn to mewing rather than seeking out scientifically proven solutions such as jaw surgery or braces. 

As for those who are mewing for aesthetic reasons, doctors recommend getting Botox or filler in the jaw instead. Mewing, especially using untested devices, can actually have a negative effect on people with jaw pain, TMJ or teeth misalignment as it puts extra pressure on the delicate muscles. 

The takeaway

While it seems as if the premise behind mewing is sound, there’s no solid evidence the technique achieves its desired results. Many orthodontists believe the pressure of the tongue on the roof of the mouth is not nearly enough to change the alignment of your teeth and the shape of your jaw.

However, as a practice, mewing has minimal downsides. As long as it isn’t causing you pain, it’s unlikely to do permanent damage, so it’s up to you if you want to try it out.

For more on mewing, head here.