Mewing: A Powerful Face-Toning Workout or Just Another Wellness Trend?
TikTok users swear by this tongue exercise for a naturally defined jawline, visible cheekbones, and a symmetrical photo-loving face.
Can mewing truly transform your jawline definition? Does science back this up? We investigate.
so, what is mewing?
Mewing is an old tongue exercise technique that has just regained its popularity on social media. You probably saw TikTok creators shifting their tongues in special ways to teach you to ‘mew’ and raving about the magic of the practice.
They claim this exercise can strengthen facial muscles and get them that symmetrical face & defined jawline look. To ‘mew’, all you need to do is rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth instead of at the bottom. Next, they recommend you practice keeping it there for as long as possible. Eventually, it should come naturally and you’ll work out with your tongue muscle nonstop.
But, spoiler alert… It doesn’t really work that way. More on that below.
Storytime: It actually started as a natural way to correct teeth
So, what was the initial purpose of Mewing? Well, it was never meant to be a beauty hack! This technique was invented by a 93-year-old dentist and his son, an orthodontist Dr. Mew. According to Rhonda Kalasho, D.D.S., a Los Angeles-based dentist, it was a surgery-free way to achieve straighter teeth and better breathing habits.
It all started with them posting about their latest theories on YouTube and going viral. Yet, somewhere along the way… Things got messy. As they report in New York Times, “The Mews lost some control over their idea.”
According to this conversation, the Mews knew hugely influential vloggers were promoting this therapy ( meant for young children) as a beauty treatment for adults. Yet, instead of letting everyone know they were wasting their time, Mike Mew said they decided to “see what was possible”.
Simply put, they went with the stories people made up and didn’t correct anyone.
does mewing actually work?
According to the experts, there’s no scientific evidence Mewing works. Dr Kam Aulak (a dentist) told BBC Science Focus “Many dental professionals and orthodontists have expressed skepticism. Critics argue that facial structure and development are primarily determined by genetics, and altering these factors through tongue posture alone is unlikely to yield significant changes.”
My understanding? Just like doing only crunches but nothing else won’t work for six-pack abs, the same goes for facial muscles. You can’t get your face ‘in shape’ with a single exercise move. Plus, not to mention other factors like body fat percentage, genetics, and so on. It’s all about ~ variety.
Here’s what to do instead
Firstly, I’d like to remind you… Your face doesn’t need any changes and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. But. If you’re curious to experiment with natural ways to tone your face, there’s nothing wrong with that either! Experts recommend looking into cryotherapy, face yoga, or (my favorite) gua sha facial massages.
Be sure to set a kind intention, have the right reasons, and do it as a self-love ritual.
Potential health risks of mewing
If you still want to give mewing a try, here’s what you should know. According to the warnings of Dr Kalasho, mewing requires lots of teeth touching which could cause “teeth wear” and cracks in the enamel. And, if done incorrectly, it can cause pain in the neck and the mouth, or misalign your teeth.
So, hopefully, now you have everything you need to make an informed decision whether mewing is worth your time or not.
Why the obsession with #symmetry and jawline definition?
All this craze about symmetrical faces and clean facial features got me curious. Why do people find it so attractive? Why are they so willing to do all-the-weird-things to get it? Is it societal conditioning? Is it human instinct?
As much as I was sure it was the cultural push (same as skinny bodies ten years ago)…Experts have a different explanation. According to Nathan H. Lents, Ph.D from Psychology Today: “ There are a couple of features that seem to cut through the cultural conditioning and are seen as universally attractive.”
He explains: “Across many clever experimental designs, researchers have confirmed that we rate faces that are more symmetrical as more attractive than those with less symmetry. Like height in males and waist-hip ratio in females, symmetrical faces are more attractive to people across cultures and historical times.”
But keep in mind…Beauty and attraction are individual and relative values. And, you get to decide what they mean to YOU.
Is Mewing worth the hype? The verdict
Since there’s no scientific evidence this has any health benefits, I’d say no. There are more enjoyable, more fun, and more self-loving ways to work out your face. I mentioned some in the section above. If you’re interested, check them out, and see which one excites you the most.
Feel free to play with them, explore, go wild with your stones, and give yourself all the love. ;)
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