Can This TikTok Hack Actually Chisel Your Jawline Without Surgery Or Fillers?

Anyone who’s scrolled their FYP knows there are more beauty trends than there are days in a year. Open any of your apps and you’ll immediately be blasted with promos for everything from at-home laser hair removal to LED face masks to no-tox ways to get glass skin. Some make more sense than others—there’s real science behind things like red light therapy, for example.

But what about TikTok’s latest craze: mewing?

What is mewing?

Sounds like something a cat might do, right? Well, not even close. Mewing is actually an exercise that’s meant to improve your facial structure over time, says Joel Kopelman, MD, a facial plastic surgeon at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery in New York City. “It involves positioning the tongue against the roof of the mouth, maintaining proper oral posture with the lips closed, teeth together, and the tongue resting on the palate.”

Meet the experts: Joel Kopelman, MD, is a facial plastic surgeon at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery in New York City. Donald B. Yoo, MD, is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Los Angeles. Payam Ataii, DMD, MBA, senior vice president of orthodontics at Aspen Dental.

Where did mewing originate?

“A British orthodontist by the name of John Mew, and later his son, spent his 30-plus year career pushing this do-it-yourself oral posture training, claiming it would guide facial growth and development,” says Donald B. Yoo, MD, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Los Angeles.

Over the last few years, their work has gained significant traction thanks to viral videos on TikTok and other social media platforms. Proponents of the trend suggest it as an inexpensive alternative to filler, orthodontic work, or surgery for the jawline in adults.

How to mew

Mewing is a pretty basic exercise, says Dr. Kopelman, who offers this step-by-step:

1. Close your lips gently
2. Bring your teeth together lightly without clenching.
3. Press your entire tongue against the roof of your mouth, making sure it touches the hard palate.
4. Keep this position as much as possible throughout the day.

While it may not feel natural at first, over time, it should be easier to maintain this position as second nature. According to the London School of Facial Orthotropics where Mew conducted his work, this could take anywhere from 14 months to 2 years.

Does mewing work?

“Proponents of mewing claim that it can help define the jawline, improve facial symmetry, and even aid in better breathing and swallowing patterns, however the scientific evidence supporting these claims is limited” says Dr. Kopelman. “While some individuals may see minor changes, these are often subtle and take a considerable amount of time and consistent practice to notice,” he says, adding “I don’t think it really has any value.”

It’s not just Dr. Kopelman who takes this stance, either. Not only did every facial plastic surgeon and orthodontist we spoke to say the exact same thing, but the American Association of Orthodontics issued a statement debunking the practice. Some medical experts went so far as telling us it’s irresponsible to promote mewing as a solution for facial sculpting. “In 2019, while social media and mass media attention brought mewing and John Mew into the spotlight, the British Orthodontic Society—in a unanimous vote—expelled him for continuing to promote his ideas which lacked scientific backing,” Dr. Yoo told WH.

Are there any risks to mewing?

“Mewing results in forcefully pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth repeatedly and frequently, which promotes an unhealthy range of motion within the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), which can lead to discomfort, pain and even difficulty chewing normally,” says Dr. Yoo. “It can also exacerbate a mismatch in the alignment of the teeth and jaws, creating uneven wear of the teeth, teeth grinding, and even a bite that does not close completely.”

So what should you do instead of mewing?

“Proper dental orthodontics and orthognathic surgery remain the standard of care for correcting alignment and achieving proper position of the jaws and teeth,” says Dr. Yoo. For starters, orthodontic treatments, such as braces or clear aligners, can correct dental alignment issues, says Dr. Kopelman.

“For cosmetic aspects of the neck and jawline, a number of nonsurgical and surgical approaches provide safe and effective options for improving the shape.” These include treatments like Botox, dermafillers, and even DIY microcurrent devices that work to sharpen the jaw and neckline of any sagging or loose skin. Liposuction and facelifting procedures can also help address excess fat or soft tissue laxity, says Dr. Yoo.

The bottom line: Is mewing a good idea?

Mewing may sound promising, but it’s not the miracle cure it promises to be—and it could even do more harm than good, depending on your personal circumstances and technique. “The reality is, we live an age where appearance is important, but there has to be a balance,” says Payam Ataii, DMD, MBA, senior vice president of orthodontics at Aspen Dental. “Some patients anatomically, no matter how much muscle movement is done, are limited to the architecture of their oral cavity,” he says. For example, “if the patient has malocclusion of the teeth (misalignment), and they are only doing muscle activity such as mewing, the reality is they are boxing themselves in. They are still limited to that arch they already possess, so it’s better to unravel those crowded or overlapped teeth and put them in a better position with orthodontic care.”

Your best bet? Talk to your own medical provider, whether a facial surgeon or an orthodontist, to see what options are most suitable for you.

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