Should you be doing mewing? If you’ve been on Youtube, you’ve probably heard of mewing. It’s the hottest craze in the beauty industry with claims of defining the jawline. But if we listened to traditional beauty marketing we’d all be looking like Barbies and Kens. And we all know that just isn’t reality.
So who do we believe?
What I can tell you is that beauty isn’t one size fits all. It’s the diversity, charm, and even the flaws which harmonize to create our own unique identities. And that’s powerfully attractive.
So is mewing another unrealistic pipe dream, or is it possible to morph into a more attractive face?
In this article, we’ll dive in. With so much buzz lately about mewing and other products like Jawzrsize, it can be difficult to know what’s worthwhile and what’s a fad. Here we’ll put the topic through its paces. We’ll answer what is mewing, why it’s a form of orthotropics, I’ll give a quick mewing how to, and we’ll answer the burning question… does mewing work?
What is Mewing and What are Orthotropics?
The mewing definition is that it is a form of orthotropics. And I know what you’re thinking, that doesn’t help me because I have no clue what orthotropics is. Don’t worry you’re not alone.
Orthotropics is essentially guiding the growth of the face. The concept is not new. In fact I bet you’ve seen it in action. Allow me to explain.
Orthotropics is usually associated with children between the ages of 5-9. If you’ve ever seen a child with headgear or a palate expander, that’s the concept of orthotropics. By applying pressure with leverage to various parts of the face, the growth of the face can be guided.
Makes sense, right?
But recently there’s been advocacy for orthotropics in adults. That’s a bit controversial comparatively since adults…aren’t growing. So what’s that all about?
Enter mewing.
Here’s the mewing definition. It is a set of do-it-yourself lifestyle techniques that are claimed to improve facial contours. The concept of mewing largely involves a focus on tongue placement and posture throughout daily life. It is named after Dr. Mike Mew, a British orthodontist, who describes the concept in his videos “as much psychological as physical.”
Dr. Mew is an advocate that these improved lifestyle habits can have effects on our health as well as our appearance. And mewing has been claimed as a way to define the jawline, correct speech impediments, and reduce TMJ disorder issues.
Adult Orthotropics: The Mewing How To
Mewing is a lifestyle technique which involves flattening out your tongue against the roof of the mouth as often as possible. It is claimed that the posture is said to help realign your teeth and define your jawline.
A Summary of How to Mew is:
- Rest your mouth normally.
- Move your tongue to the roof light flatten it against your palate
- Your tongue should lay flat and but not be pressed tightly against the teeth
- You should feel a little pressure throughout your jaw
- Maintain this posture whenever you can
As advocates of mewing explain, the technique takes a lot of practice to consistently maintain through daily life. Over time, your mouth will adapt and remember how to place your tongue in the correct mewing position subconsciously.
In fact, advocates recommend to mew all the time for proper posture, even when drinking liquids.
Mewing Results: Does Mewing Work?
There’s no doubt that conventional orthodontics can guide growth in children. But does mewing work in adults?
Probably not.
At least not the way you’re thinking.
If you’re working on improving your overall posture including your oral posture, that’s a fantastic lifestyle goal. Improving posture has immense health benefits over a lifetime. Benefits of improved posture include reduced muscle tension, less likelihood of spinal issues, and reduced risk of TMJ disorder.
Working on your overall body posture is an investment in your overall welling being and helps guide successful aging.
But if you’re expecting dramatic mewing results in terms of beauty… You’re probably barking up the wrong tree.
Unless there’s more peer reviewed research showing contrary, it’s unlikely that mewing and adult orthotropics will dramatically define the jawline.
Mewing Before and After Images: Should You Trust Them?
But I saw some mewing before and after images online and they look amazing. Is that what you’re wondering?
Look I get it. We’re in a world of endorsements and word of mouth. We sometimes put equal value in our favorite influencer’s video on YouTube as we do in basic science.
But for a moment, let’s step back to hard facts.
There’s numerous mewing before and after photos and videos floating around on the internet. But are they reliable?
The reality is… I’m not sure.
Mewing before and after photos are particularly unreliable because the claimed effectiveness is based over a long period of time. There are many factors that can alter the face shape over time including weight, sun exposure, camera lighting, tucking or untucking the jaw position in the photo, and aging.
If you know anything about photography, you know that a person could go from zero to hero just by slightly altering the lighting and positioning. And a big part of how we look in photos has to do with the definition of the jaw. Peter Hurley, a NYC photographer puts it in best in the following video.
So it’s difficult to put value in how much effect was from mewing and how much effect was from that facelift the person may have had somewhere along the line.
The takeaway is that the jury is still out on mewing before and after images. We need more peer-reviewed clinical research to say definitively how effective it is in photos.
The Bottom Line
Mewing is not necessarily dangerous, but there’s not enough validated evidence at the time of this writing to support the claims. Adult orthotropics has become an online craze of late with mewing and other products like Jawzrsize gaining significant buzz. However, the results of mewing and many of these products do not necessarily guarantee a defined jawline.
You may still consider mewing if you like. But more importantly, I’d encourage you to consider improving your overall body posture for your own wellbeing. That might have more health benefits than pursuing only vanity metrics.
If you have concerns about your speech, jawline, or possible TMJ disorder symptoms, you should first see a healthcare professional to discuss treatment options. If you have any pains or cosmetic concerns in the jaw area, see your doctor to discuss treatment options.
