If you’ve looked into how to improve your jawline, you’ve probably come across some of the natural methods that claim to create more definition. Maybe you’ve even got lost in the rabbit hole of jawline exercises before and after content on TikTok and Instagram.
But can exercises change your face shape? Let’s take a look.
First, What are Facial Exercises for the Jawline?
Facial exercises for the jawline entail doing different moves to strengthen the jaw, facial, and neck muscles. When performed daily, they purport to create a more prominent jawline and a more youthful appearance. Two of the most popular types of jaw exercises are mewing and face yoga.
What is Mewing?
Mewing is a term the Internet coined for exercises promoted by British orthodontist John Mew and, later, his son, Michael Mew that involve flattening the tongue against the roof of the mouth.
The pair push “orthotropics” as an alternative to traditional orthodontics. The technique focuses on exercises to adjust the jaw posture and tongue position.
It’s important to note that John Mew was stripped of his dental license and Michael Mew is facing a misconduct hearing at the General Dental Council for misleading and/or inappropriate treatment of children.
What is Face Yoga?
Face yoga is, as you’ve probably guessed, yoga for the face. Many programs include at least one version of mewing, as well as other exercises using the tongue, lip, neck, and jaw muscles. For example, a popular exercise has you open your mouth as wide as you can and then say “O” and “E” using exaggerated pronunciation.
Do Jawline Exercises Work?
Now, the million-dollar question: Do these exercises really change your face shape?
The Latest Research on Jawline Exercises
The idea of toning and defining the jawline through exercises is appealing, and, it’s true, that like any muscle in the body, exercising the facial muscles can make them stronger. That said, unfortunately, there is very little scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of jawline exercises.
In a study published in JAMA Dermatology, participants who did facial yoga every day or every other day for 30 minutes per session over 20 weeks saw a modest improvement in mid-face and lower-face fullness. As the authors note, “the sample was small, exclusively of middle-aged women, there were numerous dropouts, and there was no control group in the study.1
The few other studies on face yoga faced the same limitations, making it impossible to draw definitive conclusions.
There is no research supporting face yoga, mewing, or any exercises as an alternative to orthodontics or jaw surgery or as a way to reshape the jaw structure.
This doesn’t mean facial exercises are worthless though. A 2023 systematic review found that facial exercises can be effective for managing temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and orofacial pain. Though further investigation is needed, it appears that performing certain jaw exercises as part of an exercise therapy plan can relieve pain, help to re-educate the muscles and improve jaw mobility in those with TMJ dysfunction.2
Facial Exercises for Growing Kids
Habits such as tongue thrust, also called an infantile swallowing pattern, and mouth breathing in young children can interfere with facial and dental development and cause unwanted changes in face shape and the alignment of the jaw and teeth.
Reversing or avoiding these unwanted changes sometimes includes having a child do myofunctional exercises, some of which may be similar to face yoga moves or mewing.
The goal is to retrain the tongue posture and breathing pattern to support optimal development and prevent more serious orthodontic concerns. Many times, the exercises are done in conjunction with wearing a phase 1 orthodontic appliance like a palatal expander.
The caveat? The exercises are most effective in kids ages 5 to 10, are usually part of a larger treatment plan, and are meant for a small subset of little ones with specific habits. Once a child is done growing, they won’t achieve the same results with jawline exercises or phase 1 orthodontic treatment, for that matter.
What Experts Have to Say
Most orthodontists and medical professionals are skeptical of the dramatic changes touted by proponents of jawline exercises. I have to agree.
While mewing or doing face yoga for your jawline might increase muscle tone, possibly leading to very subtle changes after months of consistent practice, they can’t alter the jawbone or teeth alignment, which are determined by a complex mix of genetics and environmental factors.
Ultimately, if you don’t already have the underlying bone structure, no exercise can change your face shape, especially in adulthood or the teen years when growth is complete.
Consider This Example
Let’s look at this from a different medical perspective just to make some sense of things. If one of your legs was shorter than the other and the shape wasn’t quite right, would a physical therapist or physician give you at-home exercises to correct the skeletal imbalance and physically alter the size and shape of your leg?
That doesn’t sound right, does it? So be mindful of trends and conspiracies that have little to no evidence supported in refereed journals.
Are Facial Exercises Like Mewing Bad For You?
For most people, gently stretching and strengthening the chewing and neck muscles is perfectly fine. (If you have TMJ, you may even want to ask your doctor about adding exercises to your treatment plan.)
As for mewing, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) does not recommend it. They caution against any attempts to move your teeth or align your jaws without the supervision of a certified specialist in orthodontics. There’s a reason it took me a decade of education and training, including thousands of hours in a residency program, to earn my orthodontic certification.
According to the AAO, putting prolonged pressure on your teeth by “improperly forcing your tongue into unnatural positions may lead to undesired effects and could actually:
- Disrupt tooth alignment
- Worsen bite problems and speech issues
- Require complicated treatment to resolve”3
How to Improve Your Jawline
Okay, so jawline exercises won’t change your jaw structure. What will? Here are some alternatives:
Orthodontic Treatment
For certain more severe skeletal abnormalities, starting phase 1 orthodontic treatment while a child still has some of their baby teeth lets us intercept the problem. I can use an appliance to guide jaw growth and make room for the permanent teeth to come in, reducing the need for more invasive treatment like jaw surgery later in life.
Most patients, however, will get great results by getting braces, InBrace, or Invisalign Teen around age 12 or 13. Aligning the jaw and teeth can enhance facial aesthetics and create a more harmonious jawline.
In adults, changes to the jawline are limited. For a problem like an underbite or severe overbite that impacts how your jaw looks, surgical orthodontics (orthodontic treatment combined with corrective jaw surgery) is the best way to truly correct it.
While braces won’t change your face shape on a structural level as an adult, orthodontic treatment will straighten your teeth and create a healthier relationship between the upper and lower arches (i.e., your bite). This alone can make your jawline appear more defined and provide support for the lips and cheeks, giving you a more youthful look.
Dermal Fillers
Cosmetic injectables are sometimes used to add volume to the face with the goal of creating a more defined jawline. The results are temporary and fillers won’t actually reshape your jawbone.
Surgery
We already talked about surgical orthodontics but that’s not the only option. Cosmetic surgical procedures like facial contouring and chin implants can also improve the appearance of the jawline.
Healthy Lifestyle
Eating a healthy diet and regularly exercising can help you maintain a healthy body weight and reduce overall body fat, including in the face. For some people, this will make their jawline look more defined.
The Bottom Line
Who doesn’t want a quick fix? We get it. But things that sound too good to be true probably are. Mewing and face yoga are no exception.
Yes, there’s limited evidence supporting the mild anti-aging effect of a 20-week face yoga routine, but there’s no evidence that mewing or face yoga can reshape the jaw.
The AAO does not recommend mewing and cautions against forcing the tongue in unnatural positions because it can put pressure on the teeth, potentially causing them to shift.
To significantly change your jawline, orthodontic treatment and/or surgery combined with a healthy lifestyle are the most effective options.
For some problems, early interceptive orthodontic treatment when a child still has some baby teeth can guide jaw growth and bring about the best results.
Let’s Design Your Best Smile
At Jeffrey Kwong Orthodontics, my team and I are dedicated to creating custom smiles that enhance your facial aesthetics and health.
Whether your goal is to improve your jawline or simply smile with confidence, book a complimentary consultation to explore your treatment options!
Resources:
- Alam M, Walter AJ, Geisler A, et al. Association of facial exercise with the appearance of aging. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(3):365-367. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.5142
- Shimada A, Ogawa T, Sammour SR, et al. Effectiveness of exercise therapy on pain relief and jaw mobility in patients with pain-related temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review. Front Oral Health. 2023;4:1170966. Published 2023 Jul 12. doi:10.3389/froh.2023.1170966
- Does mewing actually reshape your jaw? American Association of Orthodontists. https://aaoinfo.org/whats-trending/is-mewing-bad-for-you/. 2024 Jan 17.
